By Colter Hettich, Features Editor

A host of faculty and prominent members of the Abilene community officially welcomed Dr. Jim Porter to the ACU campus on Wednesday morning. Porter will serve for the next three years as ACU’s first-ever entrepreneur-in-residence.

Dr. Royce Money, president of the university, welcomed the crowd and shared how he thinks Porter’s vision falls in line with the business department’s creed “to prepare global leaders.”

“It is wonderful to have a man of his stature and qualifications here to share his experiences with our students,” Money said.

Porter serves on two public company boards, two privately held company boards, Abilene Christian University’s Board of Trustees and Pepperdine University’s Board of Regents, where he oversees their $700 million portfolio. For the Springboard Ideas Challenge, he helped raise $30,000 from local businesses in less than a week.

Porter’s current duties, though many, are merely icing on his resume cake.

For 12 years, Porter worked as CEO and president of Triad systems. During his time as CEO and president, the market value of Triad rose from $54 million to $366 million.

He has an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M and completed graduate studies at Harvard University. He also served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force and as systems engineering manager at IBM.

Jack Rich, senior vice president and chief investment officer, said his role up to this point has been one of support. He has known and worked with Porter for 15 years – both serve on
ACU’s investment committee – and is “just delighted” that Porter has decided to play a more active role in preparing business students for entrepreneurship.

“He’s an unusual individual in that he has a heart for students and a heart for helping build something we’ve never seen before,” Rich said.

Dr. Richard Lytle, dean of the College of Business Administration, also sang Porter’s praises.

“He is a man of passion . and a man that pursues excellence,” Lytle said. “He loves students, loves God and loves the American marketplace.”

Porter spoke briefly Wednesday morning and shared with the crowd his vision for teaching students how to make their dreams and ideas a reality.

“We need more Christian entrepreneurs building businesses,” Porter said. “If we can awaken the spirit of entrepreneurship in these students, we will have done something significant.”