Dr. Kerry Fulcher was elected the 15th president of Point Loma Nazarene University on July 1, 2024. Prior to the election, Dr. Fulcher served as Provost and Chief Academic Officer at PLNU from 2010-2024.

He began his PLNU career in 1994 as a faculty member in the Biology Department and served as Biology Chair from 2002 to 2008. He became Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2008 and Provost and Chief Academic Officer in 2010. His publications have appeared in journals such as Christian Higher Education, Biology of Reproduction, Aquaculture, and Developmental Biology.

In total, Dr. Fulcher has dedicated 30 years of service to PLNU, helping to shape the university's academic vision and fostering a community of excellence. Under his leadership, the university has made significant advancements in academic programs, coupled with campus facility expansions. Dr. Fulcher's dedication has not only enhanced the educational experience at PLNU but has also solidified the university's reputation as a leading institution of higher learning.

Dr. Fulcher and his wife, Robyn, reside in Point Loma and are the parents of three daughters, Jordanne, Hailey, and Maddy, and are the proud grandparents of Judah and Eleanor.

https://www.pointloma.edu/offices/office-president

Dr. Ron Benefiel serves as the Director of the Center for Pastoral Leadership at PLNU. He was the eighth president of Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri and also served as the Dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry at Point Loma Nazarene University. While serving as a PLNU professor from 1996 to 2000, Benefiel co-founded and co-pastored Mid City Church of the Nazarene. From 1982 to 1996, Benefiel served as pastor of the First Church of the Nazarene in Los Angeles, a multi-congregational church. He also founded and served as the executive director of the P.F. Bresee Foundation, a nonprofit community center in LA's Mid-Wilshire district.

Benefiel has always had a passion for serving his community, and his name has been highly respected within the Church of the Nazarene. Over the past 40 years, he has served the denomination on numerous councils and boards related to education, research, and youth ministry. His work in the community has included serving on the board of directors of the Kansas City Urban Youth Center and of rescue missions in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Kansas City.

https://viewpoint.pointloma.edu/qa-with-dr-ron-benefiel/

JC Hurtado-Prater serves as Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs and Associate Professor of Leadership. He joined the Fermanian School of Business (FSB) as an adjunct professor in 2020 and was hired as a full-time associate professor of leadership in 2022. A veteran of the United States Army, he came to PLNU with more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit organizations and management consulting. Hurtado-Prater has provided training and consulting services for Fortune 500 organizations and large governmental agencies, including Johnson + Johnson, Cisco, US Department of Interior, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Navy, Park Hyatt and more. Hurtado-Prater is currently in the process of completing his D.B.A. in Management at Indiana Wesleyan University.

https://www.pointloma.edu/faculty/jc-hurtado-prater-mba