Southern Adventist University President Is Retiring Next Year

Gordon Bietz told the board he will step down in May of 2016.

That will give him 19 years leading the private university in Collegedale.

“In a sense there is never a right time to transition away from a place you love this much, because there is always more you’ve dreamt of accomplishing” Bietz said. “But I also want to leave at a time when the university is in a strong position for new leadership.”

Southern Adventist has doubled both it’s enrollment and budget during his tenure.

Plans are underway for $28 million student center, and Bietz said he would like to witness the groundbreaking on that project before his retirement next year.

“When students ask me for advice I have just three words: love your neighbor. I don’t think we have begun to grasp the depth of those words and put them into practical application in our everyday lives,” Bietz said. “If we loved as Jesus loved, and sought what was best for others rather than ourselves,we could truly change the world!”

The University’s Board will conduct a nationwide search for his replacement, with a goal of naming someones before Bietz retires in 2016.