Dr. Alex Bryan Named 24th President of Walla Walla University
07 May 2024 |
On May 6, the Walla Walla University Board of Trustees announced Dr. Alex Bryan as the university’s new president, making him the 24th president in Walla Walla’s history. The decision was unanimous and comes as John McVay retires this spring, after 18 years of service.
Chair of the Board and President of the North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists John Freedman expressed his enthusiasm for Dr. Bryan’s appointment. “He has a deep love for and walk with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, which will bless our university students, faculty, and staff. He is committed to our Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and mission, and I and our church members across the Pacific Northwest will lift him up in prayer as he takes this responsibility at Walla Walla University.”
Dr. Bryan holds degrees in history, religion, divinity, ministry, and bioethics. He has served as a pastor in Georgia and Tennessee for over a decade, was a senior pastor at Walla Walla University Church, and briefly served as the president of Kettering College in Ohio. Since 2018, he has been with Adventist Health as the Senior Vice President and Chief Mission Officer, where he has overseen significant initiatives in spiritual care and ethics.
Within the academic world, Dr. Bryan has taught as an adjunct professor at various Seventh-day Adventist universities in the fields of theology, business, and communication over the past 16 years. He has also served as a member of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists Executive Committee, the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Executive Committee, Adventist Bioethics Consortium, SonBridge Community Center Board, Rogers Adventist School Board, and Walla Walla Valley Academy Board. He currently chairs the Walla Walla Valley Adventist Schools Board.
Expressing his gratitude for the appointment, Dr. Bryan remarked, “I am honored to be called to serve such a special place, one that is dedicated to God and to His glory and to His purposes in the world. Our family has called College Place home for 15 years, and we’ve been deeply blessed by the peerless mission of Walla Walla University and its people.”
He is set to begin his presidency on July 1, 2024.
