Press Releases
John P. Sweeney, President, JPS Interests, Elected New Chairman of The Board of Trustees at Saint Xavier University
Mercy Hospital President & CEO and Florida Plastics President & CEO Also Join Board
CHICAGO (July 7, 2003) – John P. Sweeney, president, JPS Interests, has been elected chairman of Saint Xavier University’s Board of Trustees. A trustee since 1999, Sweeney will serve as chair for a three-year term.
Two new trustees also joined the institution’s governing body: Saint Xavier alumna Sister Sheila Lyne, RSM, president and CEO of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, and William Keyser, president and CEO of Ilinois-based Florida Plastics International, Inc. Lyne previously served on the board in 1993 – 1994.
Sweeney is the principal owner of JPS Interests as well as general partner of numerous real estate partnerships and other ventures. He has acted as a developer and managing general partner in more than 3 million square feet of office and industrial transactions, including the Northern Trust Canal Center and the Unicom State & Adams Cooling Plant, both of which are considered to be among the most technologically sophisticated buildings in the Chicago area.
A resident of Lincoln Park, Sweeney is active as a board member of Francis Xavier Warde School, Opportunity, Inc. and Old St. Patrick’s Church. He teaches development strategy in the Masters of Project Management Program at Northwestern University and has lectured at the UIC School of Architecture and the Center for Architecture and Urbanism. Sweeney earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
“I feel the University is in an extraordinary position,” Sweeney said. “It is financially sound with a robust enrollment and an exceptional academic tradition. It is our goal to build upon this base and bring Saint Xavier to the next level of quality and national recognition.”
Sweeney succeeds John McCarthy, president of Continental Air Transport, who fulfilled six years as chairman, the maximum allowed according to the university’s bylaws. McCarthy will remain as an active member of the board.
Lyne has served as president and CEO of Mercy Hospital since 2000 and held the same position from 1976 until 1991. In this capacity, she focuses on developing and expanding Mercy services to the surrounding communities. Prior to assuming the Mercy Hospital presidency, she served as the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. Active in both higher education and health organizations, Lyne is co-chair of the Chicago/Cook County Ambulatory Care Council and served as a member of the Board of Trustees of DePaul University. She is a past board member of Mercy Center for Healthcare Services as well as the Catholic Health Alliance for Metropolitan Chicago. She holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing and a master of science degree in psychiatric nursing from Saint Xavier College, and a master of business administration degree from the University of Chicago.
Keyser is a resident of Evergreen Park, Ill. and a strong supporter of the local community. He has served on the boards of Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124 and Evergreen Park Community High School District 231, including service as president of the high school board. Active in local health organizations, Keyser served on the Little Company of Mary Development Committee and is currently the chairman of the Governing Council of Advocate Christ Medical Center. He is past chair of Christ Hospital’s Development Board and served as a board member of the Evergreen Park Unit of the American Cancer Society. Keyser began his undergraduate studies at the University of Arizona and finished his coursework at Western Illinois University, where he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree.
The Board of Trustees governs the affairs of the University by advancing the University’s educational and religious mission and purposes; setting University policy and ensuring its implementation; appointing, supporting, and evaluating the president; increasing the assets of the University; ensuring strong financial management and fiscal stability; and ensuring academic quality and the well-being of faculty, staff, and students.
Founded in 1846, Saint Xavier University is a private, coeducational institution serving more than 5,200 men and women with high quality academic programs. It offers 34 undergraduate majors and 40 graduate program options in four schools: School of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, Graham School of Management, and School of Nursing. Located in a residential neighborhood in Chicago, the University offers personalized education that emphasizes challenging undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs of study. Crain’s Chicago Business (July 1, 2002) recognized Saint Xavier University for achieving the highest percentage of enrollment growth among Chicago-area universities and colleges during the previous year, increasing 6.3 percent. And, U.S. News & World Report named Saint Xavier in its 2002 “Best Colleges” issue as a best value and for its diversity as a master’s degree-granting institution in the Midwest region.