When the word President is placed in front of a name, it evokes a certain feeling of superiority. Most people will never be the president of anything; therefore, it is common for there to be a feeling of inequality and distance between the general population and this seemingly higher-ranking member of society. However, this is not the case with Northwestern College president, Greg Christy. President Christy seeks to tear down the walls between him and his students, colleagues and members of the Orange City community. He is continually building community through his position at NW, involvement with his church and relationships with his family and friends.
When asked about his day-to-day activities, President Christy said his day at work revolves mostly around meetings. He meets with what he described as the “President’s Cabinet.” This cabinet includes all of the Vice Presidents of the college: Mark DeYounge, Julie Elliott, Jackie Davis, Tony Hoops, Nathan Phinney, Tamara Fynaardt and Kent Wiersema. He meets with each individually once a week and also as a group on Wednesdays. Aside from meetings with his staff members, President Christy also finds time to meet with prospective students and faculty, as well as write personal notes to prospective students, board members, alumni and trustees. He does not just write them letters but takes the time to travel to them to show how much their support means to NW. President Christy said that on average, he is traveling for one week out of each month. When he is not traveling, however, he enjoys a good game of golf with friends, campus visitors, his kids or even by himself. When asked if he gets bored golfing alone, he said, “I have so much social interaction for work that sometimes I enjoy golfing by myself and being in nature for a few hours on the weekend.”
He expressed that he and his wife have been finding joy recently in traveling to see their two one-year-old grandchildren: one in Brookings, SD, and the other in the Twin Cities. But since he cannot be with them all of the time, he has discovered the importance of a close church family and also hobbies to keep him busy. He and his family attend Trinity Church in Orange City, Iowa. For the Christys, he stated that it was not hard to find an accepting and loving community in this town, and Trinity Church has become like a second family to them. His whole life is centered around community and Trinity Church has been a huge building block in this step of his life. As his immediate family moves out of his home, President Christy has found comfort in the body of Christ. The Christys stay immensely involved in their church’s activities and Bible studies and recently stated that they have joined the Hospitality team.
Aside from golfing and spending time with family and friends, President Christy said that another one of his main hobbies is reading. He has read quite a few books over the years on the topics of leadership and the Church. His two favorites are: “Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren, and “Lead Like Jesus” by Ken Blanchard. He said that these two books specifically impacted him, especially during the seasons of his life when he read them. One thing that he always tells people to encourage them through his leadership is, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” President Christy tries to live out this quote daily as he builds community with his students and staff at Northwestern. He is not quite sure where this quote originated from, but he said it is a good way to encourage his employees to consider their colleagues as people and friends and not just as academic professors and staff. He states that it is a good way to level the playing field between all of his employees. So, although the title of “President” can seem intimidating, NW’s president seeks to be involved in the community he is building on this campus daily, both as a leader and an encouraging presence.
