PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
Dr. Carl E. Zylstra
Biography
Dr. Carl E. Zylstra, the third president of Dordt College, was born on May 23, 1948, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Already as a young boy, he decided he would become either a teacher or a pastor. He has been both, serving two congregations, teaching at Calvin Seminary, and instructing young people in his congregations. With his appointment as president of Dordt College in 1996, the two strands of education and ministry continue to weave their way through his life and career.
Communicating ideas and a vision for Christian service have motivated Dr. Zylstra since his undergraduate days at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A 1970 graduate of that institution, Zylstra earned his master of divinity degree from Calvin Theological Seminary, also in Grand Rapids. He received the Ph.D. in practical theology from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1983. From 1983 to 1996 he served as pastor of Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. During the final year of his doctoral program, Dr. Zylstra was a lecturer in practical theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. Prior to entering a doctoral program, he had pastored the Hammond Christian Reformed Church in Hammond, Indiana.
He has served as a pastor and an educator, providing leadership to numerous educational institutions and church agencies. He has served as Vice President of the Board of World Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church, and President of Christian Reformed World Missions. He has been elected chair or reporter on a number of synodical committees of the Christian Reformed church and in 1994 was elected first clerk of Synod. Dr. Zylstra was the keynote speaker at the Christian Schools International convention in July 1998 and the Sunday preaching minister at the 2001 Christian Schools International convention. He has held the position of chair of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Iowa Campus Compact, the Iowa Association of College Presidents, the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Tax Advisory Committee of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. He also has served as Secretary of the Iowa College Foundation and as a member of the board of directors of the National Association Independent Colleges and Universities, Iowans for a Better Future, and the Barnabas Foundation.
He currently holds a seat on the Board of Directors of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities as well as chairing its Presidential Search Committee. Dr. Zylstra also continues as a member of the Student Aid Committee of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
He has been a trustee of three institutions of higher education -- Calvin College, Calvin Theological Seminary and Dordt College. His published works include contributions to books published in Korea and Australia as well as in North America and he has spoken on issues of education and service on every continent except Antarctica.
In addition to numerous speaking opportunities, President Zylstra hosts a weekly radio talk program on topics of contemporary interest, and has contributed chapters to Christian Leadership Essentials, College Faith, Physical Education, Sports, and Wellness, Why Should a University Exist, a Korean publication and Devotions from the Heartland.
Dr. Zylstra has been president of Dordt College since 1996 where he has overseen significant expansions in facilities, endowment, and academic programs including, innovative collaborative ventures with regional and national leaders in health care, engineering, and biotechnology education.
Married to a retired registered nurse, Gloria, father to three married sons, and grandfather to nine.
