FaithSearch Partners is pleased to announce that the Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU) Board of Trustees, following a thorough and prayerful national search, has voted to appoint Dr. Nelu Nedelea as the 27th president in the university’s 133-year history.
“Dr. Nedelea has spent his career stepping into rooms that needed both strategic thinking and spiritual grounding,” said Mark Ishikawa, Vice President at FaithSearch Partners. “As he steps into the presidency at Southwestern, he brings that same combination, one that will shape the path forward for the university’s next chapter.”
Dr. Nedelea brings two decades of pastoral, chaplaincy, and executive leadership experience across Romania, Canada, and the United States, with increasing strategic and executive responsibility in vision casting and program optimization. He currently serves as System Vice President for Mercy Health System. He holds a Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University, a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from La Sierra University, and a Master of Science in Chaplaincy from Loma Linda University. He is an ordained minister within the Seventh-day Adventist Church and holds active ministerial credentials through the North American Division. His professional experience spans mission integration, cultural and spiritual care, program growth, strategic planning, policy development, and fundraising.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve as president of Southwestern Adventist University,” said Nedelea. “I believe this is a moment to build bridges between faith, innovation, academic excellence, and service. My family and I are excited to join a community committed to developing students not only for successful careers, but also for lives of purpose, leadership, and meaningful impact.”
The search was led by a committee of trustees, with support from FaithSearch Partners, and included input from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other members of the SWAU community. Dr. Nedelea will officially assume the presidency on July 15, 2026.
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Founded in 2007, FaithSearch Partners is a premier executive search firm in the U.S. focusing exclusively on serving faith-based educational institutions, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, ministries, and faith-oriented businesses. Based in Dallas with locations in Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham, Kansas City, Sacramento, Fort Wayne, Durango, Redding, and Rochester, FaithSearch is able to serve faith-based clients in all regions.
