Mary Worland Napier
mary.napier@nessearches.com | 386-740-9597 or 386-747-7765

Prior to establishing Napier Executive Search in 2014, Mary Napier built a reputation for being a strategic leader in guiding colleges and universities in identifying top talent. As a former enrollment manager holding director, dean, and vice president roles in enrollment management, Mary’s deep and extensive experience in higher education makes her uniquely qualified to assist institutions in their executive searches.

Mary provides the vision for Napier Executive search and oversees a team of experienced higher education professionals who share her commitment to advancing the enrollment management profession.

Mary has spent more than 30 years working in the higher education space. In the years leading up to Napier Executive search, Mary played an integral role for four years with Lahti Search Consultants seeking talented enrollment leaders in higher education. Before transitioning to executive search, Mary served as the chief enrollment officer for Stetson University, as interim Vice President at Manhattanville College, and in progressive management roles in admissions at the University of Tulsa and Ripon College. Complementing her experience in enrollment management, Mary worked for the National Research Center for College and University Admissions (NRCCUA) as a consultant, aiding colleges and universities in their efforts to expand and diversify their applicant pools.

A first-generation college student, Mary earned her bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College and her master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Tulsa. She and her husband, Keith reside in DeLand, Florida, where she volunteers in the community with IDignity and the Colorline Roundtable. She treasures time spent with her close-knit immediate and extended family including their adult children, daughter, son and daughter in law who continue to inform and entertain through family group texts. Mary yearns to once again become an avid traveler, enjoys painting and interior design, and looks forward to summer months on the lake in Michigan where her kayak is just a few steps away.