Oakwood Board Names Next President

Following several hours of deliberation, The Oakwood University Board of Trustees has named Leslie N. Pollard as the 11th president of Oakwood University.  The Board had been in closed-door sessions all day preparing to make the final decision on who would be Oakwood’s next CEO.  University provost Mervyn Warren, Ph.D., has served as interim president since August 1.

Over the past couple of months, the Presidential Search Committee has worked diligently with the Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting firm to meticulously review all 24 confirmed applications that were under consideration since the search team officially began its work.  The committee was comprised of representatives from Oakwood’s Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and students.  It hosted four separate campus forums last week to allow students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and members of the local community to pose questions directly to the final three candidates.

The Board met with the final three candidates this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in the Cooper Complex Board Room on Oakwood’s campus, as part of the concluding session for its regularly scheduled fall meeting.  Ted Wilson, President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and interim Chair of the Oakwood University Board of Trustees, made the official announcement at approximately 5:30 p.m. (CST), as the Board concluded its fall session.

Until this evening, Pollard was one of three final candidates for the presidential seat, vacated in July when former president Delbert W. Baker, Ph.D., resigned the position to serve as one of nine general vice presidents of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Pollard assumes his new position as the 11th president of Oakwood University on January 3, 2011.

The two other finalists were Gina Spivey Brown, Ph.D., and Bertram L. Melbourne, Ph.D.  Brown, the only female finalist, serves as Dean of the School of Health Professions, Science, and Wellness at Washington Adventist University.  Melbourne is Professor of Biblical Language and Literature at Howard University School of Divinity.

Pollard’s commitment to excellence is seen in his drive for education.  He earned a B.A. degree from Oakwood University and an M.Div. degree from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He earned the D.Min. degree in Preaching and Worship from Claremont School of Theology. Seeking higher-level fiscal and administrative development, Pollard earned an M.B.A. degree in Organizational Management from the La Sierra University School of Business. To culminate his academic pursuits, he graduated from Andrews University with the Ph.D. degree in New Testament Language and Literature, with specialization in apocalyptic literature.

Pollard's 32 years of leadership reflect local, national, and international service. He has served as senior pastor, a youth pastor, a university chaplain, a health-care program administrator, and an educational administrator at LLU. As a clergyman, Pollard has functioned as an evangelist, professor, ministerial educator, and leadership development facilitator to the General Conference family.  He regularly leads denominational and non-denominational leadership and mission conferences all over the world.

Pollard's orientation to fiscal leadership emerges from his experience as senior pastor of major congregations, from administering university budgets and grants, and from his graduate business education.  Pollard views chief-executive leadership as a team-based collaboration between executive team members.  For him, servant leadership accomplishes both the missional and financial goals of the organization, through the careful placement of committed people, the diligent monitoring of organizational processes, and the implementation of data-driven initiatives and strategies.  Leadership development of his colleagues is an active passion, and Pollard's commitment to racial, cultural, and gender inclusiveness has been internationally received and affirmed.

Pollard, 54, remains a prolific writer, speaker, and engaged scholar, on the subjects of leadership, cultural competence, and mission.  He has been married to the former Prudence LaBeach for 31 years.  They are the parents of two daughters, who are graduates of Oakwood University.

High-resolution photographs will be available by email upon request.  Please send those requests to msolomon@oakwood.edu. The Oakwood University Presidential Search Committee Brochure and video clips of the recently-held campus forums are posted on the Oakwood University website, www.oakwood.edu.   Presidential inauguration events will be announced at a later date.