Westmont names new finance czar

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Westmont President Gayle Beebe turned Spring Arbor University in Michigan into a viable institution during his seven year tenure there, and yesterday announced that another one of Spring Arbor’s key players has also made his way to Westmont.
Doug Jones, who was recruited by Beebe to Spring Arbor in 2000 as the school’s vice president of finance and administration, has been dubbed Westmont’s vice president for finance.


“Doug provided outstanding leadership in several key areas,” Beebe said. “He is a great team player and an incredibly hard worker.”
Jones will replace Ron Cronk, who retired last year after working at Westmont for 22 years.
Prior to his post at Spring Arbor, Jones was the controller at Huntington College, his alma mater, according to a statement issued by Westmont.
“Working with Gayle Beebe has been an absolute joy,” Jones said. “He’s a dynamic leader with a great mind for both the academic and operational aspects of a college, a true heart for students and a passion for the lord.”
Jones said one of the key challenges at any small, private college is securing and allocating resources.
“Westmont certainly has a strong financial position,” he said, “But there are never enough dollars to fund everything we want to do, so setting priorities is important.”
Jones said breaking ground on the first phase of the campuses master plan, which will eventually rebuild much of the campus, will make a significant financial impact.