Will Hagen, vice president for strategy and chief of staff, will resign from his position in November to serve at Moderna in Boston. He will work in Human Resources Leadership as director, leadership and culture.
Taylor University launched a search for Hagen’s successor in October and expects to fill the role internally before his departure, President Michael Lindsay said.
The position title will be changed to “vice president and chief of staff” to allow room for an area of specialization based on the candidate’s strengths. Responsibilities in this role include running the president’s office, engaging with initiatives that result from that office and working as a chief lieutenant to the president, Lindsay said.
Additionally, the vice president and chief of staff would also operate as the university’s Board Professional in which they would staff the Board of Trustees and represent the university and the board to one another, Lindsay said.
Hagen stepped into his Taylor position in August 2021. Prior to his arrival, he worked for Lindsay at Gordon College for seven years, starting as an aide to the president and later as associate vice president and chief of staff.
“Will is a man of impeccable integrity, unquestionable Christian character and commitment (and) godly judgment,” Lindsay said. “(Hagen is) wise beyond his years and deeply aligned with the university’s values of servant leadership and (is) joyful.”
While Lindsay was transitioning from Gordon, Hagen prayed about what his own next chapter would look like, Hagen said.
Hagen felt called to work at Taylor and decided to visit campus before accepting a role with the university.
“(During a worship service) I could just see how full of the spirit our student body was and also how enthusiastic and engaged the student body was,” Hagen said. “And that was just really attractive and interesting to me. I really felt strongly called to continue working with President Lindsay but also just wanting to be a part of that Taylor community.”
Hagen has his undergraduate degree in English language and literature as well as his master’s of financial analysis at Gordon College. He will graduate with his doctorate degree in education from Vanderbilt University in May, he said.
Throughout his time at Taylor, Hagen’s work has focused on an array of things, including assisting Lindsay’s transition in his first year at the university, drafting and executing the Taylor Thrives strategic plan, supporting the work of the Board of Trustees, overseeing the human resources team and engaging in leadership responsibilities for the facilities teams as well as for the institutional research team, Hagen said.
Alongside these tasks, Hagen is involved in various special projects for the university, including the grant writing process for the $30 million Lilly Endowment grant, he said.
“There’s always something different in this role and I really like that,” Hagen said. “I’ve had the chance to work on a lot of different things over the last few years, and that’s been one of the things that I really loved about the role.”
Hagen has also helped to develop and implement the People and Programs Plan and has accomplished significant work in expanding the number of advisory bodies on campus, Lindsay said.
In the first drafting stages of Taylor Thrives, Hagen said he dedicated time to engage with faculty, staff, students and alumni.
“I spent countless hours working on (Taylor Thrives) and really enjoyed that work,” Hagen said. “I felt like it really helped me get to know Taylor better and have a much better appreciation for what some of the things are that are really unique about Taylor and that makes this university so special.”
One aspect of Hagen’s role is ensuring the university is stewarding the work of its people well, a piece that he engages in through overseeing the human resources team.
His involvement with the facilities teams and institutional research team on campus in particular is focused on ensuring their needs are filled, he said.
Family was a major motivation in Hagen’s decision to move to Boston. With both him and his wife’s relatives living there, he hopes to give his son an opportunity to grow up closer to family.
Initially, Hagen expected to search for job opportunities in the spring to prepare to move in the summer of 2025. While he thought he might seek out higher-education opportunities, he was open to other work, he said.
Hagen’s identical twin brother, who works at Moderna, forwarded Hagen the job opportunity. A career shift from higher education to industry-related work is unusual. At first, Hagen assumed he would not be offered the job.
The Moderna position was the only job he had applied to this fall, of which he ended up being offered.
Hagen said his application to Moderna was his first job interview since he interviewed to be a presidential fellow at Gordon College.
At first, Hagen had expected to depart from Taylor in the spring. However, unlike changes in higher education that take place by semester, industry start dates operate differently, Hagen said.
Hagen’s ties with Taylor will continue as Hagen co-teaches a course with Lindsay in the summer for their Ph.D. in leadership program.
“I think Taylor is just an unbelievable group of leaders that the Lord has brought here,” Hagen said. “And I think that one thing I really prayerfully hope we have in common is a recognition that it's really the Lord working through whatever we're doing, not individual achievements that we've done. I really think that this is a group of leaders who want to honor the Lord by their work, and it's been a real privilege to be a part of that group.”
As the university hires someone to succeed Hagen, it is seeking someone who works well with others in a fast-paced environment, is highly organized, has excellent judgment, is aligned with Taylor’s Christian mission, can provide godly counsel to the university President and Board of Trustees and is a proven administrator with the requisite skills and abilities, Lindsay said.
“Will has served the university exceedingly well,” Lindsay said. “We will miss him terribly, but we’re also grateful for all that he accomplished in his time here at the university.”
