Esteemed CSU Law School Dean, former Ohio Lt. Governor and Attorney General is ready to lead a new era at BW.
Baldwin Wallace University has named former Ohio Lt. Governor and Attorney General Lee Fisher as BW's 10th President.
Fisher, who has served as dean of the Cleveland State University College of Law for the past nine years, is a prominent and widely respected Ohio leader whose accomplished career spans the public, private, nonprofit and academic sectors.
Fisher's appointment follows a comprehensive national search supported by Russell Reynolds Associates and spearheaded by a BW stakeholder committee chaired by Trustee Paul Clark. The choice of Fisher represents a strategic vision for the University's continued growth and innovation. He will officially take the helm at BW on July 1.
Broad accomplishments; Higher Education Leadership
Fisher brings to BW an exceptional background of leadership in both public service and higher education.
From 1981 to 1990, he served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate, and he served as chair of the Cuyahoga County legislative delegation. He was Ohio's 44th Attorney General from 1991 to 1995 and the 64th Lieutenant Governor from 2007 to 2011.
As Attorney General, Fisher served as legal counsel for all of Ohio's public universities. As Lt. Governor, he actively participated in the development of the University System of Ohio's 2007-10 Strategic Plan, and he worked with all of Ohio's research universities and institutions as director of the Ohio Department of Development and chair of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission. As president/CEO of the national organization CEOs for Cities, he spoke nationwide about the value of a college degree. He has also served on a private college board of trustees.
In 2022, Fisher was inducted into the Cleveland Magazine Business Hall of Fame for his decades-long work on Ohio regional and state economic development.
He held positions as counsel and partner with the Cleveland-based law firm Hahn Loeser and served as president and CEO of the Centers for Families and Children, one of the largest nonprofit organizations in Ohio. Fisher is also known to Ohioans as a podcast host, newspaper and magazine columnist, television and radio commentator and frequent public speaker.
"This is a university poised to redefine what's possible, and I'm honored to help lead that charge." - Lee Fisher
Drawn to BW's potential
"Lee's remarkable track record of leadership makes him an ideal choice to guide Baldwin Wallace on a transformative journey that takes the University into its next chapter," said Lee Thomas, chair of the University's Board of Trustees. "We could not be happier that our nationwide search led us to such a respected Ohioan."
In BW, Fisher sees boundless potential.
"What drew me to BW is the university's unwavering commitment to the 3 C's – career readiness, character development, and cost — an affordable, high-quality education. These are the essential pathways to graduating a new generation of leaders with 21st-century future-ready skills. This is a university poised to redefine what's possible, and I'm honored to help lead that charge."
Notable Track Record of Management and Leadership
Fisher has extensive management, budgeting, strategic planning and fundraising experience.
When Fisher started as dean of CSU College of Law, it was running the largest deficit of all Cleveland State University's colleges, and enrollment was at its lowest level in more than 50 years. Since then, enrollment has increased 96%, and the College of Law has been running a healthy surplus for the past five years. In fall 2024, the college enrolled its largest first-year class in 15 years, and the academic credentials of first-year students have steadily increased.
Fisher led the development of the first-ever economic development strategic plan for the State of Ohio and also led comprehensive strategic plans for the Office of the Ohio Attorney General, Center for Families and Children, CEOs for Cities and Cleveland State University College of Law.
Education and Family
Fisher is a graduate of Oberlin College and served on Oberlin's Board of Trustees for 12 years. He earned a law degree from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Law and received the law school's first-ever Distinguished Recent Graduate Award. He later added a Master of Nonprofit Organization from the CWRU Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations.
The Shaker High School Hall of Famer is married to Peggy Zone Fisher, who served for 18 years as president and CEO of the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio until her retirement in August 2024. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.
In 2021, he and Peggy won the highest award of the Cleveland Bar Association Foundation, the Richard W. Pogue Award for Excellence in Community and Engagement, the first couple to ever receive the award.
