Vanover appointed MVNU Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Mount Vernon Nazarene University President Dr. Carson Castleman is pleased to announce the appointment of Johnna (Tidyman) Vanover to the position of Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, effective Jan. 8, 2024.

With a wealth of experience exceeding 13 years in Christian higher education enrollment, Vanover brings a proven track record of success, including nine years in leadership roles where her teams achieved significant non-traditional enrollment growth through innovative marketing strategies.

“I am delighted to have Johnna come home to MVNU and help transform our Enrollment and Marketing areas,” said Dr. Castleman. “She brings a strong work ethic and a tremendous record of enrollment growth. I am thankful for a strong leader and alumni to be such an important part of our community.” 

A 2006 graduate of East Knox High School, Vanover earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from MVNU in 2011 and a Master of Organizational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2017. Her career in higher education includes roles as an online recruiter for MVNU and Ohio Christian University, followed by Director of Online Recruitment for Trevecca Nazarene University in 2015. Notably, she rose to Assistant Vice President of Enrollment in 2018 and subsequently served as Vice President for Professional and Graduate Studies Enrollment, Marketing & Student Services at Southern Nazarene University.

Vanover’s primary focus in her new role is to implement a comprehensive strategy that enhances enrollment and marketing for both residential and online students, supporting revenue growth and the University’s financial strength. Drawing on her background in non-traditional enrollment, she is eager to apply her skills to traditional enrollment in this new capacity.

“Enrollment is very challenging. I know this is not going to be easy and there is a lot of work to do. God equips us when he calls us to things, and I really do feel this is what I’m supposed to do,” Vanover said.

Acknowledging the distinct needs of both enrollment areas, Vanover emphasizes the importance of establishing short- and long-term goals for all demographics. She views enrollment growth as a long-term investment, emphasizing the need for strategic planning in establishing goals.

“Growing enrollment is a marathon and not a sprint,” she said. “We need to have goals for the first six months, the first year, and followed by annual goals up to the fifth year. Mapping that out and seeing what that looks like is important. There’s probably some area with all of enrollment and marketing being together, where there can be a little more crossover than in the past. I definitely believe in the departments themselves and maintaining their separate identities as well because they really do serve different populations.”

Vanover, who has experienced the impact of a Christ-centered education as a non-traditional MVNU graduate, believes in the transformative power of a Christian education both on campus and online.

“MVNU is impacting every student’s journey in life, and you see how God is using the University to allow people to come to the Lord or to grow in their faith journey. If we didn’t have places like MVNU, it would be so much harder for that to happen,” said Vanover.
 
In addition to leading enrollment and marketing, Vanover will serve on the President’s Cabinet.

“I’m really excited about everything that Dr. Castleman is doing,” she said. “Starting my career at MVNU, I do have a lot of experience at different schools, and in different positions. Seeing the varied ways things can be done really aligns me well for this role. I’m really excited to bring that back to my alma mater.”

Vanover lives in Newark with her husband, Josh; and their sons, Jett, 13, Jaxx,10, and Jacoby, 6.