GREENVILLE, S.C. (June 27, 2022) – Bob Jones University President Steve Pettit announced today the appointment of Richard Stratton as dean of the School of Business effective August 1. Stratton succeeds Mike Buiter who is transitioning to a part-time faculty role and will serve as dean emeritus.
After an extensive search yielded several candidates, the selection process included interactions with University leadership, faculty and staff representatives, students, as well as formal interviews with the provost and the executive team.
“I am honored to rejoin the BJU family as dean of the School of Business,” said Stratton. “I’m looking forward to building on its strong foundation, expanding upon and promoting the vision to provide an innovative, intellectually robust education that produces highly competent, biblically-minded business leaders.”
Stratton will assume the primary day-to-day responsibility for the School of Business which has a 75-year tradition of excellence with approximately 400 students, 15 faculty, six academic programs and nearly 4,700 graduates.
Stratton completed a BS in accounting from BJU in 1981. In 1994, he earned a PhD in business administration from The University of Georgia (UGA).
After working as an accountant at Deloitte, he returned to BJU as an accounting instructor in 1983. Over the years, he served as Division of Accounting chair and later as dean of the School of Business from 1998-2002.
He left BJU in 2002 to become president of Clearwater Christian College in Clearwater, Florida, where he served for a decade.
Following Clearwater, he returned to the Upstate to serve as executive pastor at Heritage Bible Church.
From 2014 to the present, Stratton has worked at Jackson Dawson, a comprehensive agency that serves as the hub for a diverse portfolio of brands and creative solutions, in Dearborn, Michigan. He became director of operations for a startup subsidiary, HealthXL, in 2018. In addition, Stratton has taught classes at BJU School for Continuing, Online and Professional Education, an online platform for post-traditional students, since 2020.
“Dr. Stratton has both academic and practical business experience. His ability to build relationships will serve him well as he seeks to foster community among our business faculty and students,” said BJU President Steve Pettit. “Most important, he understands the University’s mission and will continue the work of applying a biblical worldview emphasis throughout the School of Business.”
Richard and his wife, Holly (‘82), have two adult children, Michael and Maycee (‘18). He serves as an elder and pastor at Resurrection Church in Lincoln Park, Michigan.
