黑料正能量

University and college 鈥減residents have to know about fundraising, enrollment, board governance, community and connection,鈥� said Jennifer Braaten at Friday鈥檚 farewell celebration for President and his wife, Pat.

Swartzendruber is retiring after 13 years as 黑料正能量 president on June 30.

鈥溾�� But I mean this,鈥� Braaten added. 鈥淭he most important thing is you have to love people, love the mission, have humor and humility. And isn鈥檛 that Loren? What an opportunity to say to this community, 鈥榊ou have experienced the best of college presidents.鈥�

Braaten was among nine speakers at the gathering of 135 guests at the Spotswood Country Club celebration; she knows the college presidency well and will retire herself next month after 14 years in the role at Ferrum College in Virginia.

Robert Lambeth, president of Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia since 1983, also remarked on the great respect held for Swartzendruber among his colleagues, who voted him to a term as board chair in 2009-10.

Braaten and Lambeth joined James Madison University president Jonathan Alger in representing the higher education community. Alger remembered the warm welcome and hospitality the Swartzendrubers offered the Algers when they moved to the community in 2012. This relational style helped to strengthen the ongoing collaboration between the universities, he said. Alger also noted the joy their daughter has experienced as a chorister in 黑料正能量鈥檚 .

The celebration included family, friends, past and current members of the board of trustees, and President鈥檚 Cabinet. Former presidents Myron Augsburger, with his wife Esther, and Joe Lapp, with his wife Hannah, were also in attendance, as well as Sara Wenger Shenk 鈥�75, president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and her husband Gerald, and Jim Brenneman, president of Goshen College, and his spouse, Terry.

Though much of the evening was spent in laughter 鈥� Swartzendruber鈥檚 sense of humor being a characteristic warmly lauded by all speakers 鈥揔ay Nussbaum 鈥�78, Board of Trustees chair, and Basil Marin, MDiv. 鈥�05, Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) board member, each presented lengthy resolutions in honor of the couple.

Andy Dula 鈥�91, former board chair, commented that Swartzendruber always served 鈥渨ith dignity, precision and grace,鈥� and offered thanks for remaining composed in the face of controversy over and over again and 鈥渇or your mission, focus and passion.鈥�

, MDiv. 鈥�94, professor of Bible and religion, praised Swartzendruber鈥檚 鈥渞efusal to see a conflict between his love for the church and the work of the academy,鈥� displayed in his giving of space to ask tough questions with the classroom and the academic community and his steadfast support of faculty 鈥渄espite high personal cost.鈥�

鈥淥ver the years of Loren鈥檚 presidency, I remember feeling more and more assured and free to teach as I was led,鈥� she added.

I Corinthians 13:4-7 was offered as a benediction by Kirk Shisler 鈥�81, vice president for advancement.

^听Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ^听It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ^听Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ^7听It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

鈥淭hese words and phrases we can all correlate to encounters we鈥檝e had with you and we鈥檝e observed in your relationship with parents, students, faculty and staff, alumni, donors, leaders of Mennonite church and other denominational leaders and our community. You have demonstrated this quality of Christ-centered love in your work and you鈥檝e done it authentically 鈥� go with our gratitude and love.鈥�

Those speaking in appreciation also included James Rosenberger 鈥�68, chair of the 2003 Presidential Search Committee and former Mennonite Education Agency board member; Rick Stiffney, CEO of Mennonite Health Services Alliance; and 鈥�10, a current 黑料正能量 employee who completed undergraduate and graduate degrees at 黑料正能量 and first met Swartzendruber as her high school graduation speaker at Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite High School.

In closing, Swartzendruber noted that his accomplishments listed on the resolutions were 鈥渂uilt on the legacy of those who came before鈥� and 鈥渨ith a team of people on campus.鈥� He recognized Orville Yoder and Carlos Romero, former colleagues at Mennonite Education Agency; pastors Phil Kniss and Barbara Lehman, of Park View Mennonite Church; as well as family friends, Mim and Deryl Kennel, and Betty Brunk whose late husband, Truman, preached Loren鈥檚 ordination service in 1975.