North Greenville University announced March 12 that Richard A. Grimm, currently senior vice president for university services and strategic initiatives at Trinity International University in Chicago, Ill., will join the university June 1 as executive vice president.
Grimm will serve as NGU’s chief operating officer, overseeing matters related to the university’s operational effectiveness and efficiency, “allowing NGU to move toward a more fully aligned model of serving out its mission,” according to a news release from the school. He will work with leaders who oversee advancement, athletics, enrollment management, marketing and communication, information technology, campus enhancement services, and strategic planning and initiatives.
“Linda and I give thanks to God for the new calling He placed on our lives to serve at North Greenville University,” said Grimm. “It will be a privilege and high honor to do so. We are grateful to president [Gene] Fant for the invitation to join his administration and look forward to moving to Tigerville in the near future.”
Prior to his service at TIU, Grimm was the senior vice president for enrollment services at Union University for a decade, where he and Fant served in the cabinet of Union’s then-president, David S. Dockery, who is now the president at TIU. During that decade, Fant and Grimm led many projects together, including the final strategic plan of the Dockery administration.
“Rich Grimm is one of the most experienced, capable, and insightful leaders that I know in the world and work of Christian higher education,” said David S. Dockery, president of Trinity International University/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. “I have been privileged to serve by his side over the past 15 years and have observed his deep commitment to the mission of Christ-centered education. With the additions of Rich Grimm and Nathan Finn, president Gene Fant has put in place the nucleus of a gifted leadership team that will faithfully and effectively advance the North Greenville mission for years to come.”
Fant noted, “We are humbly thrilled that Mr. Grimm will be joining NGU’s already effective senior leadership team in this mission-critical role. Rich’s great strength is in helping organizations achieve greater heights, as evidenced by his strategic roles at both Union and Trinity International, which have been leading institutions in Christian higher education. He and Linda will be marvelous additions to the NGU community and will help us to advance to a new level of success in generating transformational leaders for church and society.”
Grimm graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University and holds a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also has done post-graduate study in educational leadership at Florida Atlantic University, Nova Southeastern University and Regent University. He held staff positions with churches prior to shifting to Christian education, including roles at PBAU, Criswell College, a three-year tenure as president of Jupiter Christian School in Florida, and his roles at Union and TIU.
He and his wife, Linda, have been married for 32 years and have three adult children and one grandchild.