[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 956-957]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING DR. BRIAN D. SMITH OF THE DALLAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KENNY MARCHANT

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 21, 2015

  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor Dr. 
Brian D. Smith. On November 1, 2014, Dr. Smith began serving as the 
eleventh president of Dallas Christian College in Farmers Branch, 
Texas. He will be formally inaugurated this Saturday, January 24, 2015.
  Dallas Christian College was founded in 1950 and maintains a mission 
to educate and

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mentor students to be ``People of Influence, Under God's Influence, for 
a Life of Influence.'' I have no doubt that the strong work of the 
College toward this end will continue to excel under Dr. Smith's new 
leadership.
  Dr. Brian D. Smith has a remarkable career in Christian higher 
education. He received a Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies and 
Christian Ministry from Florida Christian College (FCC) in 2003. Two 
years later he earned his Master's from Lincoln Christian University in 
Contemporary Christian Theology and Philosophy. Smith received his PhD 
in Theology from the University of Exeter in England in 2011. He has 
published several chapters in academic works.
  During his initial working years, Smith remained with FCC, which 
eventually merged with another school to become Johnson University 
Florida. He quickly advanced from serving as registrar to Associate 
Dean of Academics and Institutional Effectiveness, then Vice President 
of Academics and ultimately Assistant Provost. During his time there, 
Smith led the university through the process of accreditation with the 
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and 
Schools (SACS) and the Association for Biblical Higher Education.
  His strong and faithful professional life made him the top contender 
when the Board of Trustees for Dallas Christian College took up the 
task of searching for a replacement for their preceding president, 
Dusty Rubeck. The chair of the search committee, Dr. Keith Keeran, 
reported that the applicant pool was remarkable and seven well-
qualified candidates were interviewed, but only one reached the final 
interview before the Board. Keeran further commented that ``the Lord's 
hand was on the search process from the beginning.''
  Dr. Smith has always prayerfully desired to spread the Gospel and 
loves serving that cause through the work of Christian higher 
education. He and his wife, Samantha, have four children together. I 
welcome them to the 24th District of Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to ask all of my distinguished colleagues 
to join me in congratulating and wishing well Dr. Brian D. Smith as he 
begins to serve as President of Dallas Christian College.

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