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Chief Financial Officer

Courtney A. Berg, MSA, CPA, SHRM-CP

Berg comes to St. Ambrose from Buena Vista University, where she managed the university’s multi-million dollar budget, implemented zero-based budgeting, and oversaw critical financial operations, including endowment accounting and federal grants compliance. She also led multimillion-dollar construction projects, secured diverse financing, and successfully launched the university’s Spirit Store, achieving profitability every year since its inception. Her commitment to student success extended to teaching financial literacy courses and co-chairing strategic initiatives to strengthen the campus community.

Courtney’s leadership is further demonstrated by her participation in esteemed programs like the NACUBO Fellows Program and EAB Rising Higher Education Leaders fellowship. She has also served on key governance committees, providing critical financial insights to institutional leadership.

Chief Mission Integration Officer

Amelia Blanton Hibner, PhD, MTS

Prior to joining ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø in February 2026, Dr. Amelia Blanton Hibner served since 2020 as Dean of Mission Integration at Visitation Academy of St. Louis, where she provided senior-level leadership for Catholic identity, Salesian spirituality, and the Visitation charism across all dimensions of institutional life.

A Texas native, Dr. Blanton Hibner earned her bachelor’s degree from Saint Louis University, a Master of Theological Studies from the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Saint Louis University. 

Dr. Blanton Hibner’s academic preparation and professional experience reflect two guiding pillars of her leadership: a deep grounding in Catholic theology and spirituality, and a systems-level understanding of how mission is integrated into institutional culture, governance, and strategy. Her work is marked by a commitment to discernment, formation, and the translation of Catholic tradition into lived practice for diverse educational communities.

Vice President, Institutional Advancement

Anne Gannaway

Anne Gannaway manages the university's advancement and development activities, including capital campaigns, annual fund, major gifts, planned estate giving, and alumni relations.

Gannaway earned her Master of Arts in higher education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She began her career at SAU in 2012 serving Alumni and Advancement as the executive director. Long before that, however, Gannaway was already well familiar​ with the Ambrosian way: Her father, Edward Henkhaus, was the university's vice president for finance for many years. 

Gannaway is married to Ethan Gannaway who is a full professor-adjunct of history at SAU and the associate director of the Academy for the Study of Saint Ambrose of Milan. They have three boys.

Executive Director of Strategy and Project Management

Karla Hurley, MBA

Karla Hurley has more than twenty years of experience developing strategic programming and communications within non-profit, higher education, and corporate settings. She is an alumna of the University of Iowa, having received both her undergraduate degree and her MBA at Iowa. Before establishing her consulting company, Hurley Digital Consulting, she was the Executive Director of Marketing and Digital Strategy at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, where she created innovative campaigns to support the greatest needs of the university and engage their multitude of audiences. 

During her 9-year tenure, she managed the ever changing digital landscape through the organization’s transition to an advancement model, re-imagined online giving and digital communications at the university, helped to establish the University of Iowa’s online giving day, One Day for Iowa, and fostered triple digit growth in both online giving and digital engagement.

Chief Information Officer

Adam Kurth, MBA

Adam Kurth brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in information technology, finance, and organizational planning. His experience includes major advancements in cybersecurity, enterprise systems modernization, instructional technology, and data governance. As CIO, Kurth will support the alignment of shared systems and digital infrastructure across St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy, helping build a seamless student and employee experience.

President, Mount Mercy University

Todd A. Olson, PhD

Dr. Todd A. Olson has served as Mount Mercy University's president since in 2021. In this role, he has built partnerships with local hospitals and other colleges to strengthen student opportunities, and launched new academic and athletic programs. He is currently leading Mount Mercy’s work to pursue a strategic combination with ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø in Davenport.

Prior to Mount Mercy, he served as Vice President for Student Affairs at Georgetown University for 18 years. Before that, he served for 16 years at the University of Denver, where he earned his Ph.D. in higher education. Todd is a native of Battle Lake, Minnesota, and has lived in five different states.

He has served as president of the national Jesuit student affairs association, and spent a decade on the policy committee for the Patriot League athletic conference. Todd has authored several articles and a book chapter, on topics ranging from student well-being to managing controversy on a Catholic campus.

He has been honored as a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Minnesota Morris, and has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame at his high school in Minnesota. He serves on the boards for Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids, and the Hawkeye Area Council of Scouting USA. Todd and his wife Regina are the parents of three adult children.

Vice President, Academic Affairs Provost

Joseph Roidt, PhD

Joseph Roidt joins ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø from Dakota Wesleyan University where he served as the chief academic officer for seven years. Prior to joining Dakota Wesleyan, Roidt held several academic leadership positions, including associate provost and vice president for academic affairs, at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia.

In his role as provost and vice president for academic affairs at St. Ambrose, Roidt oversees the university's academic programs, the library, and several other academic areas.

Roidt earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Kent State University and completed his PhD in sociology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Vice President, Student Engagement and Dean of Students

Christopher Waugh, PhD

Christopher Waugh is ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø's first vice president for Student Engagement. In his role, Waugh oversees student services, including housing and residence life, the counseling center, and student activities, among others. Working closely with the vice president for academic affairs, Waugh is responsible for fostering a holistic experience for all students.

Waugh joined SAU in 2019 as dean of students and associate vice president for academic and student affairs. Before joining St. Ambrose, he served as an associate dean in the Student Affairs Office at Pomona College in Claremont, California.

Waugh earned his bachelor's degree in English and visual communication and his Master of Arts in counseling from Northern Illinois University. In 2011, Waugh completed a PhD in higher education administration at Loyola University Chicago, where he also led graduate-level internship cohorts. His research and educational interests focus on engaging bystanders to help mitigate dangerous drinking situations. Waugh is married to Kristina, a health educator. Kristina and Christopher have one son, Simon.