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Walter Benitez ‘28OD will miss outgoing Salus president Michael H. Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, when his fellow sailor “pulls chocks” (a military aviation term that means to remove the wheel chocks, or wedges, that prevent an aircraft from moving on the ground) one last time for his new position as president of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, Washington.
Not only are the two veterans of the U.S. Navy but Dr. Mittelman has served as a mentor for Benitez as he continues his education at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO).
“Dr. Mittelman has meant quite a bit to me in my career,” said Benitez. “I wish we could keep him longer, but I totally understand the situation. I do, however, plan on calling and texting him to keep him up to date on how my studies are going.”
Benitez was just one of the many Salus community well-wishers who attended one of two farewell ceremonies for Dr. Mittelman – one at the Elkins Park Campus and the other at The Eye Institute (TEI) – last week before Dr. Mittelman reports to his new job on Aug. 1, 2025.
Administrators, faculty, staff, and students all showed up to pay their respects to the man who has helmed Salus University for the past 12 years.
“I supported a lot of his presentations, especially through the Drexel merger, and it was always a pleasure to work with Dr. Mittelman,” said Brandon Boyce, network administrator for institutional technology on the Elkins Park Campus. “He’s personable and kind.”
Amie Leighton, project manager for the University, worked with Dr. Mittelman on construction and renovation projects for the past seven years.
“I’ve certainly had a close working relationship with him,” said Leighton. “He’s easy to work with but a force to be reckoned with. When he wants something, he finds a way to make it happen.”
Bre Myers, AuD ‘06, PhD ‘17, CH-AP, associate didactic program director of Osborne Audiology, said working with Dr. Mittelman has been “a great learning experience.”
“It’s been a master class in leadership, of what to do and what not to do while working toward the same goals,” said Dr. Myers. “Dr. Mittelman was always respectful in meetings, and I appreciated his candor and willingness to listen to what the faculty needs were.”
One of the administrators who has worked closely with Dr. Mittelman – particularly during the integration process and merger with Drexel University – is chief of staff, Beth Moy, who is now associate vice provost, Elkins Park Campus Operations and Strategy. She described Dr. Mittelman as “a visionary.”
“Having the opportunity to work with someone so forward-thinking about the mission and the students has really been a defining experience in my life from the perspective of being mentored,” said Moy. “His steadfast commitment to the merger and improving things for all of our programs so that they are preserved in perpetuity, we are really blessed to have had his leadership.”
As for Dr. Mittelman, he called coming back to be president of his alma mater an honor. But he empathized that the many accomplishments the institution experienced during his tenure were a team effort.
“I didn’t do it by myself, I had a lot of help along the way,” he said. “We’re a pretty great institution. We’re small but mighty and that was noticed by Drexel and others, which is why we are where we are now.”
