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Anderson University elects current TSA head as new university president
Anderson University today elected its fifth president to lead the almost 100-year-old school. Trustees have chosen the current head of the Transportation Safety Administration.
Anderson University president-elect John Pistole says moving from a long career at the FBI to heading the Transportation Safety Administration to then moving back to his hometown to lead his alma mater was a career path he didn’t see coming.
“Even though it wasn’t on my radar, as far as this is something I should be pursuing, just really had the sense of yes, this is something I need to be open to and and then leave the outcome to God.”
But now that the AU Board of Trustees has officially given him the job, he says he’s looking forward to making a difference on a different-sized scale.
“I’m looking forward to a number of the opportunities to work in an environment where you can spend more time getting to know people. You know, TSA, we have over 60,000 employees.”
Pistole has strong ties to the small Church of God liberal arts school.
In addition to being a graduate of what was then-called Anderson College, his parents and three older siblings are also graduates. His father taught at AU’s School of Theology and his sister is a recently-retired AU professor.
And then there’s Pistole’s wife, Cathy Harp, who he met freshman year in an Old Testament study class. Harp’s family has also taught at the school.
Board member Patricia Seasor Bailey led the Presidential Search Committee.
“We learned that he can ask for money. He’s had to ask Congress.”
She says in addition to Pistole’s professional accomplishments, committee members called him innovative, a good ambassador for his causes, a good communicator, and a God-driven man.
Current AU president Dr. James Edwards has led the school for 25 years. Joking that he is very glad to see this day come, Edwards will hand over the president’s office to Pistole on March 1, two months after Pistole’s duties at the TSA are finished.
