Gregory King '89, First Manzilla Diversity Intern, Named 14th President of the University of Mount Union

ALLIANCE, Ohio, March 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Mount Union Board of Trustees recently announced that Gregory King '89 was named president of the University, with his first month in the role nearing completion. King is the 14^th individual to lead the institution in its 177-year history and the third Mount Union alumnus to fulfill the role, following in the footsteps of William H. McMaster 1899, who served as president from 1908 to 1938, and Ronald G. Weber '38, whose tenure as president extended from 1967 to 1980.

A native of Bedford, Ohio, King graduated from Mount Union in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and sport management. He joined the staff at Mount Union that same year as the institution's first intern of the Wayne Manzilla Diversity Internship Program, an opportunity that continues on campus today. This program was established in honor of Wayne Manzilla, who graduated from Mount Union in 1888 as the first African American to earn a degree from the institution, and seeks to diversify the staff at the University by employing recent minority graduates and helping them to complete advanced degrees and assume full-time positions at the University. King then earned a Master of Education degree in higher education administration from Kent State University in 1993 and recently completed the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) Institute for Leadership and Governance in Higher Education for Aspiring Presidents.

Since 2008, King has served the institution as the vice president for advancement, managing and overseeing the University's fundraising activities to advance the mission and strategic goals of the institution. During his tenure as the institution's chief fundraising officer, Mount Union has successfully completed and exceeded three fundraising campaigns – a five-year, $50 million comprehensive campaign in 2021 with $50.2 million raised; a two-year, $25 million capital campaign for the health and medical sciences and the fine and performing arts in 2014 with $31 million raised; and a seven-year, $80 million comprehensive campaign in 2010 with $83 million raised.

Since 2021, King has also served as interim vice president for enrollment services with a focus on rebuilding the admission team and stabilizing enrollment. Since taking on this role, the University has turned around a three-year declining enrollment with a 12% increase in the new student class in one year.

"Greg has extensive experience in the facets of running a university," said Matt Darrah, chair of the University's Board of Trustees. "His leadership experience, institutional knowledge, meaningful relationships, and immense passion for Mount Union uniquely qualify him for this role, which will provide him with an opportunity to further impact the future of his alma mater."

In addition to his current roles, King has also previously served the institution in various roles in advancement, enrollment services and student affairs. He has also had the opportunity to develop skills in leadership, management, trustee relations, diversity and inclusion, budgeting, financial aid, alumni and community relations, academics and marketing. Additionally, he has served as a consultant for Gonser Gerber, an advancement and leadership consulting firm located in Naperville, IL.

"I have dedicated my entire career to the University of Mount Union, an institution for which I have a great love and passion," said King. "I have a strong desire to shape the future of the institution and work collaboratively with others to positively impact our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. My own transformational experience as a student here jumpstarted my lifelong passion for higher education and the private University experience. Seeing thousands of students benefit from the same close-knit, high-quality learning environment I did as a student has been sincerely gratifying."

SOURCE University of Mount Union