Ouachita Stories

Presenting his final report to the Ouachita Baptist University Board of Trustees, President Rex Horne expressed appreciation to the trustees who “hired me, shared my vision and stepped out on faith.”

Dr. Horne, who has served since 2006 as Ouachita’s 15th president, recently announced his resignation to accept the presidency of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, a consortium of Arkansas’ private institutions of higher education which includes Ouachita and 10 other colleges and universities.

Noting that the success of one’s tenure “is for others to discuss and decide as the years go by,” Dr. Horne said faculty and staff leaders attending the board meeting “are the ones closest to Ouachita. Their vantage point and their assessment of the Horne years will be most accurate.

“I believe the greatest impact of a life or a presidency may well be the intangibles that can’t be measured by numbers, surveys or rankings,” he added. “How do you measure morale, labor, spirit of students, the difference made in lives that will impact thousands for years to come?”

President Horne specifically expressed appreciation to First Lady Becky Horne, President Emeritus Daniel Grant and Chancellor Ben Elrod as well as Charolette Allison, executive secretary to the president, and Phil Hardin, assistant to the president for administration, for their support and encouragement throughout his tenure.

Board chairman Jay Heflin affirmed that Dr. Horne is “a big picture kind of guy and he serves a powerful God.” He added that President Horne’s “fresh perspective and open mind allowed us to accomplish many things at Ouachita that would not have been possible with someone who had preconceived ideas about what Ouachita was or what Ouachita should be.”

Heflin added that Dr. Horne’s “steadfast devotion to the university and your willingness to go above and beyond in support of our mission has made Ouachita forever better.”

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Heflin presented President Horne and his wife, Becky, with a vacation travel voucher and a framed print of an aerial view of campus shot by Dr. Wesley Kluck. He noted that the campus photograph would provide the Hornes with “a permanent remembrance of the new Ouachita campus that you helped build.”

In related action, Heflin announced the appointment of a presidential search committee to be chaired by Gene Whisenhunt, immediate past chairman of the OBU Board of Trustees. The search committee is scheduled to meet July 2 and will accept recommendations of presidential candidates from July 6 through Sept. 1. The committee will be responsible for presenting a candidate for the full board to consider.

Board members also approved several personnel matters in their June board meeting.

Judy Jones, who has served at Ouachita since 1990, including the past 20 years as registrar and director of admissions, has announced her retirement effective Aug. 1. She was named registrar and director of admissions emerita in honor of her 25 years of service. Jones, who holds a master’s degree in secondary education from Ouachita, also holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Henderson State University.

According to Dr. Stan Poole, vice president for academic affairs, Jones “has provided outstanding service to current and prospective students and their families, to alumni and to faculty and staff.” He added that she “has effectively upheld academic standards while also offering wise and compassionate counsel to students in difficult academic circumstances.”

Jones and her husband, Bobby, vice president for finance and administration at Henderson, are active members of First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia. They have two sons, both of whom are Ouachita graduates, and eight grandchildren.

Several administrative staff additions approved by trustees include:

Josh Bostanic, resident director. Bostanic is a May 2015 graduate of Malone University in Canton, Ohio, with majors in Bible/theology and youth ministry. He has three years of experience as a resident assistant and in student development as well as youth ministry.

Sam Dunnam, assistant football coach. Dunham is a 2013 Ouachita graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in kinesiology/fitness. He will serve as a defensive line assistant coach. He played on the Tiger football team from 2009-2012 and most recently served as a coaching assistant at Ouachita.

Caitlyn Johnson, Trio programs. Johnson is serving as educational advisor for the Educational Talent Search program. She is a May 2015 Ouachita graduate and is a certified early childhood educator. She worked for three years as a student mentor for both Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound.

Courtney Kemp, resident director. Kemp is a 2014 graduate of Henderson State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. She has three years of experience as a resident assistant at HSU. Kemp will serve as resident director in Gosser Hall and as an assistant director in Campus Activities for student clubs and organizations.

Stacey Perry, director of housing and assistant director of residence life. Perry is a 2010 graduate of Malone University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. She also holds a master’s degree in higher education with a concentration in college student affairs from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She previously worked at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs.

Shane Seaton, director of recreational life. Seaton recently completed his master’s degree in Christian formation ministry/outdoor adventure leadership from Wheaton College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Southern Nazarene University. Seaton has extensive training and certification in many outdoor activities, including water and wilderness activities. He currently is the graduate director for HoneyRock Outdoor Center for Leadership Development at Wheaton College.

Allison Sweatman, resident director. Sweatman, a 2012 Ouachita graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications, is returning to the OBU Residence Life staff after a year on the mission field in Southeast Asia. She previously served two years as a resident director in Frances Crawford Hall. She will now be working in Maddox Hall and will provide support for Georgia Hickingbotham Hall and Westside Hall.

Tawana Williams, Trio programs. Williams is a 2012 graduate of Henderson State University with a degree in human services. She previously worked as a domestic violence coordinator for Clark County and a family service worker for the Department of Human Services.

By Trennis Henderson, OBU Vice President for Communications