President’s Cabinet

The President’s Cabinet is accountable for the leadership and management of the university.

• Adam J. Morris, PhD

  President

  Morris leads Azusa Pacific, providing visionary leadership and strategic planning expertise to advance the university’s mission. Prior to this role, Morris, who has 30 years of Christian higher education experience, was executive vice president, chief transformation officer, and chief institutional advancement officer at Biola University.

• Rukshan Fernando, PhD

  Provost

  Fernando provides strategic leadership as the university’s chief academic officer. Prior to this role, he was interim dean of the APU School of Business and Management and associate dean and professor in the APU School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, along with faculty and other administrative roles at APU and Taylor University.

• Dale Kemp, MBA

  Senior Vice President,
  Interim Chief Financial Officer

• Don Davis, EdD

  Vice President for Administration,
  Chief Information Officer

  Davis oversees the teams that provide leadership for the digital and physical infrastructure of APU. Prior to this role, Davis held various leadership roles in educational and religious nonprofit organizations.

• Keith E. Hall, EdD

  Vice President for Student Belonging,
  Chief Diversity Officer

  Hall provides strategic leadership and partnership to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts aimed at cultivating a university climate that promotes engagement and belonging for the diverse demography of faculty, staff, and students at APU. Prior to this role, Hall served in a number of roles at both public and private higher education institutions in Tennessee and California.

• Corbin Hoornbeek, PhD

  Vice President for University Advancement

  Hoornbeek provides leadership for the university’s fundraising activities and programs. He has served in fundraising leadership roles in Christian higher education and in world missions organizations for more than 25 years.

• James Buckley, JD

  General Counsel,
  University Integrity Officer

  Buckley supports the university’s mission by representing and advising the board and administration on a broad range of legal matters. Prior to joining APU in 2020, Buckley was an operations and management consultant for law departments and law firms. His law practice began in the litigation department at Gibson Dunn in Los Angeles, followed by 20 years as senior in-house counsel with Lockheed Martin Corporation.

• Paola Martinez

  Vice President for Human Resources

  In her role, Martinez promotes a Christ-centered work environment. Prior to joining APU, she spent 20 years in national and regional human resource leadership in employee relations, performance management, organizational design, and change management initiatives.

• Gary Pine, MBA

  Director of Athletics

  Pine oversees APU’s 19-sport, nationally-recognized athletics program that competes in NCAA Division II and the Pacific West Conference, and provides leadership on several NCAA and PacWest committees. Prior to returning to APU, his alma mater, more than 25 years ago, Pine served at USC and the Big West Conference.

• Shino Simons, PhD

  Vice President for Student Affairs

  Simons provides strategic leadership and vision to all co-curricular and extracurricular efforts contributing to the holistic development of all students, particularly in the areas of spiritual formation, student engagement, and student wellness. Her two decades of increasing leadership experience includes positions in residence life, judicial affairs, and Title IX, among other various roles and responsibilities.

• Maureen A. Taylor, MA

  Vice President for Strategic Communication and Engagement

  With nearly three decades of higher education experience in communication and advocacy, Taylor leads the Division of Strategic Communication and Engagement. She oversees the university’s internal and external communication and engagement strategies with all APU constituencies. These communication and engagement endeavors advance Renewal, APU’s Strategic Plan and its Grand Initiatives to strengthen the APU Community and expand the university’s image and reputation as the nation’s premier Christian university for our culture and times. Taylor shapes the university’s messaging across communication channels and drives engagement opportunities to underscore the university’s contribution to its city, region, state, and nation in pursuit of Kingdom and social good.