By Kate McGuire
Staff Writer
Dan Hord III and Dr. Christopher Howard began their three-year Wednesday after being announced as the newest members to serve on the Board of regents by Chairman of the Board Richard Willis.
“Our board is working tirelessly to identify and appoint new regents who will bring to our board the high level of experience necessary to continue Baylor’s strong upward trajectory in the years to come,” Lori Fogleman, director of media communications at Baylor, wrote in an email to the Lariat.
“These two remarkably strong appointments testify to the dedication of the board’s work and the quality of their selection process,” Fogleman said.
Hord received his bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor in 1989 and has served as chief executive officer and president of Western International Gas and Cylinders, Managing Partner for the Western Property Group and Co-Managing Partner for the Hedloc Investment Co.
“He’s a Baylor guy,” Willis said. “A lot of time we’ll find regents from different boards within the schools at Baylor.”
Hord will serve on the Audit and Compliance Committee and the Academic and Student Affairs Committee because he has been active with Baylor.
Willis said Howard has background from the other boards on which Howard served.
“Dr. Christopher B. Howard has an incredible resume,” Willis said.
Howard is the current president of Hampden-Sydney College, Va.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy.
He then received his Master of Philosophy and Doctorate of Philosophy from Oxford University and his Master of Business Administration from Harvard. “Every member of the board is on two standing committees. We put them on something they are comfortable with and have expertise in,” Willis said.
Howard will, for now, serve on the Development Committee that deals with marketing for Baylor and the other committee he will serve on is being decided.
The new regents were nominated by the Administrative Affairs Committee. Part of the committee’s duties are to find potential candidates for regent positions, examining who they are and what they can contribute as a regent, according to Willis.
Willis said the board is currently working on completing the East Village project for the students and getting the new football stadium finished and ready in 18 months for athletics. Baylor Stadium is set to be done in fall 2014.“The next thing we will add will be academic related,” Willis said.
