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Leading Union to stay faithful to its mission and core values is one of the unheralded achievements of the first five years of Dub Oliver's administration, according to Chad Wilson.

"It may not seem like a dramatic accomplishment, but I think simply being able to double down on the mission and core values of the university is a big deal," says Wilson, president of Foundation Bank in Jackson and chairman of the Union Board of Trustees. "Because when you have a transition of leadership, sometimes you have continuity in vision and sometimes you don't."

With Oliver, Wilson says that continuity to Union's past has remained strong.

"The fact that he embraced that identity and found kinship within his own heart for that identity I think is significant," Wilson says. "I think he's been able to communicate very effectively and give people confidence in that continuing to be who we are and what we're going to do going forward."

Wilson expects the Oliver administration to continue to lead Union in expanding its mission to more students and more places in the years ahead. Oliver has the conviction to pursue distinctive Christ-centered education, Wilson said, and the courage to take calculated risks to allow more people to access that education.

Kendall Cutrell, a senior business marketing major, has gotten to know Dub Oliver mainly through his wife, Susie. Kendall has been part of the Cheer program at Union, which Susie Oliver oversees.

"I always say Dub is sweet, and Susie is sassy," Cutrell says.

She says Oliver will often come by the cheer room to see Susie and encourage the cheerleaders as they practice. This is one of many places Cutrell has interacted with him across campus.

"Dub as a leader is very personable," she says. "He's a very positive person, and you'll always see him around campus at events and talking with students."

Cutrell says while the Olivers' leadership styles are very different, they complement each other very well. She says their relationship has been an example to her of a supportive, Christ-centered marriage.

"They have fun together, they support each other and they are always building each other up," she says.

In her four years at Union, Cutrell has seen the Olivers interact as leaders, colleagues, spouses and most recently grandparents. She said it is very obvious to her that family is a priority for them.

"I love that they are so open and integrate their family into the university," Cutrell says. "They really make us feel like part of their lives."

C. Ben Mitchell says the past five years of the Oliver administration have seen a number of accomplishments.

Mitchell, the Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy, cites the completion of The Logos (library) and Oliver's relationships with students as two key successes.

"He's a student magnet," Mitchell says. "Students seem to love him, almost universally, so that's been positive."

Mitchell also references a high level of transparency in internal communication as an important development, with Oliver holding monthly town hall meetings for faculty and staff. In addition, the EDGE program for students with physical and developmental disabilities and Leadership Union, which helps develop leaders among Union employees, are two benefits to the university that have come to fruition under Oliver's leadership.

Susie Oliver, meanwhile, has left her mark on Union both as the president's wife and as the sponsor of the cheer squad and the president of the Union Auxiliary, Mitchell says.

"Disciplined thinking, disciplined people, disciplined action" has been one of Oliver's chief messages, Mitchell says, and that's important for the university in an age when demographics pose challenges to schools like Union. Oliver's emphasis on consolidating and focusing on the university's mission is one of his strengths.

"That's one of Dub's gifts is to lead us to think that way," Mitchell says. "He's not going to make those decisions alone, but he will lead us to think that way."

Binh Morris, a senior business management major, says intentionality is the difference between Dub Oliver and other leaders he has had in his life.

"When he's talking to you, he really wants to know you," Morris says. "He doesn't do it to check it off a list or be able to say that he does it."

Morris had a recent opportunity to travel to Israel on a trip led by Oliver. At a dinner table with the team, Oliver asked

Morris to share his story. Morris says he told them a little bit about himself, and Oliver said, "No, slow it down." Morris then shared with the group the story of his adoption, his family, coming to faith, choosing a university and a career.

"Not only did he want to know that, he wanted others to know that too," Morris says. "I'll always remember the example he set of getting to know somebody beyond their name and their face — getting to know their entire self."

Morris says he has seen Oliver participate in countless campus events and serve across campus and in the broader Jackson community. He says Oliver is very giving of his time, and he has never seen him in a bad mood.

As Morris moves into his career, he says there are many things he wants to practice that he has learned from Oliver, especially his integrity.

"Dub has made it very clear that he doesn't follow anybody else but God," Morris says. "That's the kind of leader I want to be — one who won't compromise my integrity no matter what."

Lisa Rogers sees in Dub Oliver a man who is committed to the Bible as the true and inspired word of God.

"The Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage came down during my tenure as board chair," Rogers says. "We had discussions about that and also withdrew from the (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities) due to their decisions and their lack of strength to stand on biblical convictions.

"And (Oliver) didn't do it as a snap decision or a spur of the moment. He has vision to see those things coming."

Rogers says it takes tremendous courage to take a stance such as Union did when it withdrew from the CCCU, and Oliver took some criticism for that position. But Rogers says he was being faithful to the Bible, and he is a man of conviction who is willing to obey God rather than men.

As a leader, Rogers says Oliver demonstrates great wisdom in finding the right person for the right position and expecting great things from them.

"I feel like he trusts those who work with him as long as they are also pursuing excellence," she says.

Oliver has led the university to reduce its debt from $55 million in 2014 to $30 million in 2019, and he has demonstrated a great love for Union's students, Rogers says.

"When you see somebody doing what they love to do more than anything else in the world, they just kind of light up," Rogers says. "That's what I saw in Dub especially when he got in front of the students for the first time on the day that he was elected by the board."