Office of the President

Dr. Van Horn brought more than 30 years of experience in higher education to YHC, including nine years as president of Brevard College in North Carolina, another private, residential liberal arts college affiliated with The United Methodist Church.

During Dr. Van Horn’s tenure as president at Brevard, he increased first-year student enrollment by 50 percent, improved student retention by 40 percent, led the college’s first capital campaign that raised $19 million, and created three new academic programs. He also initiated the college’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II athletics, securing membership in the South Atlantic Conference.

Prior to his tenure at YHC, Dr. Van Horn served as interim vice president of university advancement at Iowa Wesleyan University in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where he was responsible for developing a comprehensive capital campaign while managing development operations including alumni, church, family and public relations. He also served as vice president of institutional advancement at Lenior-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C. He oversaw the university’s highly successful comprehensive campaign “University Rising” that raised more than $65 million, surpassing its goal by $1.5 million.

Dr. Van Horn has also served as vice president for university relations and advancement at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., and as executive director of the Independent College Fund of North Carolina in Raleigh, N.C. He served for nearly 10 years in various student- and development-related roles at Elon University in Elon, N.C.

His extensive past and present civic leadership includes serving as chair of the Heart Ball for the Unifour Area American Heart Association and Wachovia Bank Regional Advisory Board, and as a board member of the University City Commission, Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, Blue Ridge National Heritage Council, Education Resource Services, Communities In Schools (Cleveland County and Transylvania County), United Way of Transylvania County, Transylvania County Economic Development Council, Transylvania County Chamber of Commerce and Transylvania County School Improvement Committee. He has also served as secretary of the Educational Resource Consortium, on the executive committee of the Appalachian College Association, and is a member of Rotary International.

Dr. Van Horn earned a B.A. at Elon College, a M.Ed. from Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., and a Ph.D. in education from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Dr. Van Horn and his wife, Camille, have two children, Julia and Jackson.