President’s Biography | Andrew C. Sund, Ph.D. Heritage President

Andrew C. Sund, Ph.D., is the President at Heritage University. Dr. Sund joined Heritage July 1, 2017, ending an eight-month search conducted by a seven-member selection committee. Dr. Sund will be only the third president at Heritage since its founding in 1982.

Since joining Heritage, Dr. Sund has worked on several initiatives aimed at improving the effectiveness of the University. Dr. Sund has restructured the administrative units, the Admissions Office and infused resources to marketing. Additionally, Dr. Sund has established a new workforce unit that will provide training opportunities throughout the valley.

Dr. Sund’s efforts at Heritage have shown results in fundraising. During his brief tenure, the University has received important gifts from the Moccasin Lake Foundation and the Gates Foundation. Many other foundations and individuals continue to support Heritage.

Dr. Sund has also played a major role in connecting the university with the communities that surround it. He has been a speaker at numerous events, including rotary presentations, he has addressed the Yakama Tribal Council several times and participates regularly in a Spanish language radio broadcast.

Currently he is focused on leading a strategic planning process that will shape the future direction of the university.

Prior to joining Heritage University, Dr. Sund was President of St. Augustine College in Chicago. He took over the presidency during a period when the future of the college was uncertain and returned it to a trajectory of increased academic quality, recognition, and stability. Under his leadership, the college developed new programs, opened additional sites, developed strategic partnerships with numerous public and private entities, increased enrollment by 35%, and developed the college’s first fundraising strategy. Dr. Sund has been heralded for his accomplishments by numerous organizations, including Latino Leaders Magazine which awarded him the Maestro of Community Service award in 2016. St. Augustine was recognized as the Outstanding Institution of the year by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities in 2013.

Other accomplishments in Dr. Sund’s career include co-publishing an American History textbook in Spanish and pioneering the use of multi-media in the classroom. He is the past president of the Illinois LAtino Council on Higher Education (ILACHE). He is also a governing board member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the Yes We Must Coalition, and the Yakima Humane Society. He is fluent in Spanish as well as four other languages.

Dr. Sund received a Bachelor’s degree in History and Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master’s degree in History from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Sund is married and has three children. He is joined in Yakima with his wife Norma and his school age son.  His two adult children reside in Chicago.