The Southwestern Adventist University Board of Trustees in a unanimous and historic vote selected Ana Patterson to be the new president. Mrs. Patterson formerly served as special assistant to the president and had been the interim president of the university after the departure of Ken Shaw, who accepted a call to serve as president of Southern Adventist University.
Mrs. Patterson is the first female and the first Latina to serve as president of Southwestern Adventist University. She is an alumna of Southwestern, having graduated in 1999, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in long term health care and a Master of Business Administration in 2012.
President Patterson has taught for nearly 10 years at Southwestern and served as the chairperson of the university’s diversity and inclusion committee. She was awarded Educator of the Year for 2016-2017.
Congratulations to President Patterson and kudos to Southwestern Adventist University for continuing the march towards full equality and diversity in God’s church.