Welcome, President Dr. Nicholas J. Willis!

Roberts Wesleyan University and Northeastern Seminary are excited to welcome Dr. Nicholas J. Willis as president on July 1. The campus community is anticipating a new chapter grounded in faith, collaboration, and a shared commitment to Christian higher education.

Dr. Willis brings more than 20 years of experience serving Christian colleges and universities, helping institutions strengthen leadership, mission, and long-term sustainability. But for him, this opportunity is deeply personal.

“I grew up in a Free Methodist Church, and my wife Jillian is a Free Methodist pastor,” Dr. Willis shared. “We have helped plant a Free Methodist church, and we both care deeply about the denomination and its colleges. We care deeply about growing future leaders for the Free Methodist Church and the broader Church, particularly in the Northeast.”

Dr. Willis said he was drawn not only to the beauty of the campus, but to the spirit of the Roberts community itself.

That sense of community and relationship is central to Dr. Willis’ vision for Christian higher education.

“The goal of a transformational Christian higher education is to make students more like Jesus,” he said. “There are many ways to gain knowledge, but habit formation happens only through relationships.”

Dr. Willis emphasized that one of his highest priorities will be listening and learning from the Roberts and Seminary communities.

“I want to learn about the passions of the Roberts community and why people have devoted this part of their lives to Christian higher education,” he explained. “I want to learn what they are seeing in their particular role that could move the university forward.”

Dr. Willis describes himself as “a collaborative builder/fixer leader” who believes deeply in teamwork, servant leadership, and shared mission.

For Dr. Willis, Christian higher education plays a critical role in shaping future leaders for both the Church and society.

“Christian higher education is a pillar of the Church,” he said. “We desperately need strong Christian leaders in our churches and communities, and Christian higher education must lead the way in serving this need in today’s churches.”

Dr. Willis brings extensive experience in Christian higher education, having served as a professor, department chair, faculty senate president, chief learning officer, and higher education consultant. Over the past two decades, he has worked alongside Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries across the country to strengthen institutional strategy, enrollment growth, spiritual formation, and long-term sustainability. Most recently, through his consulting work with TG Three, Dr. Willis has partnered with numerous faith-based institutions and national organizations to help universities navigate change while remaining deeply grounded in their mission and identity.

His perspective is also shaped by family life and ministry. Dr. Willis and his wife, Jillian, have been married for 25 years and have three daughters — Lucy, who will begin classes at Roberts this fall, Sadie, and Evelyn.

As the Roberts and Seminary communities prepare to welcome the Willis family this summer, there is growing anticipation for the future ahead — one rooted in faith, community, and a continued commitment to forming students for lives of leadership, service, and purpose.

Additional opportunities to connect with Dr. Willis and hear more about his vision for Roberts Wesleyan University and Northeastern Seminary will be shared in the months ahead.