Goodwill directors appointed Hagerty to the board during its January 29 meeting. In “building lives that work,” Goodwill Industries of Central Florida supports jobseekers in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties with vocational services, youth programs and disability and veterans resources that helps individuals overcome employment obstacles to find meaningful work.
“Dr. Hagerty’s leadership in education is an invaluable addition to Goodwill’s board as we continue to provide training and employment for job-seekers with disabilities,” said Bill Oakley, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Florida. “It’s a privilege to partner with Beacon College in expanding opportunities for those who learn differently.”
In 2013, Hagerty was named president of Beacon College in Leesburg, Fla., America’s first college or university accredited to award bachelor’s degrees primarily to students with learning disabilities, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences.
Before Beacon, Hagerty launched his career with a postdoctoral fellowship at the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He later served in a series of posts in the newly created U.S. Department of Education, piloting branches that managed personnel preparation and policy compliance in the Office of Special Education Programs.
Hagerty served in faculty and administrative roles at his alma maters Stonehill College and Harvard University. His teaching, research, and writing focus on government, special education policy and finance, educational innovation, and non-profit management.
He is President-emeritus of Franklin Pierce University, where he served from 1995 to 2009. After Franklin Pierce, Hagerty served as provost and university professor at the fledgling Hellenic American University in Athens, Greece.
In addition, Hagerty served as president of University Advisors International, Inc. (UAI). The U.S.-based international investment and consulting company counsels higher education institutions, nonprofits, and corporations globally.