Pepperdine hosted the 43rd annual Associate Dinner on May 11th 2019 at LA Live in Downtown Los Angelos.
Photos by Kaelin Mendez
The President of Pepperdine Andrew K. Benton was the keynote speaker of the event. He reflected on his almost 19 years of serving as the President.
Other members of the Pepperdine community were in attendance including the Chancellor of Pepperdine Sara Jackson and the incoming President of Pepperdine Jim Gash and his wife and incoming First Lady of Pepperdine Joline Gash.
The event began with the Senior Vice President for Advancement and Public Affairs and Chief Development Officer of Pepperdine Keith Hinkle of Pepperdine welcoming the guests of the dinner.
“This evening is particularly special because we are honoring AKB,” said Hinkle. “President Benton is not motivated by hunger for power but for the passion to help others succeed.”
President Benton began his keynote address by listing a statistic.
“I have presided over154 commencements, shook 52,000 hands, and each one is precious.”
Benton continued with his speech by telling the audience of the five goals he listed in his inaugural address in 2000. Those goals were: strengthening resources, strengthening diversity, strengthening connection with faith, strengthening Pepperdine’s sense of community and strengthening both scholarship and research.
Benton announced that he had accomplished these goals, but “there is not sense of arrival.”
He encouraged the Pepperdine community to keep growing because, “we are still arriving”
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