Advisory Council
Dr. Kimberly Nash Alexander serves as the leader for the Women’s Ministry, Daughters of Divine Destiny at The Park Church in Charlotte, NC. Though many know Dr. Alexander as a speech language pathologist, minister, professor, Pastor’s wife and mother, one of her passions has always been investing in the lives of women, especially those who lead, whether in the market-place, the church or the home. As a spiritual mentor, she is known for her authenticity, wisdom, and challenging call to spiritual formation.
Dr. Alexander provides leadership to women in various settings and as a licensed minister she finds joy in speaking: sharing the Gospel and teaching God’s word. Specifically, her focus is pastors’ wives, female leaders in the marketplace, church and home, and clergy with concerns about vocal care and prevention of vocal problems. She is married to Bishop Claude R. Alexander, Jr., Pastor of The Park Church, and they have two children.
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. CNN and Fox News named him as “the leader of the Hispanic Evangelical movement,” and TIME Magazine nominated him among the 100 most influential leaders in America. In addition, Rev. Rodriguez recently became the first Hispanic evangelical to pray at a U.S. Presidential Inauguration and is Executive Producer of the upcoming feature film, The Impossible, from 20th Century Fox.
Brian J. Arnold, Ph.D., serves as the fourth President of Phoenix Seminary. Dr. Arnold has been on faculty at Phoenix Seminary since 2015, where he continues to teach in Systematic Theology and Church History. Prior to this, he served as Pastor of Smithland First Baptist Church (Kentucky,) after spending a decade as a paramedic. Dr. Arnold has a passion for equipping churches with trained pastors so that the body of Christ might grow and mature. He is married to Lauren and they have two children, Jameson and Natalie.
Mary K. McWilliams, Esq., Chair, is a partner in Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C., a Chicago law firm serving clients nationwide. Mary leads the firm’s Wealth and Succession Planning Group and specializes in family wealth preservation and philanthropy. As a trusted confidant to high net worth individuals and families, she brings a unique blend of compassionate care, technical knowledge, and strategic advice to the estate planning process. Attorney McWilliams was recognized as a Crain’s 2019 Notable Gen X Leader in Law. Mary was instrumental in founding two community-building and mentorship organizations in Chicago: the Emerging Leaders Initiative and the city’s chapter of 4Word, a global organization for Christian women in the workplace. She has three teenage children.
Dr. Chip Pollard has been the president of John Brown University since July 2004. He also practiced law at Latham & Watkins for three years, and taught English literature at Calvin College for seven years before joining JBU. During his time at JBU, the university has been blessed to receive $225 million in gifts, to complete 16 building projects, to grow its endowment to $120 million, and to increase its enrollment by 25% to over 2300 students. Dr. Pollard was elected to the board of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities in 2009 and has served as chair of the board since 2013. He also serves on the boards of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Arvest Bank in Siloam Springs, and Mercy Northwest Arkansas Community Board. He is married to Carey and they have four children.
Richard Bowser is the Lynch Professor of the Philosophy of Law at Campbell University School of Law. Since joining the faculty in 1992, he has taught and written in the area of estate planning. He is a co-author of the treatise, Wiggins’ Wills and Administration of Estates in North Carolina. On three occasions students voted him “Professor of the Year.” On two other occasions, he has received the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence. He is an elder at Grace Presbyterian Church in Fuquay-Varina, NC. Prof. Bowser also currently serves as chair of the Board of Trustees of Covenant College. He is married to Marta and they have two children, Michael and Kathryn.