Dear WPU Community,
Our graduates have crossed the stage – literally and figuratively! In my last monthly message, I shared how the university was getting ready to celebrate this most exciting time of year, and the culminating point of our collective efforts as a learning community. I assure you, the work of our students and their commitment to Christ-centered education at Warner Pacific as paid off! These new leaders now take their place as men and women well-equipped to be servant-leaders in our community. I’m so thankful for all the faculty, staff, parents, friends, siblings, community members, business partners and more that poured into our graduates. I hope you enjoy the fantastic photos we have assembled for your viewing in this e-newsletter! After all, whether you personally knew someone graduating this year or not, it is your interest in WPU that continues to pave the way for our continued work. Graduation is something we can ALL celebrate!
Now that our graduates have crossed their personal stages, I too am embarking on some exciting plans I wish to share with our community. This summer, I’ll be representing WPU on the national stage. Here’s an overview of my activities:
>> I’m so pleased to share that I’ve been successfully nominated to the American Council on Education as a member of the Council of Fellows Board Class of 2024-2027. I’ll be visiting Washington DC to participate in this incredible network in early June.
>> Next I am delighted to be tapped as a leader for the Christian Council of Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and participate in the ACE Commission on Faith-Based Universities. This meeting also takes place in our nation’s capital.
>> In mid-June I travel to Atlanta, Georgia, to serve as an Executive Coach and Mentor for the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute. As a former president of Tuskegee University, one of the most storied HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in the United States, AND as a HBCU graduate myself, I am tremendously proud to support education that supports new presidents in leading institutions that foreground equitable education and opportunities for all.
>> To round out June, I next head to Orlando, Florida, where I’m excited to attend the Church of God International Youth Convention! Warner Pacific will have Enrollment staff on hand ready to connect with youth who are eager to explore their college options – we are eager to prove why WPU is an excellent choice! I’m especially delighted to be in community with my other Church of God University presidents.
>> July brings a wholly unique international, missional opportunity: I’m honored to have been asked to join a team of Christian higher education leaders in an Evangelical Leadership Mission to Poland. This will be a spiritual and intellectual odyssey in the company of some of the foremost leaders in Christian education. In addition, the timing of a pilgrimage of this nature cannot be overstated given the dramatic rise in antisemitic sentiment and acts of violence in this country and around the world. This will be a pilgrimage of conscience and memory that I will never forget and I look forward to sharing my experiences with our WPU learning community.
>> In August, I will join with WPU Board of Trustees Chair Mike Moreland in Washington D.C. for the Council of Independent Colleges Pioneering Presidents & Board Chairs convening. This gathering acknowledges higher education leaders who have, or are in the midst of, heralding significant changes within their institutions, and invites them to convene in a national summit. Supported through a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation, the aim of the summit is to establish a think lab and roadmap for future groundbreaking leaders when faced with similar challenges.
I hope whatever the advent of summer brings for you and your families, that God will continue to pour his blessings out upon you and guide your steps forward. As always, thank you so much for your prayers for our work at Warner Pacific University!
