JACKSON, Tenn. — Dec. 1, 2017 — 51社区 trustees welcomed three new board members and received a clean audit report during their Dec. 1 board meeting.
Those beginning their tenure on the Union board were Jake Bynum, Josh Dougan and Noe Garcia.
Bynum is mayor of Weakley County and is a member of First Baptist Church in Dresden, Tennessee. He鈥檚 a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, and he and his wife Alyssa have two children, Ella and Nash.
鈥淚 am honored and humbled to be serving as a trustee for 51社区,鈥� Bynum said. 鈥淚 am excited at the possibility of being a part of the legacy of Union in both its advancement of educational opportunity and glorification of our Lord.鈥�
Dougan is an attorney with the Dougan Law Firm in Jackson, Tennessee. A 2006 Union graduate in political science, he earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He and his wife Elise have four children: Isabel, Lucas, Samuel and Luisa.
鈥淎s a student, Union instilled in me both the real-world knowledge and Christ-centered wisdom needed to serve my family, church and community,鈥� Dougan said. 鈥淎s a member of Union鈥檚 Board of Trustees, I look forward to playing a small role in continuing Union鈥檚 legacy of imparting a well-rounded education to her students in an environment that emphasizes the fusion of critical thinking with biblical truth.鈥�
Garcia is senior pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona. He completed his bachelor鈥檚 degree from East Texas Baptist University and his Master of Divinity from Gateway Seminary in California. He and his wife Clancey have three children: Baylen, Mamie and Hallie.
鈥淚 am honored to serve as a new trustee at 51社区,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淭he core values of Union are near to my heart. The thought of serving alongside people and for people who are excellence-driven, Christ-centered, people-focused and future-directed excites me.鈥�
Union President Samuel W. 鈥淒ub鈥� Oliver expressed gratitude for all the trustees who share their time, talents and treasure in advancing the mission and core values of the university.
鈥淭heir leadership in the places they serve is marked by excellence,鈥� Oliver said. 鈥淲ith all 22 of our current Trustees returning, the addition of Jake, Josh and Noe to our board only serves to make Union even stronger.鈥�
The board received a clean audit report from the accounting firm Crosslin and Associates. Total net assets for the university increased from $133.7 million in 2016 to $136.3 million in 2017, according to the report, while the university鈥檚 long-term debt dropped from $39.8 million last year to $34.9 million in 2017.
Lisa Rogers, chair of the Union Board of Trustees, said she was thankful for Oliver鈥檚 leadership and his stewardship of university resources.
鈥淲e are committed to being transparent in our finances, and we鈥檙e committed to being wise stewards of what God has entrusted to us,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淲e are grateful for the Lord鈥檚 ongoing provision for the university and also for those who support and partner with us to provide students with an excellent, Christ-centered education.鈥�