Dr. Joe Watkins was appointed executive vice president in August 2015. He oversees University Advancement, Undergraduate Admissions, Marketing & Creative Services, Alumni Relations, the Office of Public Affairs, and the Liberty Station Conference Center. He is a member of the PLNU Foundation Board and is chair of the board for the Point Loma Trust. When time permits, he enjoys teaching in the Fermanian School of Business and the College of Extended Learning. He is a member of the President’s Cabinet.
Prior to his current appointment, Watkins was serving as vice president for External Relations and had served as vice president for Community Development. He joined PLNU in February 2001 as director of development. Before coming to the university, he was a member of the PLNU Board of Trustees, serving as chair of the Student Development Committee and a member of the board's Executive Committee. As an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, he served in ministry roles in three congregations over a span of 23 years.
During his tenure at PLNU, Watkins has given leadership to three university capital campaigns, led the creation and development of the Point Loma Trust, and overseen the implementation of the president’s vision of expanding PLNU’s visibility in the community via the strategic development of the President’s Community Council, the President’s Advisory Board, the annual Fall Festival, and various other community outreach strategies. He has served on numerous community boards including the San Diego Opera Board Executive Committee, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Housing Committee, and the Executive Committee of the Point Loma Association, and is a member of the San Diego Senior Initiatives Team of the San Diego Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Following his graduation from Point Loma College in 1978 with an A.B. in Pastoral Theology, he earned his M.Min. from Point Loma Nazarene College in 1990 and his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at the University of Arizona in 2000.
