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Show FEATURE 6 V Vfi1 ' YOUR PRE SIDjl, NT f f . ' w ii STEPHEN R. MORGAN f ? You i. i i i ! 4 I ? i i t I s I i ft HJ i U1 cc. i i Xj A XI t I 1 I I ! uJ . tn UJ w . j CO cant do everything yourself, you have to rely on people, and we have great people here who want to make a difference . With these words, Stephen R. Morgan explains the turn his life took when he accepted the role as president of Westminster College July 2015, making him the 18 th president in the schools 140 years of existence. Morgan has a bachelors degree in accounting from the University of Utah and first came to Westminster as an auditor in 1981. Ive had a lot of interesting jobs here. One was a very internal job where I was involved with the day to day operation of the college, everything from did the lights go on to, was there money in the bank? said Morgan, reflecting on his past duties at the college. For the last 8 years i worked over at advancement... that change that occurred 8 years ago put me on a path where it became easier to step into this role, because Ive had to juggle both of those. Morgan has advised 6 college presidents during his 37 years of experience at Westminster and has also raised over $50 million for strategic priorities, according to westminstercollege.edu. The world of numbers and statistics changed for Steve into a world of knowledge and teaching at the age of 27 when he decided to leave his job as a CPA in a private company to accept the offer made to him by president David Cornell 1981 to occupy the colleges business manager position. There had been only a few months since Steve started when he had to face one of the most critical periods in the history of the college. He was sent in company with other managers to the University of Charleston in West Virginia to study the model put into practice there with a remarkable recovery of Westminster. The plan of action saved the college from its closure and negotiations with developers interested in campus grounds. The bad times were later succeeded by positive lessons and rich experi ences. Morgan will always remember this difficult stage that has recognized his leadership and management. Unlike what Morgan does in athletic competitions when he reaches the rest as this is just the beginning. goal, he does not enjoy his For more than 25 years in athletics, tenacity has been a virtue applied to the both the pavement and the academic world. He has been a witness and protagonist of subsequent periods experienced by the college which has given him the opportunity to understand the institution and the philosophy well-deserv- ed that guides it. Ive been a runner for many years, I know it might surprise a lot of people but its been a really important part of my life, Morgan said. Thats why the brew says 26.2, because people are kind of surprised to see... oh jeez you actually run marathons, I mean i dont look like a marathon runner. Morgan justifies the Board of Trustees decision of choosing someone from an unconventional field by explaining the turn of events as an example i 4 ! to students. We can use it as a lesson for students that what they study may not necessarily take them down the path they think when they go. said Morgan in an interview. When I became an accountant I did not think Id be a college I president. His wife, Sandy (11) and children have been the support that has allowed him to persevere in its efforts of crossing his professional finish line. I WRITTEN BY ANDRES ESCOBAR |