Ben Merkle

Elizabeth Landis praised Merkle’s accomplishments at the college saying, “His excellent performance gained external recognition three years ago as he led the college to full accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); the commission allowed NSA to skip the usual interim step of a candidacy period and enter directly into full membership based on its assessment of the college’s quality and performance. Further, Dr. Merkle has enriched both NSA and his community by launching the college’s Conservatory of Music and opening The Pierian art gallery, as well as adding additional academic graduate programs such as the Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree program.”

When asked to describe his leadership style, Merkle said that it is rooted in giving his employees ambitious vision and plenty of room to maneuver.

“I’m not a micro-manager,” he said. “I reward resourcefulness and commitment. I try not to penalize good faith risks that didn’t pay off. But I do require integrity and can’t abide dis-honesty in an employee.”

When he’s not working, Merkle enjoys serving at his church, and helping plant other churches across the country. He also supports K-12 schools that are opening across the country, by traveling to speak at their events, and has experience coaching a local high school lacrosse team for many years. Merkle also prioritizes ongoing learning for himself.

He shared, “I completed an MBA last year as part of my continued education and continue taking other classes for my professional development. I also like to think a lot about the principles of leadership and have been writing about what I have learned on Substack under the title Herdcraft.”