The Board of Directors of Providence Christian College in Ontario, Calif., has unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. J. Derek Halvorson as the College’s 2nd president, effective July 1, 2009. Halvorson, currently serving as Regional Director of Development for CovenantCollege in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, will succeed Dr. Jim Den Ouden, who is retiring after serving as president of Providence since June 2004.

Dr. Halvorson brings a unique combination of academic pedigree and business savvy to Providence’s executive office. In addition to his doctorate in Late Medieval History from Loyola University Chicago, Halvorson has a decade of experience in the financial markets, constituent relations, and fundraising. Over the last four years he has personally solicited over $3 million in major gifts for CovenantCollege and served on an advancement team that met a 5-year, $31-million campaign goal in under 3 years.

Perhaps most vital to Providence’s growth is Dr. Halvorson’s keen sense of mission and vision for Christian higher education: “Providence offers a unique opportunity to any student interested in rigorous Christian liberal arts education. Drawing on the intellectual and spiritual resources of the Reformed tradition and the cultural and educational resources of the city of Los Angeles, Providence provides the sort of intimate, purposeful learning experience that is the hallmark of residential liberal arts education.”

“I’ve been impressed by the vision of the college’s founders and by the commitment of the college’s faculty, staff, and students, and I am honored to have been invited to become a part of the Providence family,” says Halvorson. “I look forward to seeing Providence’s graduates spill out into Los Angeles and the wider world, firmly grounded in Truth, thoroughly equipped for discerning interaction with the culture around them, and fully engaged in the manifestation of Christ’s kingdom in family, community, church, and world.”

Board member John Jansen echoes this enthusiasm: “We are simply delighted that Dr. Derek Halvorson has decided to come to ProvidenceChristianCollege to become our next president. Derek will bring all sorts of capability, insight, and drive to take Providence from a startup to a mainstream institution. Derek’s leadership qualities, his personal interactive relationship capabilities, and his academic acumen make him a natural choice to follow the great job that Jim Den Ouden has done.”

Dr. Halvorson and his wife Wendy Turnbow Halvorson, have two children, son Banks (7) and daughter Whitman (4).