NGU Welcomes New VP for Enrollment & Marketing/Communications
Posted on: March 12, 2021
Tigerville, SC (December 10, 2019) North Greenville University (NGU) welcomes a new member to its executive leadership team. Michael White, an innovative and strategic enrollment management leader with more than 15 years of higher education experience, joins the NGU family as the new vice president for enrollment & marketing/communications.
White comes to NGU from Bluefield College in Bluefield, VA, where he served as vice president for enrollment management and student development. He and his team yielded the largest entering class last year and set the record in overall enrollment for the college.
“Mr. White is a high-energy ideator, who has been successful in both traditional and innovative Christian higher education. I believe he will be a shot of adrenaline for the university, as we pivot to operationalizing what we are convinced is God’s future for this special place,” said NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “He loves the local church and understands NGU’s unique role as an institution that equips transformational leaders for church and society. We look forward to welcoming him, Mary Jo, and their children, Logan (9) and London (7), to our community.”
NGU partnered with Diversified Search, an executive national search firm who, for over 40 years, has been identifying and assessing outstanding executives and placing them in senior leadership and board roles across a broad range of industries.
White will serve as NGU’s chief enrollment and marketing officer and will oversee new student enrollment and marketing for all programs on all campuses.
Before Bluefield, White was the executive director of non-traditional enrollment at Southeastern University in Central Florida where he helped the school continue being the fastest growing university in the state and one of the top growing liberal arts colleges in the nation. Under his leadership, Southeastern set school records in graduate and online enrollment.
Before Southeastern, White served ten executive years at North Central University in Minnesota, including two-plus years as vice president for enrollment and university relations. In that role, he contributed to setting school records in persistence and retention and developed new strategic recruiting plans, pioneered fresh organizational structures, and improved the institution’s marketing strategy.
At North Central, White also served five years as a liaison to the president, where he managed special projects, served on the president’s cabinet, and chaired the internal communications team. During that same time, as the director of word and worship services, he organized daily chapel services, planned major conferences on campus, and secured high profile national leaders as guest speakers for the institution. White’s tenure at North Central also included seven years as an adjunct instructor and three years as a student engagement and volunteer coordinator.
“While only in his third year of service at Bluefield College, Michael has made tremendous contributions to the college as he has given leadership to the areas of enrollment management and student development,” said Bluefield College President Dr. David Olive. “Last year Michael and team yielded the largest entering class and set the all-time record in overall enrollment for the College. He drove the process that enabled our admission teams to access critical interactive and dynamic software that enhanced their communication and connectivity with prospective students. He also fostered partnerships with churches across the Commonwealth and adjacent states to develop future ministerial leaders.”
Olive says White is a uniquely gifted individual who clearly understood the challenges Bluefield faced and had the intellect, experience, and character to lead their enrollment efforts.
“We wish Michael and Mary Jo all the best in their new role at North Greenville University,” said Olive.
Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Regent University in Virginia, White earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership in 2007 from Bethel University in Minnesota. He earned two bachelor’s degrees in pastoral studies and church planting in 2004 from North Central.
“We are humbled and overjoyed to join the NGU team. President Fant helped us see God’s revelation for the North Greenville University community and its exciting Kingdom work. We enthusiastically embrace that vision and the exceptional team he has assembled to steward the good work ahead,” said White. “Already we sense momentum building and faith rising to accomplish God’s biblical mandate of raising a well-equipped generation after his own heart. Let’s go!”
