CONTACT: SVOTS Transition Committee, transition@svots.edu 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

YONKERS, NY, Monday, May 20, 2024—St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) announces the retirement of the Very Rev. Dr. Chad Hatfield as SVOTS President and Rector of Three Hierarchs Chapel, effective July 1, 2024. His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, along with the Board of Trustees, received and accepted a request for retirement from Fr. Hatfield on Friday, May 17 at the 2024 Spring Semi-Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees.

During his seventeen-year tenure at SVOTS, as Chancellor and then President, Fr. Hatfield oversaw significant developments at SVOTS, including but not limited to the expansion of the faculty and academic programs, enhancing of campus facilities, strengthening of the staff and administration, and the reinforcement of the Seminary’s financial foundation. Fr. Hatfield will begin a six-month sabbatical, continuing as the Skvir Professor of Pastoral Theology, concluding on December 31, 2024. 

His Beatitude and the Board of Trustees expressed gratitude and appreciation for Fr. Hatfield’s many years of service at SVOTS. His Beatitude, Chairman of the Board, stated, “Fr. Chad’s leadership has been transformative for the Seminary. His commitment to service in the Church and for the Church has preserved and strengthened the legacy of St. Vladimir’s Seminary as a beacon of Orthodox Christian education. We are immensely grateful for his unwavering dedication to upholding the teachings of the Orthodox Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” 

Over the course of the summer, SVOTS will initiate a comprehensive search for Fr. Hatfield’s successor, led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon as Chairman of the Board, who will chair a President Search Committee, as mandated by the SVOTS bylaws. The Board of Trustees also appointed a Transition Committee to assist with and ensure a seamless transition. In the interim, the Board of Trustees appointed Academic Dean, Dr Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie, as the Interim President and Academic Dean, effective July 1, 2024, to oversee the Seminary’s operations.

More information regarding the succession search will be made available in the coming weeks. 

Inquiries can be directed to:
SVOTS Transition Committee
Email: transition@svots.edu 

The Commencement of the Class of 2024 of St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) will occur on Saturday, May 18, 2024. The ceremony will begin with a prayer of thanksgiving in Three Hierarchs Chapel at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, after which all guests of the graduating class will be asked to take their seats in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium in the John G. Rangos building. At approximately 1:30 p.m. Eastern, the visiting hierarchs, guests of honor, faculty, and graduating students will proceed to the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium for the ceremony. The ceremony will be live-streamed starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. EST.

Dr Robert P. George will give his remarks as the 2024 Commencement Speaker. Dr George has had an illustrious career and currently serves as the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.

The Commencement Ceremony of the Class of 2024 will be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person. Please register below to indicate your plans for attendance and to receive the Zoom link to participate via live stream.

Register here

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