Meet President David P. Nelson

On March 11, 2020, the Catawba College Board of Trustees elected David P. Nelson as the 24th President of Catawba. He officially took the helm on July 1st.

President Nelson arrived with the onset of COVID-19, so our typical in-person ways of welcoming a new president were interrupted. On behalf of those who haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet Dr. Nelson, and for those who have but are curious to know more –

Let’s Meet David P. Nelson

President Nelson was born in the Midwest, to a family who had moved from Alabama and would move time and again as his father’s career developed. So David’s family roots are in the deep South, but he grew up in Illinois, Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, and Dallas. David has now lived in North Carolina longer than any other state, and is proud to claim North Carolina as home.

Some fond early memories include discussions at the dining table with his mother and their parish priest, watching his parents dance in the living room, and listening to albums he had saved up to purchase. He was a first-generation college student, obtaining his bachelor’s and master’s in music followed by further graduate studies in theology, for which he earned his PhD.  David’s career in higher education spans more than 25 years, during which he has held administrative positions as president, provost, and dean, and has taught music and religious studies.

David is married to Kimberly, a native North Carolinian who is the managing partner for Spiro Coaching Institute. His three children and three grandchildren reside in North Carolina and Texas. Caitlin, the first daughter, lives in Raleigh with her husband Carson and their three children, Eve, Jack, and Salem. Hannah, the second daughter, is studying theater at the University of Texas in Austin. And many in the Catawba community know Joshua, David’s youngest, who is currently a sophomore on campus. 

The newest addition to their family is First Dog Fred, who wandered up to a farm in Salisbury and was in need of a loving home. The Nelsons were happy to welcome him to the Catawba family.

Just as we are happy to have the Nelsons as part of the Catawba family.

Q&A with President Nelson

Why did you choose Catawba?

Coming to Catawba was very much a matter of calling for us. Kimberly and I embrace our vocation to love God, to love neighbors, to live as family, to work for the good of the city. We enjoy reading and writing and teaching. We like meeting people from different perspectives and places, and delight in discussing interesting issues and ideas with them. We love exploring the world and working to make the most of our place in it. And we have a deep sense of calling to help others find their place in the world. Catawba wraps all these things together for us.

From the moment we met the people who are Catawba College, we had a sense that this was home for us. And we’re very glad to be home.

What inspires you about Catawba?

Catawba College isn’t just any college. Catawba has a long tradition of valuing every person in the campus community, where faculty, staff, and students are “active co-participants” in a living and learning community that cares not just about the education but also the vocation of every student. The opportunities Catawba provides in athletics, the arts, and various student organizations give every student access to the breadth of liberal arts learning at its best.

I am inspired by the alumni and supporters of Catawba who are so invested in Catawba’s mission. And I am grateful to be part of this particular moment in Catawba’s history, when the burden of scarcity has been lifted and we now embrace the mantle of stewardship for the people, place, and extraordinary resources entrusted to our care.

I can’t help but think about the year 2051. We are here today because forebears had the foresight to create Catawba College in 1851, and we stand today because of faithful stewards through each generation. As the college looks ahead to its 200^th anniversary, I imagine the faculty and staff, the board and a president, the students and alumni who in 2051 will be who they are because of what we do in this moment. 

You sign your communications “Sit Lux.” Why?

Sit Lux is Catawba’s motto, drawn from the Latin translation of the opening lines of Genesis, “let there be light.” For the German Reformed Christians who founded Catawba, this motto called to mind the God who creates, and evoked the significance of the light of learning. Sit Lux serves as a reminder that we are invited to walk within the creative activity of God, participating in what in the Jewish tradition is called tikkun olam, “repairing the world,” as we share the light with others.  

As a college founded by people of faith, we exist for people of all faiths and no faith. My use of the motto is a way of reminding us all who we are, where we come from, and why we do what we do each day.