PORTLAND, Ore. – Warner Pacific College has selected Dr. Andrea Cook as its seventh president, following a national search to replace former president Jay Barber Jr., who retired in May after twelve years in office. An experienced university administrator, Dr. Cook is the first female president in Warner Pacific’s 71-year-old history. She will hold the title President-Elect until her nomination is confirmed by the General Assembly of the Church of God at its annual convention in June 2009.

“Dr. Cook was the very best fit to fill this position,” said Rev. David Shrout, the Executive Director of the Association of Churches of God of Oregon and S.W. Washington and a WPC trustee. “She had the broadest range of experiences in multiple departments, including recruitment, financial aid and advancement.”

Dr. Cook served as Warner Pacific’s Vice President for Advancement from 2005 to June 2008. She was named interim president for the duration of the presidential search. She gained considerable experience serving in various roles at Judson Baptist College (Portland, Ore.), University of Oregon, George Fox University, and Goshen College (Goshen, Ind.) prior to Warner Pacific. She holds both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Management from the University of Oregon.

Among her many accomplishments at Warner Pacific, Dr. Cook initiated a new branding / marketing campaign, led a campus-wide effort to craft a 20-year strategic plan, pursued a successful $290,000 grant from the Collins Foundation to launch an Urban Studies Program, and helped develop a $5.5 million capital improvement project that was completed this fall.

 “Dr. Cook is committed to leading Warner Pacific College to a new level of success and engagement with the Church of God and the Portland community,” said Jim Teague, Board chair. “Her deep faith in God and earnest seeking of His calling have led her to this point in her career and the board is extremely confident that she is the individual God has anointed to lead our institution.”

Established in 1937, Warner Pacific College is a Christ-centered liberal arts college located in the heart of Portland, Oregon and is affiliated with the Church of God (Anderson, Ind.).  Warner Pacific is dedicated to providing students of diverse backgrounds an education that prepares them for the spiritual, moral, social, vocational and technological challenges of the 21st century.