President’s Office

Mary H. Van Brunt, PhD
President

Mary H. Van Brunt, PhD, began her service as president of Spring Hill College on January 1, 2023, making history as the first female to serve in the top leadership role. She succeeded E. Joseph Lee, II, PhD, who was named interim on August 1, 2018, and served from September 4, 2019, until his retirement on December 15, 2022.

Dr. Van Brunt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa., a Master of Business Administration in Accounting from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa., and a PhD in Economics from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. 

Van Brunt brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in Catholic higher education. She has served as Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and founding Academic Dean. Her strengths are in the areas of strategic planning, new program development and assessment, fundraising, and team building. She also spent twelve years in the banking, securities, and pharmaceutical industries.

Van Brunt served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Gwynedd Mercy University in Gwynedd Valley, Pa., and as Founding Dean of the School of Business, Arts and Media at Cabrini University in Radnor, Pa. As an award-winning economics professor, she received the NCES/AEFA New Scholar Dissertation Award, Warren York Fellowship, and the Charles R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Excellence in teaching. 

She has been inducted into several honor societies including Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars, Beta Sigma Gamma Honor Society, and the Delta Epsilon Sigma National Catholic Honor Society. She is a published author, consultant, certified global business professional, and prior certified management accountant.

Laura Allsup
Executive Assistant for the President’s Office
o: (251) 380-3865  | e: lallsup@shc.edu

Rebecca Cantor, PhD
Provost and Chief Academic Officer
o: (251) 380-2262 | e: rcantor@shc.edu

Rebecca Cantor, PhD, started at Spring Hill College in July 2022. In her role as Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Cantor’s span of care includes Academic Affairs with eight Academic Divisions, the Italy Center, Online Learning, Registrar, Institutional Research, Honors Program, Student Success, the Library, Residence Life, Dining, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Involvement, Advising, and Career Services. Dr. Cantor is twice Jesuit educated, with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT, and a Master of Arts in English from Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, CA. She earned her PhD in English from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. She came to SHC from the Savannah College of Art and Design where she was Chair of Liberal Arts, and she previously served as the Assistant Provost and Writing Program Administrator at Azusa Pacific University.

Fr. Phil Steele, SJ
Chief Mission Officer
o: (251) 380-4672 | e: psteele@shc.edu

Rev. Philip G. Steele, SJ, is the Chief Mission Officer for Spring Hill College and the superior of the Jesuit Community. A Jesuit for 58 years, has spent much of his career as a high school educator—art teacher, campus ministry director, and school president. He has also served as executive assistant to the Jesuit provincial and as superior of several communities of Jesuits. For six years he was rector of Jesuit Hall, the Jesuit community at Saint Louis University, at the time the largest Jesuit community in the country. In January of 2023 when 65 retired Jesuits moved from Jesuit Hall to a new residence, he became the founding superior of St. Ignatius Hall. He has served on numerous high school and university Boards of Trustees. He holds Master’s degrees in fine arts and theology.

Arlene Cash
Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing
o: (251) 380-3022 | e: acash@shc.edu

Arlene Wesley Cash joins Spring Hill College as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing, overseeing admissions and marketing. With more than 30 years of experience in higher education, she has led successful initiatives in admissions, financial aid, career planning, orientation, marketing, retention, and TRIO programs at institutions across the country. Her leadership includes serving as VP for Enrollment and Student Success at Frostburg State University, where she launched the Success Coach initiative, and as the inaugural VP for Enrollment Management at Spelman College, where she developed a 10-year enrollment plan to align academic, financial, and student life goals. She has also held senior roles at the University of Arkansas, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and consulted with institutions such as Notre Dame de Namur, Georgian Court, Bennett, Kentucky Wesleyan, and Delta State.

A nationally recognized leader in enrollment, Cash has contributed her expertise through committees and initiatives with NACAC, AACRAO, NRCCUA, the College Board, U.S. News & World Report, and the Character Collaborative, among others. A first-generation college graduate and TRIO participant, she was named among the inaugural class of TRIO Champions. She has also published widely on affordability and access, presented at professional conferences, and been featured in national media, including NBC’s Today show and NPR’s Talk of the Nation.

Vannee Cao-Nguyen, EdD
Vice President for Culture & Community and Title IX Coordinator
o: (251) 380-3026 | e: vcaonguyen@shc.edu

Vannee Cao-Nguyen, EdD joined SHC in 2023 and serves as the Vice President of Culture & Community. She has leadership responsibilities and oversight of Human Resources, Public Safety, Student Conduct, Counseling and Wellness, Badger Health Clinic, Title IX, Equal Opportunity and Inclusion Initiatives. Dr. Cao-Nguyen has over 17 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education serving as Executive Director of Equal Opportunity and Access, and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Academic Engagement prior to coming to SHC. Prior to her higher education roles, she worked in mental health support in K12 schools, psychiatric treatment programs, and rape crisis/trauma recovery services. Dr. Cao-Nguyen holds a bachelor’s in psychology, masters in counseling and a doctorate in education.

Julia A. Vigneault, MBA, CPA, PMP
Vice President for Business and Finance
o: (251) 380-3865 | e: jvigneault@shc.edu

Julia A. Vigneault, MBA, CPA, PMP came to Spring Hill in 2023, bringing with her more than 20 years of financial and management experience. Prior to coming to Spring Hill, Ms. Vigneault served in executive roles at Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she directed multimillion-dollar financial advisory engagements. Vigneault started her career with Deloitte & Touche, providing financial remediation and process improvement services to clients across multiple industries. Vigneault is a Certified Public Accountant and a Project Management Professional. She holds both a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from Spring Hill College.