Marion, Ind. (Nov. 11, 2026) – Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) announced today the appointment of Robert A. Young as its next vice president for university advancement. Young currently serves as vice president for university advancement and chief advancement officer at Huntington University and brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in Christian higher education, nonprofit ministry, banking, and finance. He succeeds John Jones and will begin his new role in December 2026.
As vice president for university advancement, Young will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and provide executive leadership for the university’s fundraising, alumni engagement, donor stewardship, and advancement operations, partnering with President Jon S. Kulaga, the Board of Trustees, alumni, churches, foundations, and friends of the university to advance IWU’s mission.
“We are thrilled that someone with Bob’s experience in advancement and banking will be joining us as the new VP for University Advancement this December,” said IWU President Jon S. Kulaga, Ph.D. “Bob has the right mix of professional experience, personal warmth, spiritual depth and strong work ethic that will help us complete and surpass our $120M Momentum Strategic Plan goals in the months and weeks ahead!”
At Huntington University, Young has served since 2025 as the institution’s chief advancement officer and a member of the President’s Cabinet. His work has included developing the framework for the Growing Forward Initiative, a multiyear philanthropic strategy focused on student scholarships, endowment growth, and institutional sustainability.
Before joining Huntington, Young spent a decade at Messiah University in Grantham, Pennsylvania, as senior gift officer and priority project coordinator, where he consistently generated more than $1 million annually in philanthropic support and played an integral role in the university's historic $75 million comprehensive campaign, Learning for Life, Transforming the World. He previously served as a major gift officer at Lycoming College, contributing to a campaign that raised more than $79 million against a $65 million goal.
Young’s advancement career builds on more than 15 years of executive leadership in banking and finance, where he led teams, managed multimillion-dollar portfolios, and developed deep expertise in financial planning, an asset in guiding donors through complex outright, deferred, and estate gift strategies. He has also provided volunteer fundraising counsel to Christian ministries, including designing and launching a $1.5 million capital campaign for Camp Kanesatake in Pennsylvania.
Young holds a bachelor's degree in human resource management from Messiah University and is completing a master's degree in strategic leadership, also at Messiah.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve Indiana Wesleyan University as its next Vice President for University Advancement. I believe God has been at work throughout this process, and I am excited to join a university whose mission and commitment to Christ-centered higher education align so closely with my own calling,” Young said. “I am especially excited to be part of Momentum, IWU’s strategic plan and campaign, and the tremendous opportunities it represents to advance the university’s mission, inspire philanthropic investment, and expand its Kingdom impact for generations to come.”
Young succeeds John Jones, who is stepping down after many years of service to the university. As vice president for university advancement, Jones guided IWU's fundraising and alumni engagement efforts and championed creative approaches to donor connection, including the university's donor-advised fund partnership with the National Christian Foundation and the launch of Susanna, an AI virtual engagement officer serving alumni and friends. The university is grateful to Jones for his faithful service and leadership.
Young steps into the role at a time of record momentum for the university, which welcomed its largest enrollment in history this fall with 16,921 students across its three academic units.
