Dr Daryl Yost is beloved by Fort Wayne alumni for his seemingly endless dedication to serve God and the university. His effective leadership and loving servanthood toward the Fort Wayne campus community was appreciated by students and staff alike. Yost received his bachelors degree at Manchester College in 1958. He went on to complete his masters and doctorate in Educational Leadership and Counseling at Ball State University, completing his EdD in 1969.
His public education career spanned 25 years and five school systems. He taught at elementary schools in Roanoke, Kokomo, and Fort Wayne from 1958 to 1964, then worked in administration at various Indiana schools culminating as Superintendent for East Allen County Schools, which he held for nearly ten years during his career. A little known fact was that he served on the governing board of Fort Wayne Bible College for a time.
Dr. Yost came to Taylor University in 1983 as Vice President for University Placement. He was named Acting President in 1985 and served as Provost-Executive Vice President from 1985 to 2003. In 1998 he relocated to the Fort Wayne Campus as Senior Administrator. In a press release he stated, “My biggest reason for accepting this oppotunity is because I am very much committed to what the potential is at Taylor University Fort Wayne, and the desire Dr. Kesler has for me to assume this leadership role." All in all he served 23 years at the university including memorable years on Fort Wayne campus. He retired in 2003.
Dr. Yost is a humble man and often deflects honors and compliments given to him, but there is good reason for such respect. He was often seen eating with students or staff; he quietly gave time above and beyond his duties to do maintenance work around the campus; he would attend important events in the lives of students, particularly weddings, even when they were at a distance.
Outside of teaching and administration, Yost was hired as a consultant for a number of schools, universities, and church fellowships, specializing in environmental assessment and board governance. He has been much sought after as an expert on leadership, delivering and publishing many professional presentations at leadership events across the country. He also has a passion for research and lecturing about the Underground Railroad.
Beyond his role in education, Yost was Vice President for Human Resources at Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company during the one-year interim which marked his transition from elementary to secondary education. He also served as Director of Business Development for Michael Kinder and Sons Construction. An active community member, Yost served on the board of at least 25 organizations and nonprofits, from the Fort Wayne Zoological Society to the William Taylor Foundation.
Yost recalls fond memories of TUFW and its diverse campus, particularly of his good friend, President Emeritus Dr. Jay Kesler g58. He claims they were, and remain, “two peas in a pod.” Yost values the time he spent with faculty, students, and, especially, his wife Joenita (Funderburg), whom he married June 16, 1957. Daryl and Joenita, who were married 46 years, had three children: Kent and Lana, who attended TUFW, and Brian. Joenita passed away in May of 2004.
Yost currently lives in Fort Wayne, where he works as Director of the Certified Technology Park of the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center.
