MACON – Mercer University President R. Kirby Godsey has announced the appointment of Dr. Richard V. Swindle as senior vice president – Atlanta, effective June 1, 2003.
Swindle currently serves as senior vice president for Institutional Advancement for Franklin College in Franklin, Ind., where he is responsible for development, public affairs, corporate and foundation relations, alumni services and church relations. Prior to joining Franklin College in 1996, he spent 17 years at Mercer, serving his last three years as senior associate vice president for University Advancement.
“We are extremely pleased that Dr. Swindle is returning to the University,” said President Godsey. “He is an outstanding leader and administrator, who has a talent for building community and collaboration. The University will greatly benefit from his understanding of Mercer, particularly the Atlanta campus, as well as the considerable experience he brings from Franklin College.”
Swindle will be responsible for the coordination of all campus activity of the University’s Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus in Atlanta. The 2,200-student campus includes Southern School of Pharmacy, Georgia Baptist College of Nursing and McAfee School of Theology, and programs of Tift College of Education, Stetson School of Business and Economics, the School of Engineering, and the College of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Swindle will also have an active role in expanding Mercer’s involvement in the Atlanta community and increasing the University’s presence and visibility through relationship building with Atlanta’s corporate and community leaders.
While at Franklin College, Swindle planned and directed the successful completion of a $48.5 million capital campaign, which exceeded its goal by more than 21 percent. He also directed the college’s multi-year marketing initiative, which significantly increased the awareness of the college.
Swindle began his career in higher education in 1971 as director of Admissions at Samford University and, in 1973, became associate dean of Admissions.
In 1979, he joined Mercer University as director of Admissions for the University’s Atlanta campus. He designed and implemented a student recruitment program that resulted in a 40 percent increase in enrollment over a 10-year period.
He became associate provost in 1987, and was responsible for all administrative services on the Atlanta campus. Two years later, he was named special assistant to the president, serving as the chief administrator for the Atlanta campus. In 1990, he joined the University Advancement staff as assistant vice president for Development and later served two years as associate vice president for University Relations, Alumni and Development. From 1992 to 1994, he was a member of the University’s self-study team for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) re-accreditation.
With a bachelor’s degree from Samford University, Swindle earned the master of education degree at the University of Montevallo and a Ph.D. at Emory University. He was an officer in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1969 to 1978, attaining the rank of captain.
He and his wife, Dorothy, have two daughters, Susan, 14, and Anna, 17. He is a member of Southport Baptist Church, where he is a deacon and has served as chair of the Leadership Development and as a Sunday school teacher.
Founded in 1833 in Penfield, Ga., Mercer is the only independent university of its size in the country to offer programs in liberal arts, business, engineering, education, medicine, pharmacy, law, theology and nursing. With more than 7,300 students and 400 faculty members on campuses in Macon and Atlanta, Mercer is one of the largest Baptist-affiliated institutions in the world. Led by President R. Kirby Godsey, Mercer has been ranked among the leading colleges and universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report for 13 consecutive years.
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