WINONA LAKE — Grace College has appointed two new senior leaders: John Sloat as vice president of advancement and Dr. Emi Kreklau as the executive director of the Catalyst Corridor, a project funded by the Lilly Endowment College and Community Collaboration (CCC) initiative.
“John and Emi are dynamic administrators with brilliant minds and servant leaders who are enthusiastic about what God is doing at Grace,” said Dr. Drew Flamm, president at Grace. “Their past experiences uniquely qualify them for their roles. I look forward to working closely with them in the months and years ahead as we continue collaborating and engaging with our community and constituents.”
Sloat is a 2009 graduate of Grace College and a 2012 graduate of Grace Theological Seminary. He received his bachelor’s in youth ministry and his Master of Divinity in exegetical studies. He also received his Master of Theology from Southern Seminary.
Sloat began working at Grace in 2014 and has accumulated a wide range of experience in numerous divisions of the institution since then, according to a news release from Grace. He served as a resident director for his first four years at Grace. Then, in 2018, he became the director of the accelerated program for Grace Theological Seminary. Most recently, he served as a director of development on the advancement team. He has also taught numerous courses in Biblical studies and history during his tenure at Grace.
As vice president of advancement, Sloat’s key responsibilities include leading all development, annual giving and stewardship initiatives for Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary.
"Grace has been one of the most formative institutions in my life, and I consider it an honor and a privilege to work in the advancement office,” said Sloat. “My hope in this role is that we can set up the future of Grace College well so that it can thrive for years to come."
Kreklau, executive director of the Catalyst Corridor, will oversee the implementation of the Lilly Endowment CCC grant. Kreklau will serve as the primary point of contact for the project, working in close partnership with the Grace senior leadership team, government entities, business leaders and other community members to fulfill the vision of the Catalyst Corridor.
Kreklau has more than 25 years of experience in academic research and pharmaceutical drug development, including nearly two decades at Lilly Research Laboratories, where she last served as the head of research and development operations. Kreklau is a familiar face to Grace, where she serves on the campaign steering committee and parent council.
“I'm excited by the bold vision of the Catalyst Corridor Project, which I see as a God-inspired vision for Grace and the Warsaw-Winona Lake community to impact the Kingdom in new ways for many generations to come,” said Kreklau. “Grace has a rich legacy of faithfulness to its vision to know Christ and to make Him known, and Warsaw is already touching countless people's lives through its health care, medical technology and other industries. So it's not about new buildings or infrastructure — those are a springboard for impacting people's lives.”
To learn more about the Catalyst Corridor, visit www.grace.edu/grace-college-receives-27-million-through-lilly-endowment/.
For more about the leadership at Grace, go to www.grace.edu/about/grace-college/our-leadership/.