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Part of Western Governors University

July 22, 2022

WGU Creates South Region Distinguished Alumni Council

WGU’s Alumni Council to offer advice and guidance on thriving in an online education environment.

AUSTIN, TX –Western Governors University (WGU) alumni are the expert source. They’ve mastered the school’s competency-based curriculum. They’ve juggled school, work, family, and life. They offer a unique, boots-on-the-ground perspective about what it takes to earn a college degree as a busy adult learner.

WGU is proud to announce the creation of its South Region Distinguished Alumni Council to help chart the path of progress for WGU in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas and to provide strategic insights to WGU Regional Vice President Linda Battles.

The council is made up of seven individuals, who will serve a four-year term and were selected for their commitment to WGU and embodiment of leadership principles: Paula Bradberry, Gregory Glover, Richard Hightower, Alexandria Luevano, Brent Magers, David Osborne, and Richard Reyes. They, along with members of WGU’s leadership, met together for the first time on June 30, to discuss the impact that WGU can have on individuals’ lives and careers as well as share their stories of how WGU has helped them.

Council members come from diverse backgrounds and career paths, but they have all benefited from the flexibility and competency-based learning that WGU offers. Richard Reyes is Director of Information Technology at Globe Life and said, “I am honored to be a part of a council that will be working together toward a common vision. Our participation gives every person seeking knowledge through higher education the pathway to attain uncommon results.”

The majority of WGU students are working adults who benefit from the flexibility and relevance of the competency-based programs that the university offers. As a nonprofit institution, WGU is committed to keeping tuition costs low. Most WGU degree programs are approximately $7,000 per year – about half as much as comparable universities. With the ability to study and learn whenever and wherever it is convenient and at a pace that fits their lifestyles, WGU is well-suited for busy, working adults as well as traditionally underserved student populations.

“Being a part of the council is an outstanding honor. For me, the opportunity to give back to WGU by assisting in a variety of capacities is an excellent way to help current and future students reach their higher goals through education,” said council member Paula Bradberry, Chief of Respiratory Therapy Department for the Veterans’ Health Administration in Amarillo.

Brent Magers, Executive Associate Dean, School of Medicine and Chief Executive Officer of Texas Tech Physicians, Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, earned his B.S. in Accounting from WGU and earned graduate degrees in Communication and Healthcare Management. “We are part of something innovative and important that is helping individuals earn a degree who might not have had the opportunity in the past or need a specialized degree for their work or personal enrichment,” he said.

These alumni council members offer a unique perspective about what it takes to earn a degree online and as a busy adult learner and are eager to share personal stories about how their educational pathway has impacted their family and career journeys. They will help weave together WGU alumni to provide a network of workforce and philanthropic partnerships for the benefit of current and future students.

Council member Gregory Glover is Head of Business Development for the Washington Technology Industry Association, and a City of Cedar Hill Councilman added “To be able to offer insight and solutions that continue to expand the WGU journey of inclusivity, especially for learners for whom the traditional college experience was out of reach, unaffordable or unattainable is something larger than me. My hope is for the WGU experience to become the gold standard of advanced education and certifications.”

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Media Contact

Leslie Reed, Director, External Communications
385-428-9433

leslie.reed@wgu.edu
More Info: 866-225-5948

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