It's Time

It's been a great seven years at OIT but for the last few months, I've sensed that it was time to move on. With Jordan and Phillip reaching the middle of their high school years, Jeannette and I knew that if we were going to make a change, we needed to do it now. So we began looking at some options. We were willing to go pretty much anywhere except for New York City (Jeannette had to draw the line somewhere) but we limited our search to Christian colleges. I felt that if we wanted a public or secular institution, OIT was as good as anything out there. In fact, I think the future may be very bright for Oregon Tech, with the completion of the Center for Health Professions, a new residence hall (I hope) and new leadership in the admissions office.

In early February, I saw an ad from Taylor University Fort Wayne. For some reason, it really caught my eye. I asked a some colleagues about the position and the school. Coincidentally, just about that same time, a couple of people were bringing my name to the attention of TUFW's chancellor, Duane Kilty, so when I contacted him with my resume, my name actually meant something to him. We had a phone conversation soon thereafter and things began to move very quickly.

Jeannette and I traveled to Fort Wayne in March--it was a horrendous itinerary lasting almost 20 hours and four flights--so that I could interview and she could see the city. Actually, it wasn't much of an interview . . . it was more of an opportunity to get to know the university and its people, and vice versa . . . very low key and comfortable. Frankly, I really liked everyone I met on the campus. Jeannette and I had lunch with a group of students and were very impressed with them. Jeannette looked at some homes and schools, accompanied by Joni Kilty, and got the sense that we could live in Fort Wayne, which is Indiana's second largest city but still seems very livable and easy to get around.

We had dinner with the Kiltys--and totally enjoyed ourselves--and by the time it was over, I felt confident that I was going to be offered the job and that we would take it. The next morning, after Dr. Kilty and I spent a couple of hours at Starbucks talking, I returned to the B&B where Jeannette and I were staying and she asked me how it went. "Good. Really good." And she burst into tears. No one said this would be easy . . . and I'm blessed with a wife who is willing to sacrifice for my career and for our family. Even though she's sad and sometimes overwhelmed at the prospect of a move, she agrees that this will be a good move for all of us . . . eventually at least.

Still, a lot of details had to be worked out and just last night I finally signed the employment agreement . . . just in time given the fact that I'm already scheduled to spend a week on campus in early May. They've got me booked for a number of meetings over the course of four days, plus I have to find a house for us.

My last day at Oregon Tech is scheduled for June 8 and my official start date at Taylor--assuming everything goes according to plan--is July 1, so we have a lot to get done in the next two months. My title there will be Associate VP for Enrollment Management and I'll be overseeing admissions for both the on-campus and online programs, financial aid and retention. Other areas may fall under my responsibility as time goes by and I'm especially excited about the chance to really make a difference for a school that is ready for some change and growth.

Founded in 1846, Summit Christian College merged with Taylor University of Upland, Indiana, in 1992 and became Taylor University Fort Wayne (www.fw.taylor.edu). The two campuses share a name and foundation in the Christian faith but are very different in a number of ways. The Upland campus is larger, more residential and has a greater emphasis on the liberal arts. TUFW, which has about 1000 students has a greater percentage of commuter students (plus online programs), is in a more urban setting and prides itself on providing students with practical experiences and the opportunity to engage with the Fort Wayne community. TUFW has been through a lot of changes in the last year . . . and more are to come . . . but I was very impressed by the positive, optimistic, realistic attitudes I sensed on campus.

This move will be a hard one. We returned to Oregon in 2000 largely so we could be close to most of our relatives and now we're reversing course to move halfway across the country again. It'll be hard to leave our church, schools, friends and the life we've grown accustomed to. I'm still adjusting to the idea that I've just committed to living with lake effect snow in the winter and humidity in the summer, and to the idea that I won't get to watch the OIT Hustlin' Owls play basketball all winter long. However, I'm excited about what is ahead and believe this will be a good move both for me professionally and for the family. Please keep us in your prayers.