Dr. Brent Ellis became the 30th president of Spring Arbor University when he took over the top position in 2013. During his presidency SAU has been ranked by The Economist as the No. 1 in economic value among Christian universities in Michigan and No 2. among all universities in Michigan. Dr. Ellis has also played a pivotal role in key growth initiatives including the accreditation received by the Master of Social Work program and growing expectancies for the SAU Endowment from $30 million to $60 million. Before becoming President, Dr. Ellis served as a vice president at Spring Arbor University. He also worked at LeTourneau University where he served as dean for the Center for the Development of Christian Leadership. Prior to working at LeTourneau, Dr. Ellis spent four years as the director of leadership development and student programs at Taylor University (Ind.).
In today’s episode, we discuss:
- What the difference is between being in the classroom and being the president
- The importance of Christian higher education
- Why Spring Arbor isn’t for everyone
- The difference between wisdom and knowledge
Rob Miller is a partner and motivational speaker for Proactive Coaching, which is one of the top leadership training platforms in the country. Along with his Bruce Brown, they help coaches positively impact their athlete’s lives. Rob is also the commissioner of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, with schools in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Throughout his career, Rob has been a coach at the high school and college levels. He was also instrumental in building up the NAIA’s Champions of Character program.
Larry DeSimpelare is the commissioner of the Crossroads League, which is arguably the best NAIA conference in the country when it comes to combining national-level competition and an emphasis on character-building. The Crossroads League has schools from the state of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Before becoming a commissioner, Larry served as a collegiate men’s basketball coach at Cleveland State University, Rutgers University, Kent State University, Eastern Michigan University and Concordia University. Along the way, DeSimpelare helped guide those programs to three league titles, eight NIT berths and four NCAA bids, where he helped Eastern Michigan take out Duke and Cleveland State upend Wake Forest in a pair of opening round upsets.