Dr. Frederick J. Finks
President, Ashland University
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Inauguration Ceremony 10/6/06 |
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Presidential Response | |
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Described as a leader and organizer with strong interpersonal skills, Finks has been very involved in the community of Ashland, serving the Chamber of Commerce in a number of capacities, and co-chairing the Hospice Capital Campaign.
He was one of 17 people selected by the Ashland Times-Gazette as “People Who Changed Our Community.” He has received national recognition as one of the top 20 seminary leaders in the country and serves as president of the Fellowship of Evangelical Presidents, an organization of 80 seminaries with a combined enrollment of 50,000.
His accomplishments during the 23-year period as head of Ashland Theological Seminary include taking ATS from a small regional seminary to a nationally recognized and respected seminary, now the largest in the state of Ohio; increasing endowment from $172,000 to approximately $9 million; successful completion of four major fund raising projects including construction of two classroom and office facilities; instituting changes within the faculty structure including reducing both faculty load and class size; and increasing the average GPA of incoming students.
Prior to being named president at the Seminary, Finks served as pastor of the Winding Waters Brethren Church in Elkhart, Ind., from 1972 to 1982.
He received a doctor of ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., in June of 1980 and a master of divinity from Ashland Theological Seminary in June of 1972. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Ashland University in 1969.
He and his wife, Holly, have two children and four grandchildren.