Moving Boldly Forward

Moving Boldly Forward

Ohio Wesleyan Redefines Higher Education Leadership, Appoints Dr. Trevor M. Bates as Vice President for Advancement and Strategic Ventures

DELAWARE, Ohio - Ohio Wesleyan University President Matt vandenBerg announced today that Dr. Trevor M. Bates will join OWU as vice president for advancement and strategic ventures, a newly expanded position overseeing five interconnected domains that, together, constitute one of the broadest and most ambitious portfolios in advancement leadership at a U.S. liberal arts college of Ohio Wesleyan's size.

Bates, DHSc, holds a Doctor of Health Sciences in Leadership and Organizational Behavior from A.T. Still University and previously served as the president and chief executive officer of both Mercy College of Ohio and Wilmington College. A liberal arts college graduate himself, Bates brings a career shaped by the integration of academic leadership, institutional strategy, innovation, and mission-centered growth. He will begin his new role May 26.

"Ohio Wesleyan sought a leader ready to step into one of the most expansive and consequential advancement roles in liberal arts higher education," said vandenBerg, Ed.D. "We strategically redesigned this position to eliminate the boundaries separating philanthropy, constituent engagement, strategic partnerships, entrepreneurship, and revenue generation. Dr. Trevor Bates will move fluidly across the entirety of his new portfolio, bringing the instincts of a chief executive, the track record of a transformative gift closer, and the vision to match this institution's ambition. OWU is building something rare, and Trevor is exactly the leader this moment deserves."

Bates' record of success includes implementing a comprehensive strategic plan, increasing campus diversity, and completing a $45 million comprehensive campaign three years ahead of schedule at Wilmington College. At Mercy College, Bates implemented a new strategic plan, secured external funding to support facilities and scholarships, co-led the implementation of a new shared services leadership structure, and built a partnership with Toledo Public Schools.

At Ohio Wesleyan, he will hold accountability across five interconnected domains: philanthropic advancement; alumni, parent, and community engagement; strategic ventures and revenue generation; federal and state government relations; and leadership and team building.

Strategic Ventures is the most distinctive dimension, vandenBerg said, encompassing "high-margin, mission-aligned revenue and value-creation activities that reflect OWU's entrepreneurial identity." The domain includes overseeing the Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University and its FounderU vision.

The strategic ventures domain also involves cultivating investors, mentors, corporate sponsors, and ecosystem partners to strengthen the incubator and elevate OWU's national profile as the premier educational institution for founders, vandenBerg said.

Bates said he is ready to contribute to Ohio Wesleyan's distinctive commitment to ambitious self-discovery.

"Ohio Wesleyan is doing something genuinely rare in American higher education: building an institution where liberal arts values and bold ambition reinforce each other rather than compete," Bates said. "I am honored to join President vandenBerg and this remarkable community in advancing the mission, deepening our impact, and helping write the next chapter of what Ohio Wesleyan can become."

Bates' higher education experience also includes serving as the vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty at Mercy College of Ohio, as the founding associate dean of health sciences at Heidelberg University, and in interim executive leadership roles for enrollment management and business and finance. He also has served as a board member of numerous higher education, nonprofit, and regulatory boards.

Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan and supporting the university's strategic initiatives at owu.edu/give.

"Ohio Wesleyan continues to move boldly forward," vandenBerg said, "with a record philanthropic momentum, enrollment growth, innovative strategic plan, and pipeline of entrepreneurial ventures and collaborations that are redefining liberal arts higher education."

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.