30th Anniversary History Book

In January 2011, Deborah Brodbeck retired as president after an accomplished 19-year tenure, with the board of trustees honoring her with the designation of president emeritus. She was “phenomenal,” Ziccolella said, at getting the school up and running, tending to details large and small. During Brodbeck’s presidency, the college expanded the Main Street campus from two to six buildings and constructed the first Beacon-owned student housing, the Beacon College Village Apartments. In 2003, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges awarded Beacon accreditation and in 2008 reaffirmed its standing. She also guided diversification of curriculum and majors to enhance the academic program. “Beacon built a community effort that sustained the college during the early challenges of a young institution,” Brodbeck reflected. “This community and commitment to the mission ensured the foundation for the college’s survival and provided the opportunity for future generations of students to attend.” A TRANSITION in Institutional Leadership and Governance

Deborah Brodbeck

[Courtesy of The Orlando Sentinel]

In its search for new leadership, the board sought to strengthen both the fabric of institutional governance and to select a president dedicated to growth, sustainability, and heightened academic standards. In short, “someone with a broad vision,” said now Trustee Emeritus Bruce Vincent, who joined the board in 2008. In the interim, Vincent helped rewrite the board’s bylaws referencing the printed advisements of the national organization, the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities (AGB). Together, the board members reformed their organizational structure and moved to promote vigorously Beacon College as one of the best programs in the nation for students with learning differences. Brodbeck’s immediate and temporary replacement was Dr. David Dunlop, who was a retired college president living in the Villages development north of Leesburg. Dunlop was formerly president of Shepherd University in Iowa from 1996 to 2006, and

remained in a college presidency until his retirement from Mitchell College in Connecticut shortly before coming to the aid of Beacon College. Dunlop stayed on for a few months until Dr. John Hutchinson was hired. Hutchinson, who holds a doctorate in speech pathology and speech science from Purdue University, came to Beacon for the 2011 school year with more than 35 years of experience in higher education as a teacher and administrator. Before Beacon, he served as commissioner of higher education for the Montana University System and was president of two private colleges — Thomas University in Georgia and Lincoln College in Illinois — and one public university, Northern State University in South Dakota. Upon his arrival in Leesburg, he quickly went to work to build upon Brodbeck’s legacy. “She had a lot of compassion and she cared deeply for Beacon,” Hutchinson said.

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