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Meet Dr. Rupert A. Hayles, Jr.!

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Message from Dr. Rupert A. Hayles, Jr., President

I am honored to be the president of Roberts Wesleyan University and Northeastern Seminary. My organizational experience spans 25 years in strategic planning, culture and climate adjustments, emotional intelligence and leadership. I’m excited to serve as president to utilize my experience in the for-cause and for-profit world to drive the vision of the University and the Seminary.

I am in love with education, and the prospect of utilizing all my gifts to move God’s work forward at a Christ-centered university is exciting to me. As I told my wife many years ago, “Give me a campus and give me a library, and I am home.”

Visualizing the history of an institution that began in 1866 is a humbling experience. The challenges of leadership require creativity in devising new and exciting ways of advancing the University’s and the Seminary’s mission. The excitement in meeting these challenges lies in recognizing many societal changes that have taken place over the past 157 years and adapting to meet the needs of an ever-changing university environment. I am ready to embark on this great journey, as president, as the fulfillment of my life’s work.

Biography of Dr. Rupert A. Hayles, Jr.

The Roberts Wesleyan University and Northeastern Seminary boards of trustees elected Dr. Rupert A. Hayles, Jr. the 12th president of Roberts Wesleyan University and the fourth president of Northeastern Seminary in June 2023. Dr. Hayles previously served at New Jersey’s Pillar College, a private evangelical Christian institution. Prior to his career in higher education, Hayles served in the United States Air Force as an officer before transitioning to the private sector to support organizations with strategic management, organizational development and advancement, and executive coaching for more than 25 years.

President Hayles earned his PhD in organizational leadership from Regent University in Virginia, specializing in leadership, change management, and emotional intelligence. He also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in management information systems and accounting from Seton Hall University.

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