Mr. Krapf is the past president of the Richards, Layton & Finger law firm, located in Wilmington, Delaware. His almost four decades of legal experience focuses on transactional law in the areas of real estate, commercial, and land use. Mr. Krapf has held a variety of leadership positions in the state and national bar and has served as a member and officer of the boards of a number of local, regional, and international business, charitable, and cultural organizations. His conviction in the importance of comprehensive training and education within the legal profession has motivated him throughout his career and led to his involvement in a number of influential legal educational programs.
Upon his appointment, Mr. Krapf stated “I look forward to working with our talented and energetic Board of Trustees. We tragically and unexpectedly lost our Chair, Gabe Battista, earlier this year. Gabe led the Board for many years with dedication and skill. Fortunately, our Vice Chair, Neil Tanner, stepped up and has led the Board over the past several months. On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Neil for his excellent leadership at a time of uncertainty.”
Mr. Krapf has served on the Board of Trustees of The American University of Rome since 2003, and served as Secretary of the Board from 2007 to 2017. He has twice chaired a presidential search committee, the latest being the search that led to the Board hiring Dr. Scott Sprenger, who assumed his role in July 2020. Dr. Sprenger succeeds Dr. Richard Hodges, who has retired after serving as President for eight years.
Dr. Sprenger has been working closely with Mr Krapf in the period preceding his assumption of the presidency and said, “I’m thrilled to be working with Rob Krapf. His long experience with the AUR Board of Trustees, combined with his steady approach to leadership, makes him the perfect Chair to help the president’s team steer the AUR community through the current crisis and beyond.”
In turn, Mr Krapf replied “I have served with four Presidents, each having their own vision and strengths, and each adding something new to the school. Dr. Hodges leaves a legacy of enormous progress for AUR, but I know that Scott’s vision and strengths are what AUR needs now to continue its mission. AUR has faced challenges in the past and turned those into opportunities. I can assert with absolute confidence that we will face the current challenge of a global pandemic and emerge even stronger. The future for AUR under President Sprenger’s leadership is full of potential.”