Inspire, Spring 2012

Hail to the Chief I still remember this moment from early in my freshman year. I was walking down the sidewalk between Williams and Patterson, when a man walking toward me said, “Hello, Jeff.” Who was this man, and how did he know my name? That was my first contact with the dean of men — Dick Walker. Little did I know what a profound influence he would have on my life. I have worked for or closely with Dick for at least 17 of my 24 years at Cedarville. I worked for him in campus activities, and now he works for me in alumni relations. Dick’s involvement in the lives of our students and alumni, and in the life of our Cedarville community, has been an outstanding example to me. Dick values the relationships he has made with our alumni. He remembers their birthdays, where they live, where they work, and what sports their children are involved in. No wonder so many affectionately know him as “Chief.” Throughout his years at Cedarville, Dick has always been driven to give back to the community. In campus activities, he coached us to plan events to draw students “downtown.” For years he coordinated the University’s involvement in CedarFest, and when the Cedarville Opera House was revived, he looked for ways to partner with them in programming. Dick’s example has encouraged me to get involved in our village community, and it has given me a greater tie to our wonderful village and the people who have made it their home. Dick has recently stepped into a more active role in the civic leadership of our community. In January, he became one of our three township trustees. And others in our Cedarville family are following in his footsteps of community leadership. We’ve highlighted just some of these stories in this Inspire . As Jim Phipps ’68 retires as mayor of Cedarville, George Gibbs ’89 is serving as mayor of his hometown in West Virginia. Birgit (Kass) McQuiston ’85 and Lisa (Brovont) Babb ’92 ran campaigns for their local school boards in Michigan and Ohio. Here in Cedarville, our associate dean for library administration, Jan Bosma, led a grassroots campaign to build a community library. Senior Paul Purtell shares how ROTC training has shaped his years at Cedarville and his expectations for future service to his country. Dr. Deborah (Bush) Haffey ’68 spent fall semester teaching political rhetoric in our nation’s capital. And Scott Borling ’96, Sarah Murphy ’10, and Dr. Thomas Mach ’88 provide helpful information we can use at the polls. For the last 125 years, Cedarville has prepared graduates for lifelong leadership and service, so it’s no surprise that so many in our Cedarville family have answered the call to serve Christ in their communities. How is God using you in your community? We want to hear from you! Jeff Beste ’87 Director of Alumni Relations “Dick’s involvement in the lives of our students and alumni, and in the life of our Cedarville community, has been an outstanding example to me.” 28 SPRING 2012 di rector ’s cha i r