Beam, Yerk-Zwickl join University Cabinet

John Roberson named executive vice president

Faithe Beam and Sherri Yerk-Zwickl will join Campbell’s University Cabinet as associate vice presidents this fall, President J. Bradley Creed announced on Thursday. Cabinet member John Roberson has also been promoted to Executive Vice President.

Creed said the changes grew from the University’s strategic plan, and they reflect the importance of Campbell’s mission. Beam, who also serves as campus minister, is now associate vice president for spiritual life; and Yerk-Zwickl’s new role, in addition to chief information officer, is associate vice president for information technology.

Beam joined Campbell in 2007 as campus minister and adjunct instructor in the Department of Christian Studies. A graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in Music Education, she received her Master of Divinity Degree from Campbell’s Divinity School in 2003. She was the director of student services for the School before serving in Spiritual Life. Before coming to Campbell, Beam served as minister of music and education at Zion Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina.

“Campbell’s Christian mission is central to our identity and development as a faith-based institution of higher education,” Creed said. “Faithe Beam brings experience and dedication to this new role of promoting the interaction of faith and learning in all aspects of campus life.”

Beam said she is grateful to serve in the new role and called Campbell her “home.”

“Campbell has provided me the opportunity to invest in the lives of students as they discover who they are and who God is calling them to be,” she said. “I am excited for a new opportunity to work with leadership as we continue to affirm the Christian identity and mission of Campbell as well as create space for continued conversations around the expression of our faith in our life and work.”

Yerk-Zwickl joined Campbell in July 2017 as chief information officer after serving as director of planning and administration for Lehigh University’s Library & Technology Services division for 20 years. In her role, Yerk-Zwickl has overseen technology resources and personnel across main and extended campuses and has worked to ensure that members of the Campbell community have the resources, tools and training needed to fulfill their academic goals.

“I am honored to join the University Cabinet and look forward to working more closely with my colleagues to continue to advance the mission and purpose of Campbell,” said Yerk-Zwickl, who will become the Cabinet’s first CIO.

“The role of technology in higher education is ever expanding,” Creed said, “and Sherri’s strong background in academic technology will position her to have a lasting and positive impact on our campus community.”

Roberson, a 1980 alumnus of Campbell and ’83 graduate of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, earned his Doctor of Education in High Education Administration from North Carolina State University in 1997. From 1989 to 1996, he served Campbell as assistant vice president for alumni relations and assistant to the president, but stepped away from 1997 to 2005 to serve as an executive with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. He returned to Campbell in 2005 as vice president for strategic planning and marketing, and three years later, he became vice president for enrollment management. In 2013, he became dean of Adult & Online Education, and in 2016, he began his duties as executive assistant to the president.

As executive vice president, Roberson will move into a refocused and expanded role, according to Creed, giving attention to projects and strategic initiatives that span across the various schools and programs at Campbell.

“With more than 25 years of service in senior leadership and vice presidential positions, John’s experience in academics and administration will be an asset as the university continues its growth and strategic development,” Creed said.

Roberson said he is “thrilled” to have a new opportunity to continue working closely with Creed.

“Most of my professional career has been invested in serving my undergraduate alma mater,” he said. “For over two and one-half decades, my energies have been expended in a wide array of offices. This new opportunity opens yet another exciting chapter in my journey.”