Austin Seminary names Heather Zdancewicz
as Vice President for Finance and Administration

AUSTIN, Texas (October 4, 2016)—Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary has appointed Heather Zdancewicz as vice president for finance and administration, effective February 1, 2017. Zdancewicz is presently the vice president for administration and finance at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, the largest Episcopal theological seminary in America. She has served at Virginia Theological Seminary for twenty-four years; first as payroll/internal auditor, later as director of the business office, and, since 2007, in her present position.

“Heather Zdancewicz is a proven and nationally-respected administrator and leader, both within and beyond her familiar turf at Virginia Theological Seminary,” said Austin Seminary President Theodore J. Wardlaw. “With a passionate commitment to the Church, and to mainline theological education in the service of equipping the Church, Heather brings to Austin Seminary deep experience in all of the facets of her field. We look forward to welcoming her to this ministry!”

While at Virginia Theological Seminary, Zdancewicz was responsible for oversight of the finance, human resources, information technology, maintenance, day care center, and hospitality and food-service dimensions of Virginia Theological Seminary’s life. Zdancewicz has managed their $17 million operating budget and their $160 million endowment fund. She has overseen such major capital projects as a $9 million central plant/hydronic piping project, a $17 million chapel project (replacing a former, historic chapel which burned down a few years ago), and a $22 million student-housing project. She has also been a member of the senior management team and has implemented various portions of Virginia Theological Seminary’s strategic plan, leading efforts to create more sustainability initiatives around campus.

“I am excited about coming to another one of the Seminaries that Change the World,” Zdancewicz said. “The strength of Austin Seminary is a real draw. I look forward to working with so many well-regarded staff and faculty, and to helping the community with initiatives that will move it from strength to strength.”

Zdancewicz is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, receiving her bachelor of science degree in mathematics; she earned an MBA from George Mason University. She is also a committed church member. A member of the Vestry at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Burke, Virginia, Zdancewicz has also served twice as a stewardship chair, a Sunday school superintendent and teacher, and is currently the church treasurer. She is a member of the Kanuga Conference Board, an Episcopal retreat center in the Western North Carolina mountains similar to Montreat Conference Center, and serves as chair of their finance committee. She has taught and preached both at St. Andrew’s and in Virginia Theological Seminary’s Immanuel Chapel. Zdancewicz and her husband Don have two sons, one a recent college graduate, and the other still in college.

ABOUT AUSTIN SEMINARY:

Founded in 1902, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is an institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership. For more information and ways to support Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, visit www.austinseminary.edu.

###