Jack R. Ohle
Senior Executive Coach and Of Counsel
Jack.Ohle@academicsearch.org
Mr. Jack R. Ohle wasn’t always certain about which career he wanted to pursue, but he always knew that education would be crucial. With the support of his father, a lifelong Ohio steel mill worker who didn’t have the option of receiving a formal education, Mr. Ohle went into academia. Additionally, his father taught him the importance of giving back, helping others succeed, and learning people’s stories. With those principles guiding him, Mr. Ohle spent more than 40 years as a college president, executive coach, theologist, and chairman.
Mr. Ohle joined Academic Search as a Senior Consultant, combining his higher education experience with his father’s invaluable lessons. He recently transitioned to the role of Executive Coach.
In his search work, Mr. Ohle familiarized himself with the institution’s culture and studied the vacant position intently before working to assemble candidate pools filled with exceptional applicants. Mr. Ohle’s genuine interest in a person’s experiences and aspirations allowed him to find highly qualified candidates with the right intangible qualities that would make them excellent hires.
When Mr. Ohle entered higher education administration as the Alumni Director and Director of the Annual Fund at Ohio Northern University, he knew he’d found his calling. Other administrators quickly recognized his innate leadership skills, and it didn’t take long for him to become a rising star that other institutions heavily recruited.
Mr. Ohle held two vice president positions, first as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Nebraska Wesleyan University and then as Vice President and Secretary of the University at Drake University, for a combined 22 years. These positions gave him vital experience in university governance that continues to provide valuable insight in his work as a senior consultant.
For the last 16 years of his career, Mr. Ohle was president of two Evangelical Lutheran Church in America colleges before he retired in 2015—Wartburg College in Minnesota and Gustavas Adolphus College in Iowa. At both schools, Mr. Ohle was instrumental in strategic planning and building a culture of philanthropy through fundraising. By the time he closed out his executive-level work, he’d led fundraising programs that collected more than $650 million.
Additionally, Mr. Ohle has held committee and chair positions with the Council of Presidents of the ELCA, the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education board, the NCAA Division III Presidents Council, and the Executive Committee of the NCAA.
Mr. Ohle received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio Northern University and master’s in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University. He did additional graduate work at Hamma School of Theology in Springfield, Ohio, and holds honorary degrees from Wartburg Theological Seminary and his undergraduate alma mater, ONU.
