Calvin University Appoints 11th President
The Calvin University Board of Trustees has accepted the presidential search committee's unanimous recommendation and has appointed Dr.Wiebe Boer as the institution's 11th president.
Boer was born and raised in Jos, Nigeria, to Christian Reformed missionary parents. He graduated in 1997 as a second-generation Calvin student and is married to Joanna Bachew, from Trinidad and Tobago, who graduated from Calvin in 2003.
Boer values his family's historical connection to Calvin University, and he values the global perspective he has gained, having spent much of his childhood and adult life living and working abroad.
"Throughout the different countries and contexts I've served in, my focus has always been on creating impact, on making people's lives better. So, to be called to help lead Calvin in forming graduates to be agents of renewal is humbling," said Boer. "I am excited to innovate and collaborate with a talented faculty and staff as we together pursue Calvin's ambitious vision and articulate that vision in a way that gains momentum both locally and globally."
Since 2017, Boer has served as chief executive officer of Shell-All On, a renewable energy investment company, in Lagos, Nigeria. He previously served with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as one of the founders of the strategy firm's Lagos office. He also served in executive level leadership roles with Heirs Holdings Group and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and he worked in the Rockefeller Foundation's Africa Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as with McKinsey & Company and with World Vision Mauritania.
Boer earned a Ph.D. and two master's degrees from Yale University and a bachelor's degree from Calvin, all in history. He spent a year studying political science at the University of Jos and completed his primary and secondary education at Hillcrest School in Jos.
Boer will begin his duties as university president this summer and will be officially inaugurated in fall 2022.
