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In a special meeting held January 4, 2017, the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees confirmed Brandon C. Parker as the college’s new vice president for financial administration. Parker, an alumnus of PUC, assumes his new role January 9. A former vice president and chief financial officer for St. Helena Hospital, Napa Valley, Parker is a certified public accountant with over 20 years of experience in finance and operations in healthcare, secondary education, and in the private sector. Earlier leadership appointments have included Mendocino regional vice president and chief financial officer at Adventist Health, vice president and chief financial officer at Ukiah Valley Medical Center, finance manager for Glendale Adventist Medical Center, and vice principal of operations and chief financial officer for Monterey Bay Academy. “I am delighted that Mr. Parker is willing to join PUC’s administrative team,” said PUC president Eric Anderson. “Both he and I have a sense of God’s leading in this appointment.” In his new role, Parker will be responsible for leadership and strategic direction of the division of finance and administration. This includes supervising the offices of Human Resources and Payroll, Employee Housing, Budgets, Risk Management, Student Financial Services, Accounting, Facilities Management, Information Technology Systems...

During a special session on December 13, 2016, the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees elected a new president, Eric Anderson, a senior faculty member, to serve until June 30, 2017. Anderson’s six-month appointment begins January 9, 2017. “I am grateful to Dr. Anderson for agreeing to take on this important leadership role,” says Board Chairman Bradford Newton. “He has the experience, vision, and commitment to lead PUC during the upcoming search committee process.” According to Newton, Anderson will be asked to help in the process of finding a long-term president for the 134-year old liberal arts college. With the administrative team, he will also be expected to reshape the college budget. Currently the Walter C. Utt Professor of History at PUC, previously Anderson was president of Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, from 2005 to 2014, where he served one of the longer presidential tenures in the university’s history. Dr. Amy Rosenthal, academic dean at Southwestern, says, “It was a privilege to begin my administrative career under Dr. Anderson's leadership at Southwestern Adventist University, where he combined an expectation of academic excellence with a clear vision for the future of Adventist education.” Rosenthal also taught at PUC in the...

On Friday, December 2, the office of service,justice, and missions at Pacific Union College held the college’s first everFacebook live event, featuring staff and students who have served or arecurrently serving as missionaries around the world. The broadcast has beenviewed several thousand times and generated many thoughtful responses,spreading awareness of the incredible service PUC students are engaged in.Hosted by Doug Wilson, director of studentactivities at PUC, the broadcast began with an interview with Fabio Maia, PUC’sservice and missions coordinator. Maia shared an update about service projectsplanned for 2016-2017 school year, including PUC’s Homeless Ministries andRebuilding Calistoga initiatives. PUC’s annual mission trips to Brazil and Fijiwere also highlighted. “We try to make sure all students have a chance toparticipate in missions,” he says. He also intentionally plans for missiontrips in places where PUC students are serving as long-term missionaries, tofurther assist the communities in those areas.The broadcast also featured PUC students KellySiegal, Brett Dickinson, Ryan Goldring, Alex Chang, George Tuyu, Leya Helmer,Ren Hellan, Andrew Mahinay, Christian and Shelina Villegas, Melissa Otto, and aspecial video conference call with Rei Antonio, who is currently serving inBangladesh.“I’m so proud of our student missionaries,task force workers, and all those who are choosing to participate in...

After seven and a half years serving as President of Pacific Union College, President Heather J. Knight, Ph.D., has shared her plans to complete her presidency at PUC effective January 8, 2017. “It is always difficult to decide the right time to complete one’s presidency, but after considerable thought and prayer, I have notified PUC Board Chairperson Dr. Bradford Newton that I will complete my presidency within the next month in order to allow PUC adequate time to prepare for new presidential leadership for the next academic year. It has been a special privilege and pleasure to serve Pacific Union College, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have worked with PUC’s wonderful learning community of faculty, staff, and students and to positively impact this venerable institution over the past several years. My family and I wish PUC only the very best going forward.” Knight became the College’s 21st president in September of 2009 when she was tasked with turning the institution around after several years of enrollment decreases and financial challenges. Under her leadership, Pacific Union College experienced significant growth and had its highest enrollment in 24 years of 1678 students in Fall 2013 and also its...

Pacific Union College welcomed renowned pastor John Bradshaw to speak for the Colloquy Speaker Series on Thursday, November 17. Bradshaw is the current speaker and director for “It Is Written,” an international Seventh-day Adventist television program viewed by millions of people around the world. He has held over 100 evangelistic series spanning across six continents. Bradshaw’s message to PUC students, faculty, and staff centered on the importance of God being the focus in their lives. “Jesus, recognizing our best is not good enough, didn’t leave us to wallow in our inadequacy,” he said, a line encapsulating his entire sermon. Bradshaw pointed out that while we are far from being perfect, God is continuously working in and through each us. “Those were comforting words,” said Jonathan Oliveros, an aviation major. “The only power ever devised that has the capacity to take an unholy thing and make it a holy thing… is the Holy Spirit,” Bradshaw asserted. His affirmation of hope echoed throughout the PUC Church sanctuary. He explained it is by the Holy Spirit’s power and influence in our lives we can live a Christ-like life. “We as Christians must accept the Holy Spirit to influence and move in our lives...