Dr. Nancy Rohland-Heinrich recognized for the impact she has made during her four decades of visionary leadership within the San Diego community
SAN DIEGO, CA (December 13, 2024) — National University (NU), one of the largest Minority Serving universities in the United States today announced that Dr. Nancy Rohland-Heinrich, National University Executive Vice President for Community Engagement, was honored with the San Diego Business Journal’s Business Woman of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.
The San Diego Business Journal annually recognizes influential women business leaders who have impacted the San Diego workplaces and communities. This year, the celebration to recognize Rohland-Heinrich and the other honorees was held during a luncheon on Wednesday, December 11, at the Westin San Diego Bayview, where inspiring and successful women discussed the importance of supporting and mentoring current and future leaders, and then finished with the awards ceremony.
“I’m honored and very proud to have been selected by the San Diego Business Journal for this prestigious award,” Rohland-Heinrich said. “Serving the San Diego community to make a positive impact for our students, families, and businesses has been such a meaningful life-long experience, and I look forward to future opportunities to continue to give back to the community that I call home.”
Rohland-Heinrich, who holds a Doctorate in Education from UC San Diego, has dedicated her professional career to encouraging educational opportunities and access to diverse populations of learners through innovative delivery systems in higher education and K-12. She has held a wide scope of leadership positions at National University including Executive Vice President, Vice President, and Vice Chancellor roles with oversight of key areas including external relations, communications, advancement, marketing, student services, advancement, enrollment management, academics, partnerships, military affairs, online learning, community relations, and operations.
Rohland-Heinrich was recently appointed the inaugural executive director of the National University Foundation. In July, more than 600 prestigious members of the San Diego community gathered on the deck of the USS Midway Museum to celebrate the launch of the National University Foundation, an initiative that aims to raise funds to help students transform their lives and achieve their dreams. Following the success of this year’s event, the next National University Foundation Gala is scheduled for September 12, 2025, once again aboard the USS Midway.
Roland-Heinrich is an active community leader who works with many regional and national organizations. She has served on numerous boards and advisory councils including LEAD San Diego, Classroom of the Future Foundation, USS Midway Museum, San Diego Regional YMCA, USO San Diego, Junior Achievement, Cal State Games, Associated Fundraising Professionals, San Diego Council on Literacy, Mana de San Diego, Cal-SOAP, Promises2Kids, and the SD Chamber’s Workforce and Education committee. She was recently appointed as the president-elect for Sports San Diego’s board of directors, which shares a broader regional mission to generate tourism and economic impact for the San Diego community by organizing major sporting events including the Rady Children’s Invitational, the Holiday Bowl, and the California State Games.
“Over the last four decades, Dr. Nancy Rohland-Heinrich has been a catalyst for advancing educational transformation and a dedicated advocate for the San Diego community, bringing together educators, businesspeople, and community leaders to implement innovative ideas that help our students and the community thrive,” said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO of National University. “She is an inspiration to all of us and well deserving of the San Diego Business Journal’s Business Woman of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.”
In November, Milliron and Rohland-Heinrich were both honored in the Business Journal’s SD500 2024 list, which recognizes the 500 Most Influential People in San Diego who have shaped how the region has grown over the years.
The publication made special mention of Milliron’s impact in the community through his work with the boards of organizations supporting the education field, including the Trellis Foundation, Presidents Forum, and The Hope Center for College, Community and Justice.
The Business Journal noted Roland-Heinrich’s leadership roles in the community including serving as the incoming board chair for LEAD San Diego and board president-elect of Sports San Diego.
About National University: National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students by providing accessible, affordable higher education opportunities since 1971. As San Diego’s largest private nonprofit university, NU offers over 190 online and on-campus programs with flexible four-week and eight-week classes and one-to-one graduate education models designed to help students reach their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its founding, the NU community has grown to 130,000 learners served per year—50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students—and 240,000 alumni around the globe, many of whom serve in helping industries such as business, education, health care, cybersecurity, and law and criminal justice. To learn more about National University’s new possibilities in education including next-generation education, value-rich education, and whole human education, visit NU.edu.