The Board of Trustees of The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Craig Detweiler as the school’s third president. Dr. Detweiler will succeed Dr. Keith R. Anderson on January 1, 2018. In April Keith announced his plan to retire after 12 years as Dean/President effective October 2017.

“As Board Chair I want to say that the Trustees consider Dr. Detweiler an exciting choice to lead The Seattle School into the next stage of its twenty year history,” stated Mike Anderson.

Dr. Detweiler is an educator, author, filmmaker and cultural commentator who is currently a Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for Entertainment, Media, and Culture at Pepperdine University in California. Craig is widely published in written works, screenplays, film, and numerous performances including cultural commentary on ABC and CNN and a long list of lectures and presentations internationally. 

His academic background includes a BA in English from Davidson College, Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, Master’s in Fine Arts in Cinema/TV from the University of Southern California, and Ph.D. in Theology and Culture from Fuller Theological Seminary. Craig is married to Caroline and they have two children.   

In the interim period from Dr. Anderson’s retirement and Dr. Detweiler’s starting date, the Board also announces the appointment of Academic Dean and Senior Vice President for Academics, Dr. J. Derek McNeil as Interim President.  

President Anderson praised the work of the presidential search committee, which was led by Trustee Joel Murphy, a 2004 alumnus: “Joel and the entire Search Committee worked tirelessly through many complex stages in the search process which included the work of two of the school’s first Trustees, Mike and Myra McCoy, as well as faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees. The outcome of their work over the past 6 months is something of which the entire Seattle School community can be proud.”

A more robust introduction to incoming President Craig Detweiler will be released following our Trustee meeting at the end of October.