Following a national search, Lubbock Christian University has announced the appointment of Matt Bumstead as Dean of the LCU School of Business. The longtime, Lubbock business professional and civic leader was selected from a field of exceptional finalists and will begin his role at the beginning of the fall 2020 semester, following the retirement of current dean, Tracy Mack.
Bumstead is no stranger to LCU. In 2016, he was appointed CEO-in-Residence for the LCU School of Business with the express purpose of engaging students from the perspective of his real-world professional experiences of integrating faith into the workplace. The capstone class he teaches for graduating seniors draws on his expertise as a practitioner to equip LCU business students to become Christ-centered industry leaders and to advance LCU’s "business as ministry" initiative.
“I have an overwhelming passion for both the mission of Lubbock Christian University and the rare and priceless experience that it creates for all those students and faculty members who get to be a part of it,” said Bumstead. “Work in business was never meant to be something seen as separate from the practice of our faith. At LCU, we are intensely driven toward preparing leaders who will live out a calling to serve others in the world of business, operating from the understanding that doing business God’s way is very, very good business.”
Bumstead is an active member of the Lubbock community and is best known for his distinguished career with United Supermarkets, having served as co-president for nine years and on their board 17 years. He has also served in numerous leadership roles in organizations including Lubbock Area United Way, Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Methodist Foundation, and Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association.
LCU’s President, Dr. Scott McDowell said, “I am absolutely thrilled that Matt Bumstead has agreed to embrace this responsibility and expand his influence here at Lubbock Christian University. Even in my short time in Lubbock, I have been so impressed by Matt’s keen professional insights and his incredible ability to naturally and genuinely engage students, drawing the very best out of each one of them. Everyone who knows Matt Bumstead knows that he is the right person to lead this college to even higher levels of excellence.”
Bumstead’s diverse experience and leadership of one of Lubbock’s most prominent, successful, and community-oriented businesses uniquely prepares him to lead the LCU School of Business, the largest undergraduate program in the university. The school, recently awarded full accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), offers academic programs in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Information Systems, and Digital Media Arts, and will initiate a Masters in Accounting this summer. Students who study in these programs excel academically, and upon graduation, are values-centered leaders in organizations not only in this region, but throughout the United States.
Dr. Foy Mills, Jr., LCU Provost and Chief Academic Officer exclaimed, “I am extremely pleased to welcome Matt into his new role as Dean of the LCU School of Business. He inherits a great legacy of accomplishment begun by Dr. Christa Dobbs decades ago and led more recently by Dean Tracy Mack. Yet, what I am most excited about is Matt’s incredible ability to integrate faith and learning, a hallmark of LCU. I know that he will lead well.”
Bumstead is replacing Dean Tracy Mack, who is retiring after serving as dean of the business school for the past five years. Mack had been a member of the business school faculty for 20 years before his tenure as dean. The Tracy Mack Legacy Endowed Scholarship has been set up to honor Dean Mack and to benefit business students.
“At LCU we are equipping students for lives of purpose and service, and so we are unapologetic about screening for strong character in the hiring process,” said President McDowell. “Our faculty wield an amazing amount of influence in our students’ lives, and on a personal note—I always want to hire the kind of faculty that I would be grateful if my own sons turned out like them. Matt Bumstead passes that test, and I’m looking forward to the impact he will make on future generations of LCU students.”
Bumstead said, “We are a business school focused on creating lasting success and long-term returns by staying focused on what really matters to businesses in the real world. Graduates of the LCU School of Business will be sought after – not only for their strong work ethic, humility, and integrity, but also for mission-focused energy, positive contribution, winning attitude, and commitment to high standards in all they do. Our commitment and expectation is this: any firm that hires one of our students will want another one as soon as possible.”