Advantage Pamintuan: Ex-Tennis Star Guides Future of National Accredited College as One of Country's Youngest Female Presidents

Despite the increase in the number of women college presidents, the percentage of female college presidents is disproportionately low. Results of some studies imply that mentorship is one factor that facilitates women’s climb up the administrative ladder to the college presidency. Mentorship and the Female College President

Syosset, NY, July 19, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Lisa Pamintuan has experienced a number of outstanding mentors along her way to the top of the higher education ladder. Accustomed to traveling great distances to reach her goals this former tennis prodigy from Indiana is today, at 38, one of the nation’s youngest female college presidents and at the academic forefront of a growing partnership between Eastern and Western medicine.

The daughter of a Filipino father and an Irish mother, Pamintuan was 35 in 2003 when she was named to the top post at New York College of Health Professions (NYCHP) in Syosset, Long Island, New York. Armed with a successful tennis career, a law degree from Wayne State University and experience navigating business deals in the Hollywood and entertainment business as well as other business ventures, Pamintuan was chosen to lead the college because she thought outside the box and possessed what the head of the school called “outstanding championship ability.” Four years later, it’s quite obvious she was the right choice.

Pamintuan has seen the college expand and diversify its program offerings and make tremendous strides in the community and outside the area in placing qualified practitioners of massage and other holistic disciplines. She also has helped steer New York College towards a financial surplus, an essential ingredient to growing any college. And this month NYCHP received its national institutional accreditation, which changes New York College from a career school to a higher level educational institution.

"I've held a variety of different jobs and loved them all,"says the dynamic Pamintuan who, at age 14, became the youngest winner of the Irish Tennis Open. “All of the jobs, including this one, were challenges and I absolutely love challenges."

Pamintuan took up tennis at the age of 9, played in the Junior World Championships at 10 and within a year was practicing 4 hours a day (and living) at the legendary Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Within a couple of years she was traveling the world to play in tournaments, including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Injuries cut her career short (she got her first taste of massage and acupuncture at a young age) and Pamintuan figured a law degree would help her in whatever business ventures she took on later. Her path at that time was uncertain; she only knew that she loved a challenge.

Pamintuan came to NYCHP through a chance meeting with Donald Spector, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and a successful inventor. Spector saw in Pamintuan what he also discovered in Mary Rodas who, at age 14, became the youngest marketing executive in America when he named her vice-president of his toy manufacturing company, Catpro. Today, Rodas (now 31) and Pamintuan work side by side at New York College. They are a formidable duo.

Upon receiving her law degree, Pamintuan had opportunities with IMG or to practice law in Michigan, but had a gut feeling that she wanted something else. She contacted Spector and he asked if she wanted to consult for one of his companies in California. She said yes, packed up and moved to Los Angeles where she ended up staying for seven years. In Los Angeles, Pamintuan consulted for some of Spector’s entertainment holding companies in music and film. She eventually came back to Long Island in 2001 when Spector offered her a position in the business department of the college.

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