Heather Knight

With a senior executive leadership background extending two decades, Heather Knight, PhD, stands as the first women of color to serve in her specific higher education administrative roles. Over a period of 8 years, Dr. Knight served as president of Pacific Union College (PUC), a premier, Seventh-Day Adventist, national liberal arts institution.

Dr. Knight’s accomplishments include driving significant enrollment expansion. She emphasized a commitment to diversity among a student body that was 31 percent first-generation college students.

Dr. Knight also set in place The PUC Advantage, a next-generation strategic plan, while initiating major increases in financial aid. Helping secure a major private cash gift of $2.6 million as part of The Heritage Campaign, she spearheaded a number of campus facilities improvement projects and effectively combined the planning and budget development aspects of operations.

Dr. Knight’s background includes 3 years in Berrien Springs, Michigan, as provost of Andrews University. Her position there included oversight of a flagship institution with a $75 million budget. Active as a key President’s Cabinet team member, Dr. Heather Knight helped envision and implement the Vision and Strategic Plan: A New Andrews for a New Century.