Acorn

Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Crawford

For the last decade, the calm southern voice of John H. Crawford III ('65 T) has been heard in Drew University board of trustees meetings. At the board's meeting in May, the Committee on Trustees will unanimously recommend that Crawford become the chair of the Board of Trustees. The board's Committee on Trustees met to discuss replacing current board chair Barbara Caspersen and solicited thoughts from the other trustees about who that person should be. "This is a very popular choice," President Bob Weisbuch said. "I'm delighted."

On the subject of his new role Crawford said, "It is the chair's job to make sure that the right people are on the board and that the right people are in the right positions. We have a number of standing committees: Investment, finance, student affairs and things of that sort. Each of these committees is chaired by an individual board member." He emphasized the importance of having the right people leading each committee.

Crawford said that one important aspect of his new job will be working with Weisbuch. "Because being the board chair is a position in which you have to work very closely with the president, a good prior working relationship is an important ingredient. The fact that I chaired the search committee probably contributed to my getting this new role," he said.

Referring to the job Crawford has done as a trustee in the past, Weisbuch said, "He's served on board committees such as investment and finance, which he's quite the expert in, but he's also very interested in curriculum and so on."

Weisbuch also called Crawford "an extraordinarily active board member."

After graduating from the Theological School in1965, Crawford made his way south and went into business. "In those early years, I really didn't have time to do any of this. About 10 years ago, I was recruited by the chief development officer at the time and kind of reconnected with Drew," he said. Crawford then joined the board of trustees in 1998.

"He's a total renaissance person," Weisbuch said. "He does have a continuing interest in theology, he's been a very successful investor and business person, and he's an excellent poet." Weisbuch also said that Crawford is honest. "When I ask him for advice, he's always very supportive, but he also tells me when to get off. He's wonderfully frank. I always feel I get the real deal from him on any issue, whether we agree on it or not."

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools