John Roland '96 currently serves as the advancement officer for Howard College of Arts and Sciences and is also part of the inaugural 2023-24 Leadership Samford cohort. Before Samford, Roland served as a senior pastor and a college religion instructor for five years. He also worked as an executive in advancement with the Atlanta Boy Scouts, Kennesaw State University, Luther Rice University, and The Foundry Ministries for 12 years. Roland's experience doesn't stop there. He also worked at “the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good” as Marketing and Social Media Lead for a division of the IT firm Blackbaud for two years.

Roland received a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Samford University, a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Kennesaw State University. His education has built a broad and diverse skill set to address the varied and unique advancement needs of the Howard College of Arts and Sciences.

As an alumnus of the college, Roland knows first-hand how HCAS “inspires students to a lifetime of inquiry and service through engaged learning, faculty research and vocational discovery within the liberal arts and the Christian ethical and intellectual traditions.” His Samford undergraduate honors included: Cum Laude graduate; Dean's List (7 of 8 semesters); Ruric Wheeler Freshman Award, George Irons Scholar (History, 4 years); Samford Leadership Scholarship (4 years); Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges; Pi Gamma Mu Social Science Honor Society; Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society; Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society; Class President; and Student Senator. 

Roland is married to Amy Gluth Roland, a 1998 Samford nursing graduate, and they have three children: Lauryn, John David and Emma.  

“What has amazed me in my faith journey is how sovereign God is in our lives,” Roland said. “He is in active pursuit to restore and redeem our broken places and He wastes nothing we experience.”