Message From The EOU Board Chair

Welcome fellow alumni, friends and colleagues, 

It is my pleasure to introduce this latest issue of The Mountaineer. Just like so many aspects of our university, this publication has transformed since I joined EOU’s newly established Board of Trustees in 2015. As an EOU Foundation Board Member, through scholarships I witnessed the opportunity of a college degree dramatically change the lives of our students. Today, as Chair of the EOU Board of Trustees, I continue to experience the myriad ways our community grows, thrives and serves the region on a daily basis. 

My own career began at an EOU campus noticeboard, where a job posting connected me with a network of entrepreneurial opportunity that has continued to flourish today. The confidence instilled in me by the faculty and staff at EOU has had a dramatic affect on my life. My own children and neighbors have also discovered their potential at EOU. Giving back to the institution that has given me so much is truly an honor and a privilege.   

As we work to grow the number of lives impacted, I am constantly reminded of the transformational education EOU provides. Low-income, first-generation, rural and traditionally marginalized students thrive in the supportive, tight-knit culture fostered here. These stories exemplify EOU’s role as an educational, cultural and economic engine for rural places. 

Expanding access, opportunity and completion promises a growing workforce, thriving communities, and renewed commitment to service and philanthropy. This issue of The Mountaineer showcases EOU students, alumni and faculty contributing to the wellbeing of our region. EOU is able to grow, thrive, and serve because of the individuals who do just that both personally and in the public square. 

I am interminably grateful to work alongside you all. 

Sincerely, 

Richard Chaves, ‘73

Chair, EOU Board of Trustees