President Chip Pollard is the new chair of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities board, for a two-year term. The board officially elected him at its meeting earlier this month.
His main job will be to run the meetings and advise the recently-hired president of the Council, Edward Blews, thus providing “advice and counsel” to the president.
Blews congratulated Pollard for his election.
“Dr. Pollard brings to our board great wisdom, strong leadership skills and the discernment of a true man of God,” Blews said in a recent University press release. “I look forward to working with him as our chair.”
Pollard explained that being on the CCCU board is important because the council helps with lobbying, it runs a lot of summer programs our students are involved in, and it provides professional faculty development. He helps represent the 118 members from North America and 54 international affiliates in 20 countries.
Pollard said, “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve with our board in this important work.”
Pollard will also be organizing the International Forum in 2014, where they bring together three top representatives from each of the member schools. There may be up to 1,200 people there.
The president is not the only member of John Brown University’s leadership team to hold a role of national importance.
Ed Ericson, vice president for academic affairs said, “Nearly every presidential cabinet member has indeed served in a significant national position in recent years.”
Steve Beers, vice president for student development, said, “The stability of the presidential cabinet allows us to do a good job on campus and allows us to serve in national roles that shape our own colleges. The fact that many of us have served nationally illuminates the spectacular leadership team and shows that we are stable and forward thinking as a University.”
Steve Beers is the Vice President for Student Development and has served on the presidential cabinet since 1998. He is the president of the Association of Christians in Student Development, which has about 800 members from across the country. These professionals in student development are from both Christian and secular institutions.
Don Crandall is the Vice President for Enrollment Management and has served on the presidential cabinet for 20 years. Outside the University, Crandall is the board president for the North American Coalition of Christian Admissions Professionals, which serves over 300 Christian schools. He was also named Admissions Officer of the Year by the Coalition and was a commission member for the CCCU Chief Enrollment Officers.
Crandall said, “I serve a four-year term on the NACCAP board. This organization serves and engages its 300 school membership by providing professional development and initiatives that champion the cause for Christian Education, and the board gives oversight over the mission and acts in advisory capacity with the [Coalition] staff.”
Jim Krall is the Vice President for University Advancement and has served on the University presidential cabinet for 11 years. Krall was a commission member for the CCCU from 2006-2012, serving as program chair in 2008 and chairing the commission in 2010.
Krall said, “I really enjoyed the opportunity to serve my colleagues at other Christian institutions by providing professional development and networking opportunities for them through the CCCU conferences. I also developed a number of great professional relationships during my service on the CCCU Chief Advancement Officers commission.”
Kim Hadley is the newest member of the presidential cabinet, and has served for more than three years as the Vice President for Finance and Administration. She also serves on the CCCU Chief Financial Officers Board as well as the Small Institution Council for the National Association of College and University Business Officers. John Brown University will host this organization’s annual conference in summer 2015.
Hadley said, “Serving on the NACUBO Small Institution Council allows me to lead in shaping the strategic direction of educational opportunities for college and university business officers across the nation and around the world.”
Ed Ericson is the Vice President for Academic Affairs and has served on the presidential cabinet for 11 years. Outside the University, Ericson has served on the CCCU’s Chief Academic Officer’s Commission since 2010, giving him a position of leadership over other vice presidents of academic affairs across the nation. This position came after serving in various other leadership roles at the CCCU since 2005.
He also has served as a faculty member at the American Academic Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Academy and its Senior Leadership Academy since 2010.
Ericson said, “I am in my 11th year of service on the presidential cabinet. The average tenure of a small college chief administrative officer is roughly five years, so I’ve now doubled the national average!”