New Ricks College President Announced

The First Presidency has announced the appointment of Dr. David A. Bednar of Fayetteville, Arkansas, as president of Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho.

Brother Bednar, 44, has been a business management professor at the University of Arkansas. He succeeds President Steven D. Bennion, who recently accepted the presidency of Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. Brother Bednar began his new responsibilities on 1 July 1997.

“I am humbled, overwhelmed, and incredibly excited about this new opportunity,” said Brother Bednar. “The mission at Ricks College is clear-cut: to foster faith in the Savior, build testimonies, and provide a quality education. My goal is to continue to enhance the effectiveness with which we achieve that mission.”

A native of San Leandro, California, Brother Bednar earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. After graduation, he taught at the University of Arkansas for four years and then taught two years at Texas Tech University before returning to the U of A. While at the University of Arkansas, he received the College of Business Administration’s outstanding teacher award twice and was honored as the outstanding faculty member of the university. He has authored several books on organizational behavior.

At the time he was chosen as the new Ricks College president, Brother Bednar was serving as an Area Authority Seventy in the North America Southwest Area. He is a former bishop and stake president. He and his wife, Susan Kae Robinson Bednar, have three sons.

David A. Bednar