Dr. Bob Young, who was elected chairman of the board of directors in December 2008, has spent most of the last month on campus, with three campus visits during May and June. Bob served as a class teacher for the 2009 Baxter Seminar and was on campus May 11-18, both before and after the seminar. In addition to teaching the assigned class, he helped with several other activities. He introduced Dr. Howard W. Norton as the next president of Baxter at a graduates’ luncheon, to the guests assembled for the seminar, and to the large group of Christians that assembled for the combined worship on Sunday morning. He met with Dr. Steve Austin to discuss the future of videoconferencing and its potential applications at Baxter Institute. On behalf of the board of directors, he hosted a reception in honor of outgoing president and first lady, Dr. Steve and Mrs. Jeanne White, on Saturday afternoon. The reception (“despedida”) was attended by most of the employees and students, along with several graduates who were on campus for the seminar.

Bob returned to campus for two more weeks in late May and early June, to assist with the presidential transition and to help guide the strategic planning initiative that Baxter Institute and JMA Clinic are undertaking in 2009. One of the first steps in the strategic planning process involves interviews and input from the employees and faculty. Much of that work was completed during this visit. Among the most important activities of the visit, he mentioned meetings with Dra. Xiomara which provided help in understanding and evaluating the needs at the clinic, and the time shared with Dr. Don Drew and the Baxter faculty in outlining the needs, possibilities, and future plans for Baxter. During his visit he spoke in student devotional on the theme, “El Desafio del Ministerio Eficaz” (The Challenge of Effective Ministry).

He returned to campus again this week to spend more time in strategic planning, evaluation, and resource development. He shared this summary, “What I am accomplishing during this visit is incredible, and has been made possible in part by the three weeks I have already spent at Baxter and the Clinic over the past month.”

The campus community, employees and students, have expressed their appreciation for the interest and presence of the board of directors during this time of transition, both in personal expressions of gratitude and in special times of prayer.