We Are Ready
A President’s Preparation and Purpose
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In August, Jane and I would make our second trip to California as a candidate for president, this time for the final interview. It was Tuesday, two days before Jane and I would fly out. I was probably going to be offered the position of president at CBC. During my weekly one-on-one meeting with Dr. Winters, we covered all the college business that needed our attention. He did not have anything else to talk about, and since I had nothing else to discuss, I asked a parting question. ‘Do you have any advice for me as we go out to California?’ By nature, Dr. Winters was a mild-mannered, methodical individual. I never really saw him get angry or display much passion about most things. I figured he would respond to my question by offering some sage counsel or, at the very least, kind words of blessing and encouragement. As I sat waiting for his reply, however, his expression suddenly grew very serious. What he told me next still rings in my ears. Shaking a forefinger for emphasis, Dr. Winters said, “You know, you can be a president at 38, and a former president at 40. And if you are, you'll probably never be president again.” Wow! That was not at all what I had thought he would say. I was expecting to hear, “We're going to be praying for you,” or “We're encouraging you.” I have been speechless only a few times in my life. This was one of those times. I do not recall if I said anything in response to Dr. Winters’ stark warning. But silently processing his words seared them in my brain. So much so, that they became a tremendous motivator that would serve to focus my thoughts and efforts for years afterward. I was taking a very big career risk. I was in a very good situation at Campbellsville College, arguably where I was the heir apparent. My wife had a good teaching job. Our sons were 11 and nine and they were happy in our idealized, Beaver Cleaver kind of environment. By comparison, the situation in California was a study in contrasts. For one thing, it was just different culturally than Kentucky. The school where I was interviewing was struggling just to pay its bills, let alone increase enrollment and achieve sustainability. But when I did 150 hours of research, I learned some things that really attracted me. One was the number of people in the region. There was a perception that people in the Inland Empire did not have as much money or other resources as their coastal counterparts. But compared to rural Kentucky, there were many more people and much greater wealth. Even the disparity in infrastructure writ large presented a powerful opportunity. Along with the deficit in state judgeships per capita, the region where CBC was located also was lacking in doctors, nurses, and hospital beds per capita. I saw those factors as opportunities to minister. Further, the population of the two-county Inland Empire almost equaled the entire state of Kentucky. Most of that was in the western parts of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. It was the opportunity to service these underserved markets that really attracted me. From the extensive research I had done, I was able to develop and articulate a turnaround vision for CBC, which was struggling financially and in survival mode. In my final interview with the trustees I said, “If you agree to this, and I come, we're going to do this. I'm not selling it to the faculty, the donors, or anybody; we're going to implement it because the situation demands it.’ It was a bold assertion and not the kind of thing I would say if things had been more normal. But the college was in dire straits. I felt it was necessary for me to have the ability to put together a plan, explain that plan, and to let them know that if they hired me, I was going to implement the plan. Still, I realized how difficult it was going to be to succeed. The odds were strong that the school might not be around in three years if they did not get the right person to do a turnaround. After the interview concluded and the trustees were about to vote, I was with Jane in another room. I told her, ‘Now they're going to be voting whether to offer us the presidency. This is a risky decision for us,’ I said solemnly, and then I put out a proverbial fleece. ‘If 10 percent or more of the board do not vote to call us, I'm going to take that as a sign and we're not going to accept,' I said. Jane, incredulous, looked at me without saying a word. ‘I'm serious,’ I said. We were waiting in the historic James Building in a room just down the hall from the Staples Room, where the board was meeting. After the trustees voted, Scott Williamson, the search committee chair, walked in to announce the result. "Congratulations,” he beamed. ‘You're a new president!” He put out his hand out to shake mine, and I said, ‘Wait, what was the vote?’ Williamson looked surprised. But then, as though I ought to have known already, he said, “Well, it's unanimous." “Well, then, I'll accept it,’ I responded.
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About the Book
Turning a small struggling college into a thriving university doesn’t happen by accident. It takes vision. California Baptist University had just 808 students and a projected $834,000 budget deficit when Dr. Ronald L. Ellis was named president in 1994. Thirty years later, the university is thriving with nearly 12,000 students, a competitive athletic program, 10 colleges and professional schools, and an operating budget of $397 million. In We Are Ready: A President’s Preparation and Purpose, Dr. Ellis shares his journey of becoming president and how choosing Matthew 28:19-20 as his favorite verse for a Vacation Bible School assignment became not only his life’s verse but his vision for a University committed to the Great Commission. Dr. Ellis’ humble storytelling of the lessons learned throughout life and his presidency is an inspiration for leaders looking to drive change in an organization and believers seeking to use their God-given talents to live their purpose.
About the Author
Ronald L. Ellis, Ph.D. became the fifth president of California Baptist University on November 1, 1994. Since then, the institution has experienced sweeping changes in almost every facet of university life—from expanding academic programs to a successful athletics program. Enrollment at CBU has grown by 1,377 percent during the Ellis presidency, from 808 in the fall of 1994 to 11,931 in the fall of 2024. During President Ellis’ tenure, the university’s operating budget has increased from $11.3 million to $397 million in FY25. The NCAA Division I Board of Directors in 2022 granted CBU active status as a Division I institution, providing the Lancer athletics teams immediate eligibility for postseason play. Since then, CBU teams scored major accomplishments including: men’s soccer became the first ever back-to-back Western Athletic Conference champions and competed in the NCAA Tournament; men’s cross country was ranked fourth in the nation and both the men’s and women’s teams finished in the top 20 at the NCAA Division I championship; women’s basketball won the WAC championship game and stamped their first-ever ticket to the March Madness tournament; swim and dive sent two athletes to the NCAA Championship; STUNT earned its fourth national championship; women’s golf had a WAC Tournament champion; and track and field brought home a silver medal at the National Championships. Since the beginning of the four-year NCAA Division I transition, the Lancers have won 15 conference championships, logged 34 top-three conference finishes, and qualified 35 teams for postseason tournaments involving Division I programs. In 2020-21, women’s basketball went undefeated during the regular season and the conference tournament. Other athletic accomplishments include winning the Pacific West Conference Commissioner’s Cup six times and the NCAA Division II Learfield Directors Cup. President Ellis became the first leader of a PacWest member institution to serve on the NCAA Division II Presidents Council. His dedication to advancing sport at CBU earned him a special recognition in the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame Class of 2023. New construction, renovation of existing facilities, and property acquisitions have dramatically transformed CBU’s beautiful Southern California campus. The university has been the recipient of numerous beautification awards from the Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful program. For the 19th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named CBU one of “America’s Best Colleges” for 2025. CBU also was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as No. 1 in the country for career preparedness and No. 2 for best student experience. Under the leadership of President Ellis, CBU has developed into a premier comprehensive Christian university, comprising 10 colleges and professional schools, offering more than 175 majors and minors as well as 41 graduate programs and nine doctoral programs. President Ellis received a bachelor’s degree from Houston Baptist University in 1977 and a master’s degree in educational administration from Baylor University in 1981. In 1987, he completed a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Texas A&M University. President Ellis and his wife, Jane Dowden Ellis, are active members of Magnolia Church in Riverside, where he has served as chair of the board of trustees. They have two sons and 14 grandchildren. Dr. Mark A. Wyatt is vice president emeritus of California Baptist University. He served CBU as vice president for marketing and communication from 2002 until his retirement on January 31, 2020. Dr. Wyatt led the CBU professional staff responsible for branding, advertising, public relations, media relations, publications, and internet marketing activities. He also supervised the use of campus facilities by campus groups and external clients. Along with his administrative duties, Dr. Wyatt held the faculty rank of assistant professor of communication arts. Prior to joining the CBU administration, Dr. Wyatt served more than 18 years as chief communications officer for California Southern Baptist Convention and editor of The California Southern Baptist newspaper. He has more than 50 years’ experience in higher education administration, organizational communications, journalism, pastoral ministry and media including 14 years as a radio and television news reporter and anchor. Dr. Wyatt was active in community affairs as an institutional representative for CBU on the International Relations Council for the City of Riverside and served as a director or member of two other non-profit organizations: The Riverside Arts Council; and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. He is a 2004 graduate of the Riverside Chamber’s acclaimed ‘Leadership Riverside’ program. He served as recording secretary for the Board of Directors of the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities and as national secretary of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities’ Commission for Public Relations Officers. He also was a member of the American Marketing Association–Inland Empire and is a lifetime member and former officer of the Baptist Communicators Association. Dr. Wyatt earned a Doctor of Ministry in Executive Leadership from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, California (now Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention in Ontario, California); a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky; and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts from Valdosta State University in Georgia. Dr. Wyatt and his wife, Jean, have been married 53 years and reside in Riverside, California. They have three children and nine grandchildren.