Who we are

University leadership

Chancellor, president, and senior staff guiding AMU's Catholic mission and student experience.

University

Leadership

We're proud of our university leadership, who believe in the mission of true Catholic higher education. Their direction shapes Ave Maria University as a leading institution for today and tomorrow.

Chancellor & president

Guiding Catholic higher education

Tom Monaghan

Tom Monaghan is the Founder and Chancellor of Ave Maria University. A Detroit native and former U.S. Marine, Monaghan became an entrepreneur who is best known for founding Domino's Pizza. He built the company into a global brand before selling it and devoting his life to philanthropic and Catholic initiatives. Inspired by Pope Saint John Paul II's call for a renewal of Catholic higher education, Monaghan established Ave Maria University in 2003 as a faithfully Catholic institution rooted in John Paul II's Ex Corde Ecclesiae. He has supported numerous apostolates over the past three decades, including founding Legatus and Ave Maria School of Law, as well as a variety of pro-life and Catholic formation efforts. Monaghan resides in Florida and continues to champion Ave Maria's mission of forming leaders for the Church and the world.

Mark Middendorf

Middendorf, a Chicago native, was educated at Northern Illinois University and holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from DePaul University. Building on his successes as a corporate manager and marketer, Middendorf followed a special call to found Lighthouse Catholic Media (LCM), a lay apostolate that became the largest producer of Catholic audio talks on the planet before merging with Augustine Institute in 2015. Middendorf served as Executive Vice President For Mission Expansion at Augustine Institute before becoming AMU's fourth President in February 2022. He and his wife, Christine, are the proud parents of four children.