The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology has hired Jim Ehrman as Vice President of Advancement, and amidst the opportunity that our current cultural climate offers, his change-management background represents another timely addition to the school’s executive leadership.
Prior to coming to The Seattle School, Jim served as the Executive Vice President and Dean at Evangelical Seminary and as an Assistant Professor of Leadership and Culture. Within those roles, the school’s board integrated functions of various teams under his leadership in order to streamline messaging and steward what turned out to be remarkable institutional growth. A few of the hallmarks of his time there were: organizational health moves, innovative graduate-degree shifts, new non-credit initiatives, and a successful move to online program offerings.
While Jim enjoys offering his executive management experience to the academic non-profit world, his faith informs his specific dedication to the role of psychologically-informed theological training in our day. Jim says, “In my own lifetime, I can’t remember a more critical time or, maybe better said, a more ripe opportunity for we as people of faith to offer our own transformative stories to culture, in the hope of inviting others into the sense of belonging we have found. Few learning communities are positioned to do that like The Seattle School and its Allender Center.”
Before his last position, Jim served as the Executive Director for Love146, an international anti-human trafficking organization headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut—where he also served as the gubernatorial appointee to the State of Connecticut’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. Prior to those experiences, Jim worked for several years as the Executive Director of Yale University’s Center for the Study of World Christianity. In that role, he aided both Yale University and the Western Church at-large in its engagement with the explosive growth and unique stories present within the worldwide Church.
“I’m convinced that Christianity is most true to itself when it is involved in the risky business of cultural engagement,” said Jim. “That is why I am drawn to The Seattle School’s mission to thoughtfully and proactively inhabit the intersection of text, soul, and culture.”
In this season of change, The Seattle School has a renewed focus on increasing the value of the school’s learning experiences for external partners, primarily within the theology degree programs. Jim’s expertise both in unifying teams in higher education and a deep knowledge of the Church today are what make him uniquely positioned to work alongside our donor development, marketing, and enrollment teams to further the mission and growth of The Seattle School.
“I am deeply grateful to welcome Jim Ehrman to our team. Jim brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to the responsibilities he will have at The Seattle School,” said Dr. J. Derek McNeil, President & Provost of The Seattle School. “The most adventurous thing about Jim’s new position is that he will be in charge of outward-facing aspects of us, helping The Seattle School to develop strong, healthy relationships with strategic partners in our community, as well as nationally and globally. I know Jim will be a thoughtful and attentive manager and I look forward to having his experienced leadership and relational posture at The Seattle School.”