News Release
Jon Wallin Named Chief of Staff
Buena Vista, Va. — President Bonnie H. Cordon has named Jon Wallin as Southern Virginia University’s chief of staff. In this role, Wallin will support President Cordon, the Office of the President, and the President’s Council, while continuing to serve as the executive secretary to the Board of Trustees and the university’s institutional accreditation liaison with SACSCOC.
“Jon has been instrumental in the development and growth of the university in both the academics and administration for many years,” said President Cordon. “His ability to see and tackle a need has greatly benefitted the university, and I’m grateful for his willingness to take on this role.”
“I’m passionate about professional development and helping in the continuous professional development of the professional staff at Southern Virginia University,” said Wallin. “I’ve been a part of various development aspects of the university since I came here in 2015, and I’m looking forward to continuing that in this new role, be it through providing opportunities for staff to grow in their skills, or working with President Cordon, her council, and others on strategic advancements.”
Wallin first joined Southern Virginia University in 2015 as assistant provost. Since then, he has served as the director of institutional effectiveness, director of university writing, and executive vice president and chief information officer. As executive vice president and chief information officer, Wallin oversaw the utilization of technology as a universal enabler across campus. This included the implementation of a robust campus-wide network infrastructure, enhancing the customer experience with the university’s IT services with specific focus on user experience, data governance, and data integrations across the university.
While serving as the director of institutional effectiveness, Wallin spearheaded the university’s successful application efforts for a decade-long renewal of its SACSCOC accreditation, in which he continues to act as the liaison. He also led an evaluation process of the student information system (SIS) resulting in the adoption of Canvas—a leading learning management software— and assisted with the adoption and implementation of the university’s LaunchPad Initiative.
As director of university writing, Wallin helped lead the five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)—Knights Write—to create additional writing and tutoring resources for all students. Wallin also serves as recorder on the University’s board of trustees.
Wallin received a doctorate in English from Purdue University, where he was the recipient of the Ross Fellowship, which recognizes excellence in scholarship and teaching. Wallin also earned his master’s degree in English with a focus in rhetoric and composition from Brigham Young University and his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Utah.
He served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Milan, Italy, and has served the Church in a variety of additional roles.