(La Porte, IN) - The next president of a college in the area was the starting catcher on the last La Porte High School baseball team to win a state title.

 

In two months, Dee McDonald will take over the reins at Bethel University, a Christian based school in Mishawaka.

 

McDonald was chosen to be the ninth president in the history of the university after the former president decided to retire.

 

He attended Olivet Nazarene College then became a faculty member at the school about 90 minutes away in Illinois until 2016 when he went to serve a Christian college in Minnesota for two years then again since 2022.

 

McDonald said becoming the president of a Christian based university has been a longtime goal.

 

He couldn’t think of a better place to answer what he believes is his calling since Bethel is a university he has long admired and it’s close to his hometown.

 

McDonald said things just seemed to naturally fall into place after he and decision makers at the university crossed paths about two months ago when the job opened up.

 

“I’ve had an appreciation and love for them from afar.  It was pretty clear that this was our next stop and our next assignment so we’re excited to get back close to home,” he said.

 

McDonald has been a vice-president at the university in Minnesota for the past few years and held positions in executive leadership for several years prior to that.

 

He graduated from high school one year after the baseball team won its last state title in 2000. 

 

McDonald said being a catcher from youth leagues to high school probably helped him climb from teacher to positions of school leadership because of the field general-like responsibilities of being behind home plate. 

 

“I think that serves me well in leadership, too. I kind of take a coaching approach in a lot of ways,” he said.