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Media Contact: LeAnn Waldroup
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Young Harris College Announces Selection of Dr. Drew Van Horn as 23rd President
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – The Young Harris College Board of Trustees announced today that Drew Van Horn, Ph.D., has been selected as the 23rd president of the 131-year-old institution after a unanimous vote. Dr. Van Horn brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education to YHC including nine years as president of Brevard College in North Carolina.
“Dr. Van Horn’s experience at Brevard College, another private, residential liberal arts college affiliated with The United Methodist Church, and extensive fundraising expertise allowed him to rise to the top of over 100 candidates who applied for the position,” said Brantley Barrow, ’74, chairman of YHC’s Board of Trustees. “Our search committee and consultants spent many days interviewing and vetting the candidates, and we feel we have an excellent choice as our president who will lead the College successfully into the future. We look forward to having Drew and his wife, Camille, on campus as a part of the Young Harris College family.”
During Dr. Van Horn’s tenure as president at Brevard, he increased first-year student enrollment by 50 percent, improved student retention by 40 percent, led the college’s first capital campaign that raised $19 million, and created three new academic programs. He also initiated the college’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II athletics, securing membership in the South Atlantic Conference.
“I have followed, with great interest and excitement, the growth and progress of Young Harris College,” said Dr. Van Horn. “The vision and mission of Young Harris mirror our values and passion. Due to the successful work of the previous president, Cathy Cox, the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and friends, I believe that the College is well positioned to become an institution of choice in the Southeast.”
Dr. Van Horn currently serves as interim vice president of university advancement at Iowa Wesleyan University in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where he is responsible for developing a comprehensive capital campaign while managing development operations including alumni, church, family and public relations. Prior to his current role, Dr. Van Horn served as vice president of institutional advancement at Lenior-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C. He oversaw the university’s highly successful comprehensive campaign “University Rising” that raised more than $65 million, surpassing its goal by $1.5 million.
Dr. Van Horn has also served as vice president for university relations and advancement at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., and as executive director of the Independent College Fund of North Carolina in Raleigh, N.C. He served for nearly 10 years in various student- and development-related roles at Elon University in Elon, N.C.
His extensive past and present civic leadership includes chair of the Heart Ball for the Unifour Area- American Heart Association and Wachovia Bank Regional Advisory Board and as a board member of the University City Commission, Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, Blue Ridge National Heritage Council, Education Resource Services, Communities In Schools (Cleveland County and Transylvania County), United Way of Transylvania County, Transylvania County Economic Development Council, Transylvania County Chamber of Commerce, and Transylvania County School Improvement Committee. He has also served as secretary of the Educational Resource Consortium, on the executive committee of the Appalachian College Association, and is a member of Rotary International.
Dr. Van Horn earned a B.A. at Elon College, a M.Ed. from Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., and a Ph.D. in education from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Dr. Van Horn and his wife, Camille, have two children, Julia and Jackson.
Dr. Van Horn will begin his tenure as president of Young Harris College in mid-October. “I’m thankful to the faculty and staff of YHC, particularly Interim President Dr. Brooks Seay, for leading the College during the search for our new president,” said Barrow. “Under Dr. Seay’s leadership, we began yet another successful academic year. We look forward to what the future holds for Young Harris College and our students.”
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private, baccalaureate degree-granting college located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires and empowers students through the highest quality liberal arts education. The College currently has more than 1,100 students across five divisions—Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics and Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The historic campus in Young Harris, Ga., has completed major campus improvements to accommodate the College’s growth. Recent LEED-certified campus improvements include the 121,000-square-foot Rollins Campus Center, new residence facilities, and a 57,000-square-foot recreation and fitness center. The College is an active member of NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the prestigious Peach Belt Conference. YHC is among fewer than 300 colleges and universities nationwide named to the 2017-2018 list of Colleges of Distinction and is listed as a “Best National Liberal Arts College” by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
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