Degrees of purpose

Louisville Seminary president and Online MBA student Andrew Pomerville leads while learning

"I feel sometimes like a fish out of water…I was just coming from a faculty meeting, and now I'm going into a class," shared Andrew Pomerville, president of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. It’s a feeling few college presidents experience: a seat at the head of the table and in the classroom.

Pomerville never expected to lead one higher education institution while attending another. But two years into his presidency, he found himself seeking training and growth in areas his earlier degrees hadn’t covered. In 2026, that search brought him to the online MBA program at the University of Louisville College of Business. 

What began as continuing education for a new leader is also offering him a fresh perspective on the students he serves. Alongside building his business skills, Pomerville is learning with classmates of different ages and professional backgrounds and experiencing firsthand what it means to be an online student. With each course, he considers how the lessons he brings home could help students at Louisville Seminary feel more connected to their education.

Finding his place

After earning his bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies at Alma College in 2001, Pomerville took a non-ordained position at a Presbyterian church before pursuing a Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary, which he completed in 2007. Graduate study left him considering where his education might take him next. “I thought maybe I would stick around and keep doing more schooling, but I really enjoyed the local congregation, and so I ended up serving churches in Michigan,” he said.

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His work eventually brought him back to the campus where his own college education began. In 2018, Pomerville earned a Doctor of Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and returned to Alma as senior chaplain. He also taught in the religious studies department and became assistant vice president for community engagement. As a chaplain, his responsibility extended to students of all faiths and those with no religious background, giving him opportunities to help young people explore their beliefs, ambitions and sense of purpose.

In 2023, Pomerville became president of Louisville Seminary, bringing his experience in congregational leadership, teaching and college administration to the role. “When this opportunity popped up, I was not necessarily looking to leave my alma mater,” he said. “But I was nominated by some folks who thought I might be the right person to fill the role of the next president here at Louisville.”

At Louisville Seminary, the students Pomerville leads are preparing for work in counseling practices, community organizations and congregations. Among them is a Muslim chaplain studying at the seminary to better understand the Christians in his care, an example of the different backgrounds and aspirations of students who find a home there. “Education extends well beyond the church into areas of community...and especially how we help people find their why,” he shared. “It’s just a dream come true to do that with students...to help them find their place to serve.”

Room to grow

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After spending years encouraging students to consider where their education might take them, Pomerville was prompted to turn those thoughts toward himself. “I came to this after my first couple of years at Louisville Seminary, wondering with my new board how to find some of the training and growth that are necessary as a new college president,” he explained. “What I have found has been most helpful is intentionality in the local, and I am impressed with what the University of Louisville is doing.”

After talking with individuals in the College of Business who had connections to Louisville Seminary and being inspired by the opportunities available within the MBA at UofL, Pomerville recognized that “this is a really organized way for me to add some continuing education in areas that I didn’t necessarily receive in my other degrees.”

UofL was also home to a friend who understood the demands of his role. Pomerville and UofL President Gerry Bradley met at a Grawemeyer event and found common ground as runners, parents and leaders of institutions in a city they both love. Their conversations offered opportunities to talk about the responsibilities they shared beyond the formal partnerships between their schools. That friendship brought a personal connection to the prospect of becoming a UofL student. “Even if President Bradley wasn’t there, I think I probably would have still considered doing this,” Pomerville said. “But it’s awfully nice to have a friend who’s there as well.”

A new course

The online MBA has widened Pomerville's circle, connecting him with students of different ages, professional backgrounds and locations. "One of the members of a group project I was in was working to do costumes for the Broadway productions here in Louisville. Someone else was talking about their military service," he said. "There is a real sense of collegiality and allowance to one another. No one is insisting that their thing is more important than another, and that is freeing."

Pomerville credits the faculty, particularly OMBA Program Director Zac Goldman, with helping him feel supported as he adjusts to online learning. "[He] makes people feel welcome and tries to use whatever tools he has at his fingertips to make sure that this modality is by no means second rate to the face-to-face MBA," he said. "It's been rigorous, and I've been really impressed."

That support comes as Pomerville and his wife, Rachell, adjust to life as empty nesters. Their daughter, Denali, attends the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and their son, Bryce, is in his first year at Ithaca College. "I was expecting that I was going to have more time on my hands and that this would be a good time to start this program with both children off at school," he said. "It's a challenge just figuring out new rhythms...if the kids call, I'm dropping everything, and sometimes I have to get some work done. It's tough to figure out how to do those things."

Bringing learning home

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Studying online has given Pomerville a new perspective on the experience Louisville Seminary offers its own students. “A number of students...take their courses remotely,” he said. “Learning how UofL is doing that has been really helpful, because I can already see places where we could tighten it up this way, or that’s a nice tool to use to engage people.” 

Pomerville is also looking beyond course design to how online learners connect with Louisville Seminary and the city it calls home. Reflecting on his own experience as part of the Cardinal family, he noted that he has “been impressed that [the college] wants us to be part of the culture and to make it feel like this is your school.” For Pomerville, a sense of connection between remote learners, Louisville Seminary and the city of Louisville is “something I’d like to make sure our students feel. I hope they do, but we can always do it in a better way."

Lessons worth sharing

Pomerville may still feel a little out of place as he moves between faculty meetings and coursework, but he is finding value in the unfamiliar. The encouragement of professors, the perspectives of classmates and the welcome of a new academic community are giving him experiences to draw upon as he considers what he wants for his own students. 

His return to school began with a desire to become a better president. Along the way, it reminds him how much it matters to feel supported as a student. As Pomerville brings those lessons home to Louisville Seminary, the reach of his education extends beyond his own degree. He enrolled with his students in mind, and their experience will be the true measure of what he takes away.

About the UofL College of Business:

Founded in 1953, the UofL College of Business fosters intellectual and economic vitality in our city, region and the global business landscape. Our academic programs, research, community outreach initiatives and commitment to student success inspire lives and businesses to flourish through entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, diversity and the power of people.

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