On February 27, 2022, Southern Adventist University’s board of trustees designated two of its former presidents, David Smith, Ph.D., and Gordon Bietz, D.Min, for recognition of their dedication and service to the university.

“It is our pleasure to honor President Smith, who dedicated nearly 30 years of his career to the Southern community,” said current university president Ken Shaw, Ed.D., and 1980 graduate. “In every role, Dave’s love for Jesus, as well as the students, employees, and church members he interacted with, made a significant impact and leaves a lasting legacy.”

Smith’s long relationship with the institution began in 1981 as an English professor, serving 17 years teaching and then as department chair. His wife, Cherie, and their two daughters are graduates of Southern. After leaving the area to serve as president of Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1998-2011, Smith returned as senior pastor of the Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located on Southern’s campus — a position he held for five years. During that time, he served on the university’s board, gaining an intimate understanding of the institution’s finances, operations, and mission. In 2016, Smith was unanimously elected as Southern’s 26th president.

During his five years as president, Smith emphasized growing Southern’s endowment fund to make Adventist education more affordable, while demonstrating a deep commitment to serving God and nurturing a Christ-centered environment on campus. Upon his retirement in May 2021, Smith said, “Southern Adventist University is God’s school. Its future is in God’s hands, not our hands. If we humble ourselves if we pray, and if we submit to His will, God will deliver the future He knows is best for us and for those we serve. With each step into the future, we must learn to trust Him fully.”

On that same day, Shaw also complimented Bietz, Southern’s longest-serving president, “who played a huge part in shaping Southern as we know it today.” Shaw added, “We are pleased to recognize and honor Gordon for his Christ-centered leadership, commitment to Adventist education, and rich legacy of service to the Southern community.”

Bietz served as Southern president from 1997 to 2016. During his 19-year tenure, the university’s enrollment nearly doubled, campus facilities expanded to meet that growth, and the Vision 20/20 Strategic Plan that he spearheaded set a strong foundation for the institution’s ongoing success. Students and employees alike appreciated and respected Bietz, who once said, “I love people and hope that was reflected in everything I did. If you really care about people, they know it, they trust you, and they allow you to be their leader.”

When he became president, Bietz was no stranger to Southern. From 1981to 1994, he served as senior pastor at the Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located on campus. His Fenton Forest parables and thought-provoking sermons were popular as he ministered to the Southern community. He went on to serve as president of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, providing leadership to the Adventist Church in the region surrounding Southern until becoming the university’s 25th president.

Bietz currently serves as associate director for higher education for the North American Division.

In October 2021, Southern Adventist University held a ribbon-cutting for the long-awaited Bietz Center for Student Life, named in honor of the former president and his family’s long-standing dedication to Adventist education. It serves as a brick-and-mortar reminder of Bietz’s legacy and his strong belief that students are the reason Southern exists.

— The North American Division Office of Communication contributed to this report.