ERIK HOEKSTRAERIK HOEKSTRAERIK HOEKSTRADordt College Provost Dr. Erik Hoekstra is beginning his term as the fourth president of Dordt College.

Board of Trustees Chair Lloyd Vander Kwaak describes Hoekstra as “very passionate about the college” and with a “deep-hearted commitment to what Dordt is all about.” He believes that Dr. Hoekstra will help the college maintain a vibrant mission; provide strong leadership; cultivate excellent, mission-oriented faculty members; and capably oversee the college’s ongoing fi nancial stability.

“Under Dr. Carl Zylstra’s leadership, Dordt is in a wonderful place now,” Dr. Hoekstra says. “The core of our educational mission will always be to glorify God as a distinctively Christian, operationally excellent college that attracts quality faculty members, eager students, and enthusiastic supporters.”

Dr. Hoekstra not only understands Dordt’s current strengths and is committed to its historical roots, he is also an innovator. Vander Kwaak noted, “Dr. Hoekstra’s track record of leading organizations with a blend of excellence and creativity—in both education and business—made him a compelling choice.”

In a letter to the Board of Trustees unanimously recommending Dr. Hoekstra for president, Search Committee Chair Randy Kroll wrote, “In the fi nal deliberations, the committee concluded that Dr. Hoekstra’s well-developed and deep passion for the college’s vision and mission, his effective and engaging leadership record at the college in both teaching and academic administration, his knowledge of the college’s positions, strengths, and challenges, and his personal faith and mature understanding of spiritual leadership put him in the best position to lead as the fourth president of Dordt College.”

BackgroundDr. Hoekstra is passionate about bringing joy and meaning to places of work, saying that good leadership is “about creating an environment where those who are being led are being served.”

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from Trinity Christian College

• Master’s Degree in international management from The Rotterdam School of Management of Erasmus University in the Netherlands

• Ph.D. in organizational learning and human resource development from Iowa State University

Experience

• Co-authorship of several publications on coaching, delegation, servant leadership, and change management

• Leadership development, executive coaching

• Organizational consulting • Industrial construction• Wholesale distribution and retail

management • Teaching business courses at Dordt

College

FamilyDr. Hoekstra is married to Dr. Barb Hoekstra, an education professor at Dordt College with a Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity, a Master’s from Western Michigan University, and an Ed.D. from the University of South Dakota. Their family is a blend of biological and adopted children and includes Arie, 16; Max, 15; Karl, 15; and Zoe, 12.

Personal MissionMy personal mission statement is to glorify God and further God’s redemptive plan and coming Kingdom by being a growth steward of resources (people, organizations, self, assets) God has entrusted to my care.

For more information visit

www.dordt.edu/presidentialsearch

Dr. Hoekstra is excitedly taking on his new leadership role and says that seeing fi rsthand the challenges, joys, and responsibilities of serving in such a role has helped prepare him for it.

“It is exciting for me to serve at a Christian college that has an equal passion for programs in agriculture and English,” Dr. Hoekstra said. “It is good that we encourage some students to consider graduate school and that we prepare them well, but it is equally good that we do not put such a calling ‘above’ others for our graduates. We are called to work toward Christ-centered renewal in every sphere of God’s creation.”

As provost for the past four years, Dr. Hoekstra has overseen the reshaping of the academic structure of the college. In addition, he chaired the Enrollment Management Team and worked closely with the advancement offi ce and president on the recent Beyond Jubilee: Vision 2020 Campaign.

In Dr. Hoekstra’s time as provost, programs in nursing, engineering, and agriculture have grown substantially,

and new programs in worship arts, construction management, and actuarial science have begun. Dordt athletic programs have grown in size and quality, as have international programs and international student enrollment. Dr. Hoekstra played a key partnership role with Student Services to design and build Kuyper Apartments, an award-winning student residence hall opened in 2010.

Search Committee member and senior engineering major Mark Van Weelden

says Dr. Hoekstra is both intense and approachable as an administrator. “He’s visible on campus, and he’ll say hi when he sees you in the Commons,” he said. “He has a genuine passion for Dordt’s mission—just being around him calls you to action and brings out the best in you. He loves this community, and along with his leadership skills, that

gives us confi dence.”

Comparing his experience as a student and board member at other Christian colleges, Dr. Hoekstra says Dordt is unique. “The size and the climate of the campus in which we can know each other well is a wonderful expression of Christian community,” he says.

April 2012

Dordt MissionAs an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, the mission of Dordt College is to equip students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life.