Jeff Carter Receives Leadership Award

Jeff Carter, president of Bethany Theological Seminary, has been presented with the Excellence in Higher Education award from the Wayne County (Indiana) Chamber of Commerce. The award, in its inaugural year, was presented on Friday, January 17, during the chamber’s annual dinner.

This award honors an individual who has served the higher education population in Wayne County—where the Seminary is located—with exceptional leadership, innovative techniques, and community involvement. In presenting the award, chamber CEO Melissa Vance stated that such leadership “provides our community with a strong future workforce that will lead Wayne County to a brighter future. Under Jeff’s leadership, Bethany has become more and more present in the community.” She noted Bethany’s partnership with Earlham School of Religion and the schools’ collaboration on the new Master of Arts: Theopoetics and Writing degree, Bethany’s sponsorship of Richmond Symphony Orchestra’s Kids of Note program, and the Seminary’s partnership with the symphony in offering The Recital Series, featuring RSO musicians performing in Nicarry Chapel.

Also noted was the Pillars and Pathways Residency Scholarship, which requires student recipients to volunteer locally and reside in renovated housing near campus; the intentional hiring of local contractors for Bethany’s recent capital improvements; and the sponsorship of a farm-to-table fundraiser for the Richmond Farmer’s Market.