Christopher Fisher Appointed as New President of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Former ISI Programs Director and Digital Media Editor Becomes 9th President in ISI’s 73-year History

WILMINGTON, DE, UNITED STATES, September 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s Board of Trustees announced that Christopher Fisher has been appointed as ISI’s new President.

ISI Chairman of the Board Mark C. Henrie said: “Christopher Fisher shares ISI’s longstanding mission to educate the next generation in the enduring truths and virtues that have built Western civilization. His track record demonstrates a steadfast commitment to developing leaders and stewarding organizations. We trust he will lead the Institute well, and we on the Board look forward to partnering with him.”

Fisher brings over a decade of experience leading educational programs for students and teachers alike. He is driven by his faith and a mission to deliver enriching intellectual formation to students nationwide. As he shared with the Board, he is eager to bring to more students the transformative experience with the Western tradition he received through ISI.

Fisher shared, “I am deeply grateful to the Board for the opportunity to lead an institution that profoundly shaped my own education and vocation. ISI’s work of educating for liberty is as vital as ever. I know firsthand the transformative power of the intellectual fellowship ISI creates, and I look forward to deepening that experience and advancing ISI’s mission to more students at campuses across the country. Working with our students, scholars, alumni, staff, and supporters, we will help more young people encounter the bedrock principles of the American Founding and the inheritance of Western civilization. Together, we will prepare a new generation to serve our nation and our civilization with wisdom and courage.”

Fisher returns to ISI after 12 years, having previously served the organization as Digital Media Editor and Programs Director, where he expanded ISI’s online capacity and in-person networks to bring ISI programming to students, faculty, and supporters nationwide. Most recently, he served as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, overseeing more than 90 Catholic schools serving 24,000 students and their families across the Bay Area. Before that, he concluded a decade of leadership at Portsmouth Abbey, a Benedictine monastery and independent Catholic boarding school in Rhode Island, where he served as Executive Director of the Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture.

Fisher holds a B.A. in Political Philosophy from Salve Regina University, an M.A. in Catholic Studies from the University of St. Thomas, and a graduate certificate in School Leadership and Management from Harvard Business School.

His deep commitment to the enduring ideas of the Western tradition, his record of institutional leadership, and his passion for forming the next generation of thoughtful, engaged citizens make him exceptionally well-suited to lead ISI into its next chapter. Under Fisher, ISI will carry on its decades-long tradition of educating for liberty and introducing college students to the great inheritance of the Western intellectual tradition.

Fisher succeeds Johnny Burtka, who became President of ISI in September 2020. “Johnny leaves ISI after many years of programmatic development, institutional expansion, and dedicated leadership,” Henrie said. “The Board is thankful for his faithful contributions to further ISI’s rich legacy and advance the principles of a free and flourishing civilization.”

Fisher will become ISI’s President on November 1, 2026.

About the Intercollegiate Studies Institute:

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute inspires college students to discover and embrace the principles and virtues that promote freedom and prosperity in America. ISI introduces students to a vibrant community of scholars and the rich tradition of ordered liberty, countering the narrow range of debate often found on college campuses. As a 501(c)(3) educational organization, ISI plays a vital role in developing articulate voices for conservative principles. For more information, visit https://isi.org/.

Mark C. Henrie
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
isi@isi.org

Media gallery