• Prominent alums, supporters meet with Regents to talk Baylor

    Panel of Board experts

    Baylor alumnus Drayton McLane, chairman of the McLane Group and owner of the Houston Astros, led a group of heavy hitters who visited Baylor this week during the annual summer retreat for the University’s Regents. Academic and business leaders, key supporters and others joined the Regents to hear reports about Baylor’s progress and to contribute to discussions about the University’s future.

    Board members convened two groups. Wednesday afternoon, regents met with a panel of current and former board members from several different universities. The four panelists — McLane, former chair of Baylor’s Board; James Huffines, chairman of PlainsCapital Bank and current chair of the University of Texas System Board of Regents; Phil Norwood, president and CEO of Faison Enterprises and immediate past chair of Washington and Lee University’s Board of Regents; and David Laney, formerly chair of Amtrak’s Board of Directors and a former member of Stanford University’s Board of Regents — spoke to Baylor’s Regents about a variety of “best practices” they’ve encountered and implemented while serving as a member of a university board.

    A special feature of the three-day meeting was a dinner for Regents and welcomed guests hosted by Waco residents and Baylor supporters Nell and Jim Hawkins at their home Wednesday evening. A number of prominent Baylor alumni joined Regents to learn more about University initiatives and progress. Among those in attendance were Jay Allison, president and CEO of Comstock Resources Inc., and Jenny Allison, past-president of the Baylor Women’s Council of Dallas; Ken Carlile, co-chairman of Carlile Companies, his brother Steve Carlile, chairman/CEO of Home and Garden Party, and Penny Carlile, president of Home and Garden Party; Paul Foster, president/owner of Western Refining Co.; Bob Perry, chairman of the board for Perry Homes Ltd.; Walter Umphrey, senior managing partner of the Provost & Umphrey Law Firm; and John Eddie Williams, founding partner and attorney for Williams Kherkher. (Click here for a photo gallery from the week’s events.)

    As a Baylor graduate, I’m deeply appreciative that such busy, influential leaders are motivated enough by their love for our university that they took time out of their schedules to come to Waco to help my alma mater. That individuals such as these would choose to support the University speaks volumes of the special affinity people have for this place and the unique role that Baylor has in the world of higher education.

    Sic ’em, Baylor heavy hitters!