5 minute read
Heart of WP
Leading With Love for Students
Bob Stewart, ’75 Superintendent of Schools, Gladstone School District
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When Bob Stewart heard about Warner Pacific University (then College) through his church, it seemed like a natural choice. Growing up in a Church of God family in Seattle, Washington, Stewart was a basketball player who knew he wanted to continue to play the game he loved while attending college. Stewart played for the Knights and received much more than an athletic experience from his time at Warner Pacific.
From his time as a student, Stewart remembers his faculty fondly. Stewart reflects, “The thing about Warner Pacific, that is still true today, is the personalized approach to what happens. You get to know the professors, not just by name. They become friends and advisors; they know you well enough that they can look at you and say, ‘you really should…’ and give you advice.”
When Stewart started college, he was undecided about a career. As time went on, he knew he would have to decide on a major and found that working with kids was rewarding. “I knew I could see myself working with kids for a long time,” Stewart shares. “In working with kids, there was a level of meaning that other jobs didn’t have.” He majored in education and has served as an educator ever since.
Stewart’s first job out of college in 1975 was as a community education assistant in Mollala, Oregon, where he became the director of the program. In 1980 he moved to Gladstone in a similar role and served in a variety of positions in the district. He took on the role of Superintendent in 1999 and still serves in that role today. As a 21-year superintendent, Stewart is a bit of an outlier. According to the Oregon Association of School Executives (OASE), superintendents serve for an average of between five and six years. Stewart reflected on his time in his role that, “I have been blessed. It’s been a good journey.”
In 2005 Stewart reconnected with Warner Pacific University (then College) by joining the Board of Trustees. He became the Board Chair in 2014 before ending his service in 2019. During that time, Stewart was reminded that “Warner Pacific University is a special place where people grow and become young adults that are grounded and are ready to make their mark on the world. In many ways, the college is just the same as it was when I attended, and in some ways, it is very different. In my era, the city of Portland was not embraced at the college, and today, it is embraced as who we are.
“During my time on the Board, there were some challenging issues in higher education, everything from cost implications of going to college as a kid, to making sure that the college is offering what is relevant and what kids need to have to go on into the world.”
When asked about the college advice he offers students, Stewart replied, “I tell them to know why they are going, to know they will find bumps in the road, but they can navigate the bumps if they choose to, to find a place where they feel accepted and a place where they feel they will thrive. I also tell kids that I know are planning to go to Warner Pacific that they are making a good choice.”
Stewart’s career is defined by his dedication, advocacy and community service. Over the years, Stewart has served many community organizations including “Family Stepping Stones” (the first Relief Nursery in Clackamas County), the Clackamas County Commission for Children and Families, Care Oregon, the Oregon Association of School Executives, the Gladstone Education Foundation, and the Education Leadership Council (COSA). He was also a member of Governor Kitzhaber’s Early Learning Transition Team. The leadership that Bob Stewart has exhibited in the field of education is unmistakable, and there is no doubt that he has impacted the lives of students throughout Oregon. ▪
distinguished alumni award
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:21 (ESV)
Each year Warner Pacific University recognizes outstanding graduates whose individual achievements have brought honor to themselves and the University. The Ministry and Service Award is awarded to an individual who has given their life to ministry or has provided outstanding service in their field or in the community. On April 30, 2020, Dr. Andrea P. Cook conferred on Jay McKenney ’01 the Distinguished Alumni Ministry and Service Award in recognition of his devotion to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the ministry of music. Jay’s passion for God, his family, friends and community are evidenced by his relentless pursuit of relationships, his unswerving faith in the midst of crisis and his desire that everyone he encounters would know Jesus in a lifechanging way.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to share with you today that Warner Pacific University is bestowing upon you the Distinguished Alumni Ministry and Service Award,” said Dr. Andrea Cook. “This award recognizes your life of ministry and faithfulness to God, your Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of your soul.”
Over the years, Jay has shared his love and passion for God through various avenues including years as a vocalist and songwriter with Rescue, serving as a Worship Minister and as a health coach, and throughout his seven-year battle with cancer. The evidence of his faith in this season of crisis in his earthly life has made his ultimate trust in God clear to all who know him and who encounter his story.
Jay exemplifies all that was intended when the Ministry and Service Award was established. His life of faithfulness and availability to serve God through ministry, relationship, music, coaching, and most of all loving his wife, Allison ’97, and daughters, Macy and Ava, have borne witness of his trust in God to all those in his circle of influence and in the broader community.
For living in a manner that is worthy of the calling of God through sharing the life-changing story of Jesus each and every day through his words and life, Warner Pacific University is honored to recognize Jay McKenney ’01 with the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Ministry and Service Award. ▪