DBU REPORT 30 “I am so blessed to have the opportunity to serve at DBU, and I count it a gift to steward what the Lord has given us as an institution. The mission and vision of DBU changed my life, they changed my wife’s life, and I want to be part of the organization that the Lord is still using to change others’ lives.” A DBU Patriot through and through, Dan Gibson attended DBU as a student, worked as a full-time staff member in a variety of different capacities, and now serves in the role of Vice President for Graduate Affairs. Dan is passionate about the values DBU holds dear and aims to faithfully pass on all the Lord has blessed him with. Dan was born in Bismarck, North Dakota. Because his father worked in the coal and natural gas business, he grew up in a number of states throughout his childhood including Illinois, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, moving as his father’s job required. He would not come to know the great state of Texas until he attended DBU to complete his undergraduate studies. Dan accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior while attending a Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church of Pinckneyville, Illinois, when he was eight years old. It was not until he was a senior in high school that he began to seriously pursue Christ. He believes that the decision to attend DBU came as a direct result of taking ownership of his faith and beginning to seek the Lord in each decision he made. In 2002, he began his long and ongoing career as a DBU Patriot. “When I arrived at DBU, it was really the first time I had been around a large group of people for an extended amount of time who were fellow Christians,” Dan explains. “My freshman year was an DAN GIBSON NAMED VICE PRESIDENT FOR GRADUATE AFFAIRS extremely pivotal year for me and my Christian walk.” Dan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2006. Soon after, he began working full-time on campus while pursuing his MBA, which he obtained in 2009, and he will soon complete his Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership degree. Prior to his employment at DBU, he worked in youth ministry. He then began serving at DBU in the Apartment Life division, followed by time spent in the President’s Office with Dr. Gary Cook, and then venturing into various enrollment positions. Dan went on to spend a period of time working at Prestonwood Baptist Church in the business and operations side of their ministry. The Lord then guided him to start his own insurance business, which he did for a few years before returning to DBU. Since then, he served in Student Affairs and in the President’s Office as Chief of Staff for Dr. Adam Wright. Now, nearly 20 years after stepping onto campus as a freshman, Dan has accepted this new role of Vice President for Graduate Affairs. “It has been quite a roller-coaster ride, and I have enjoyed the journey immensely,” Dan says. “Looking back now, I see how the Lord has used each of these positions to shape me and my leadership and allow me various opportunities to learn and grow.” Dan is married to Janae, who graduated from DBU with her Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2004. Together, the Gibsons have two children, Jae Beth (11) and Daniel Jr. (10). The family lives in Midlothian, Texas, and attends First Baptist Church of Dallas, where Dan serves as a deacon.
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