wfn.org | Newsline: Bridgewater College President Phillip C. Stone to retire

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl Brumbau gh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE PRESIDENT PHILLIP C. STONE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

(April 9, 2009) Elgin, IL -- Bridgewater (Va.) College president Phillip C.  Stone has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2009-10 academic  year, concluding 16 years at the helm of the institution. Stone took offic e on Aug. 1, 1994, as the seventh president of Bridgewater College. His ret irement will be effective June 30, 2010.

In a letter to the college community, Stone wrote, "It is with bitter-sweet  emotions that I announce that I will retire from the presidency of the col lege, effective June 30, 2010. The feelings are bitter because I shall so s orely miss being involved in the life of this wonderful campus community. T he sweet part of my decision is the opportunity to have more time for my fa mily, including my four wonderful grandchildren; reading; Lincoln research;  travel; and, especially, spending more time in Germany where my wife and I  have an apartment." He thanked college employees and students for their fr iendship over the years and noted that being a part of the lives of Bridgew ater students "has enriched my life beyond measure."

Stone's administration oversaw increased academic and athletic excellence,  capital improvements, student successes, increased endowment, and expanded  co-curricular opportunities. During his tenure as president, Stone--a membe r of the Bridgewater class of 1965--has overseen great progress and expansi on in all areas of campus life, including undergraduate program growth, a n early doubling of enrollment, and facility and technology expansion. Under  his guidance, the college implemented its signature Personal Development Po rtfolio (PDP) program, elevated the quality of its faculty and staff and se cured its financial underpinnings through the current Every Student, One Co mmitment Campaign for Bridgewater College.

James L. Keeler, chair of the Bridgewater College Board of Trustees, noted  that Stone's "leadership roles in the Church of the Brethren translated int o a unique understanding of the church's joint heritage with the college."  According to Keeler, a national search will be conducted to identify Stone' s successor.

Born in Bassett, Va., Stone attended the University of Chicago Graduate Sch ool of Economics and received a law degree from the University of Virginia.  After 24 years of law practice with the Harrisonburg, Va., law firm of Wha rton, Aldhizer & Weaver, Stone accepted the invitation to become president  of Bridgewater College. In his law practice, he was involved in estate plan ning, corporate, and health law. He was elected a Fellow in the American Co llege of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, the Americ an Bar Foundation, and the Virginia Bar Foundation. He was also listed in t he first four editions of "The Best Lawyers in America." In addition, he ha s held leadership positions in the Virginia State Bar, the Virginia Bar Ass ociation and other legal societies. In 1997, he served as president of the  Virginia Bar Association. He has chaired the Virginia State Bar Committee o n Ethics and its Disciplinary Board. He has been president or chairman of s everal bar groups.

Stone served as moderator of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference f rom 1990-91, and also previously served as chair of the Church of the Breth ren General Board. He has been a Bridgewater College Trustee since 1975. In  1987, he was honored as the National Churchman of the Year by Religious He ritage of America .

In addition, Stone is chair of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern A ssociation of Colleges and Schools, and has served as a trustee of the orga nization since 2007.  He has been active in the NCAA as chair of the NCAA I II Presidents Council (2004-06) and has served on a number of its committee s. From 2005-06 he was a member of the NCAA Presidential Task Force on the  Future of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics. He has taken an active role  in local historical groups and annually conducts a ceremony at the local L incoln Cemetery to commemorate the birth of Abraham Lincoln. He is founder  of the Lincoln Society of Virginia and serves on the advisory board of the  National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, as well as the advisory b oard of the Lincoln Forum. He was appointed by Virginia governor Mark Warne r to the Commonwealth Transportation Board from 2002-05.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in  community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000 members across the  United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nig eria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

(Excerpted from a Bridgewater College press release.)

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org