President-office-Header

November 25, 2020

Dear William Paterson Faculty and Staff,

I am pleased to announce that Melissa Reardon Henry will join William Paterson University as our new General Counsel on January 19. Ms. Reardon Henry comes to us from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, where she currently serves as Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel and where I had the pleasure of working with her during my tenure there. She has strong and extensive labor relations and collective bargaining experience, which will be particularly helpful to William Paterson as we work to better align our resources to meet our needs in concert with the leadership of the various unions that represent faculty and staff on campus.
 
Prior to her eight years at Northeastern Illinois, Ms. Reardon Henry served as Director of Employee Relations at Purdue University, as well as holding various legal counsel positions with the City Colleges of Chicago, the City of Chicago Department of Law, and the City of Chicago Board of Education. She began her legal career at the U.S. Department of Labor after receiving her B.A. in Romance Language and Literature from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. 
 
Ms. Reardon Henry is a valued and well-respected colleague, and I know she will make a great addition to the Cabinet and the broader campus community. Please join me in welcoming her to William Paterson in the new year.
 
Sincerely,
  
Richard J. Helldobler, PhD
President