President's Cabinet

Dr. Allen fulfills a key role on the President's Cabinet by giving focused attention to the institution's diversity plan. He leads the Office of Diversity Affairs, which includes Multicultural and International Student Programs. Dr. Allen is the founder of the Common Ground Project, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching the history of the Civil Rights Movement. He also teaches in Messiah's communication department.

As vice president for human resources and compliance, Ms. Coffey oversees all aspects of professional employment for faculty and staff at Messiah University. Her office is charged with responsibility for the employment strategies and practices of the University. As such, human resources manages activities such as recruiting, professional development, employee relations, compensation and benefits so as to support the productivity and engagement of the University's employees.

Emerson B. Powery, Ph.D., joined the President’s Cabinet as interim provost in June 2026. In this role, Dr. Powery serves as the chief academic officer of the institution and is responsible for providing leadership for academic programs, faculty, cocurricular educators, student success and strategic initiatives while advancing academic excellence, innovation and the University’s mission.

Powery earned his Ph.D. from Duke University in Religion (Biblical Studies), an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and his B.A. in biblical studies from Lee University. Prior to this appointment, he served as Messiah’s dean of the School of Arts, Culture and Society. He has served in various other leadership roles at the University, arriving at Messiah in 2008 as a faculty member in the Department of Biblical, Religious and Philosophical Studies, and has published widely in biblical studies and cultural hermeneutics.

Gary Nowicki holds a master's degree (MBA) in Industrial Administration/Finance from Carnegie Mellon University and worked for many years as a Managing Director in the Higher Education department of a brokerage and investment banking firm. In that role, he worked with dozens of institutions on a variety of areas like enrollment management issues, asset monetization considerations, debt capacity analyses, economic impact of new programs, existing program disruptions, legal reviews of related documents and pro forma cash flow testing. Mr. Nowicki joined Messiah University's leadership team in 2022, where he provides oversight to the business office, endowment team, purchasing, and institutional research.

Ms. Shafer oversees the division of the University that significantly impacts students' and employees' everyday life including the dining, custodial, facilities maintenance, conference and event services, safety and grounds keeping teams. She also has responsibility for Messiah's sustainability initiatives, Messiah Press, the campus bookstore and crisis management protocols.

Sarah Wade oversees undergraduate and graduate admissions, recruitment and financial aid efforts. Areas of oversight include: Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Enrollment, Financial Aid, Enrollment Management Operations, Enrollment Partnerships and Admissions Hospitality. She and her team work closely with colleagues from across campus to ensure excellence in service to prospective students, families and partner organizations.