Holy Family University Welcomes New Dean to the School of Business & Technology

Tobin Porterfield, Ph.D., joins Holy Family as the dean of the School of Business & Technology effective April 13, 2026. Porterfield will succeed Fred Leh M’03, who served as the school’s interim dean, strengthening and strategically growing the school while the search for a new dean was underway. 

Porterfield brings both higher education leadership experience and professional industry experience—including 17 years at Baltimore Gas & Electric—to his new role at Holy Family. For the last six years, he served as associate dean at Kean University’s College of Business & Public Management. During that time, he also spent 18 months as interim dean for the College of Business and Public Management at Wenzhou-Kean University in China. Prior to his work in administration, he was a faculty member at Towson University’s College of Business & Economics.

That combination of corporate and academic experience has shaped Porterfield’s goals for the future of business education at Holy Family, which he describes as "building on what we do well and strengthening our programs and student success by working closely with our students, faculty, alumni, and regional employers."

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Porterfield to Holy Family University,” says Bindhu Alappat, Ph.D., Holy Family’s vice president for academic affairs. “His arrival marks an exciting step forward for the School of Business & Technology as we continue to strengthen our programs, expand student opportunities, and deepen our engagement with the business community. With his experience and vision, I believe the school is well positioned to grow in ways that will benefit our students and serve the needs of the region.”