Joseph A. Kloba, Ed.D.

Joseph A. Kloba, Ed.D.
Board Member

Dr. Joe Kloba is from a small coal-mining town 20 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pa. He attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he received his BS in January 1967 (Spanish language and culture & psychology) and M.Ed. in May 1967 (Counseling). In May 1975 he received his Ed.D. (Counseling) from the University of Rochester. He also studied in the University of Arizona in Guadalajara, Mexico, and obtained certification as a principal and superintendent from the State University of New York at Brockport.

Dr. Kloba retired as Provost and Chief Academic officer after serving at Palm Beach Atlantic University for 19 years on May 31, 2014. He came to PBA in August 1995 to provide leadership to the newly established graduate counseling psychology program. After serving for three years in that role he was appointed associate provost in August 1998 to provide leadership in the areas of graduate studies, online learning and faculty mentoring. For the period 1998-2003 he continued to serve on a half-time basis as leader of the graduate counseling psychology program as well as associate provost, until assuming the role of provost & chief academic officer in August of 2003.

In the 11 years as PBA’s longest serving chief academic officer Dr. Kloba was responsible for hiring over 140 of the then 165 full-time faculty, and overseeing the academic operations of: the nine academic schools, the university library, the Orlando and Wellington campuses, SACS and academic specific accreditation, and the offices of the registrar, faculty training & development, and online learning.

Under Dr. Kloba’s leadership PBA launched an initiative to have the entire university community focus on the intentional integration of faith and learning in all academic disciplines. Other initiatives implemented were the revision of the core curriculum, the institution of a new faculty governance process and extensive modification of recruitment hiring, promotion, & personnel policies impacting the work of the faculty. Dr. Kloba also served a chair of the strategic planning task force that developed the PBA 2010 Strategic Plan.

In the area of new PBA programs he oversaw the development of three undergraduate and one graduate online degree programs, the establishment of the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program, the Doctor of Nursing Practitioner (DNP) program, the development of a university funded undergraduate/graduate research program and (awarding over $50,000 in grants to student-faculty projects each year), the establishment of a US Army Reserve Officer Training unit, the modification and addition of numerous majors in the various schools, and the development of a dual enrollment program involving over 300 students in Christian schools in Florida, South Carolina and Delaware. Also initiated was a future leader’s program wherein one faculty member from each school was selected to participate in a year-long series of seminars to become be familiar with the inner workings of the university in anticipation of assuming a future leadership role.

Prior to coming to PBA, Dr. Kloba was full-time vice president of professional development for the 50,000-member American Association of Christian Counselors. In that role he directed the 1995 International Congress on the Family (in conjunction with Focus on the Family) in Denver.

He has served as a teacher, tennis coach, counselor and administrator in public schools in Pennsylvania and New York, as dean of the School of Lifelong Learning at Liberty University; as founding administrator of the School of Counseling at Regent University; and as chairman of the Counseling and Student Development Program, the director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program and as tenured professor at Radford University, where he was selected “University Professor of the Year” in 1980.

Dr. Kloba also served as the corporate director of operations for Rapha (a national inpatient psychiatric health care company) in which he supervised inpatient and outpatient services, marketing and admissions for seven cities.

He is the co-author of a book, The Rapha Handbook for Group Leaders, author of one chapter in Competent Christian Counseling and writer of a number of articles in journals such as The Journal of Counseling Psychology, The Journal of Community Psychology, Impact, Christian Counseling Today and Chronicle Guidance Publications.

Throughout his professional career Dr. Kloba has planned, initiated and developed a number of organizational and programmatic initiatives that continue to thrive long after his departure. He has made numerous professional presentations, has received many research & development grants, and has held leadership positions in local, state and national secular and Christian professional associations. He has served as a deacon and elder in Southern Baptist, Presbyterian, Church of God and non-denominational congregations. Dr. Kloba has been a nationally certified counselor (NCC) and is certified as a school counselor in New York and Pennsylvania, and as a school administrator in New York. He has also served as a consultant to schools, colleges, churches and businesses focusing on counseling services, small groups, initiating new programs and staff development.

Dr. Kloba was appointed to the Education Advisory Committee of the West Palm Beach City Commission and served as a founding member of the board of the Potentia Academy (a private school for special needs students). He serves as an elder at Christ Fellowship Church, chairman of the board of directors of Jupiter Christian School, a member of the Community Advisory Committee of the NRI Institute of Health Sciences, and as a member of the boards of: the Place of Hope, the Villages of Hope, Treasures for Hope, and Hope House.

He and his wife, Sandy have been married since 1967, have one son, Christopher who is married to Dawn, and who have gifted them with two granddaughters, Gemma Leigh and Jessie Lynn.

In retirement Dr. Kloba continues to serve, as needed, in the role of mentor to young professionals, as a mediator of organizational conflicts, and assists organizations in implementing new initiatives.