MOBILE, Ala. – University of Mobile faculty, staff, trustees and special guests gathered April 16 at College Woods Center on campus for an evening filled with laughter and remembrances honoring outgoing president and first lady Dr. Lonnie and Lynne Burnett.
UM Board of Trustees Chair Terry Harbin announced that College Woods Center will now be renamed the Lonnie & Lynne Burnett Event Center, in honor of the couple who worked side-by-side to refurbish the facility that now provides performance space for the Alabama School of the Arts, as well as meeting and banquet space for university, community and corporate events.
Dr. Daven Watkins, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Pelham, Alabama, and father of a graduating student, spoke about the impact Burnett and the university had in his daughter’s life. Harbin and former Trustee Chair Fred Wilson recalled highlights and challenges of the past five years during Burnett’s tenure as president of his alma mater. Among those challenges was a global pandemic that started four months after the history professor and university administrator took the helm of the Christian university.
Under Burnett’s leadership, the University of Mobile did more than survive – the university thrived. Now, as Burnett delivers his final commencement address to the Class of 2024 on May 4, he hands over to incoming president Dr. Charles Smith a university positioned for future growth.
“It has been my honor to be your president for the last five years and, more importantly, to be your friend and colleague for many years before that,” Burnett told those gathered at the Lonnie & Lynne Burnett Event Center.
The theme throughout the evening was: Through it all, God is faithful.
Burnett referred to Noah in the Old Testament. “When times were at their lowest, God promised to deliver Noah. But he made him build that boat…We have done that together. We are still building that boat…It’s a good boat. It’s heading in the right direction. And its captain is way bigger than me or you.
“May God bless you all. And may God continue to richly bless the University of Mobile,” Burnett said.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university with a vision of “Higher Education for a Higher Purpose,” founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions in an environment where they are known. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, the university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs.The University of Mobile was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the University of Mobile unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.