President Andrea Luxton: Letter to Colleagues

(Photo by David Sherwin)

This is the content of a letter that President Andrea Luxton sent to her campus colleagues at Andrews University on May 27, 2022.

---

May 27, 2022

Dear colleagues and friends,

Yesterday you will have received the formal announcement that I have chosen to retire as president of Andrews University, effective June 30, 2023. I wanted to follow up that announcement with a brief personal message to you all.

By the effective date of my retirement I will have spent six years as the provost and seven years as the president of Andrews University. During the years I have been president, in particular, we have all shared many challenges together but also a lot of success and joy. I want you to know that it is your commitment to Andrews and its mission that has enabled us to embrace the challenges. I have never felt alone in those difficult situations. It is your engagement in the future of our students that has also been the seeds of our successes, and it is seeing their potential (and yours) realized that has brought me joy. Thank you all for making these years so rewarding.

Andrews University is a special place. I have talked about the story of Andrews during my years as president, a story that is deeply embedded in its mission from its beginnings. It is a rich story, full of color and depth, and I have been privileged to play a part in the chapters written over the last few years. I know, however, there are many chapters of vision and possibility still to come, and I am confident they will be powerful mission-driven chapters because of all of you who make Andrews what it is today.

As for me, by the time of my retirement I will have worked in education for the Seventh-day Adventist Church for more than 40 years. This work has been my life and my passion, and in my retirement I hope to still be engaged in some projects for the church. But I am also looking forward to engaging with other community and personal projects on my ever-increasing wish list!

I have one more Andrews year ahead, however, and I plan on that being a full year. After all, seven is the perfect number! There will be many opportunities therefore for farewells and memories before that year is over.

In the meantime, I will of course be supporting the Board of Trustees in any way I can as they search for my successor. I am very confident that Andrews University has many successful years ahead.

Blessings to you all.

Your friend,

Andrea Luxton
President