Harding University appoints three new members to board of trustees

May 16, 2022 |

Harding University announced the addition of Mark Crews, Dr. Swaid Swaid and Mark Weeks to its board of trustees on May 6, 2022. Crews, Swaid and Weeks will attend their first board meeting in June. Their appointment brings the number to 23 men and women serving as Harding’s governing body.

“Each of these men are great supporters of the University and align with our mission,” said Robert Walker, chairman of the board of trustees. “They will each bring a unique talent and will join with the current board in thinking strategically as we transition to our new president.”

Crews currently serves on the board of directors for Texas Institute of Science, Cimarron Energy and Detechtion Technologies. He has held several leadership positions including executive-in-residence for Summit Partners, senior vice president and general manager within the Oilfield Division for Lufkin Industries and vice president for Cameron International Corp. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and completed a program for management development from Harvard Business School. Crews and his wife, Roxi, live in Searcy, Arkansas, and have three children.

Swaid is a neurosurgeon and currently serves as CEO of the Surgical Institute of Alabama. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and serves as chairman of the Certificate of Need Board of the Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency. He has held numerous positions including medical director of CyberKnife of Birmingham, chairman of the Department of Surgery at Brookwood Medical Center, chairman of the Neuroscience Division and medical director of HealthSouth Medical Center. Swaid graduated from Harding with a degree in biology and earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Alabama in Birmingham Medical School. He and his wife, Christy, live in Birmingham, with their two children.

Weeks is the founder of Woodmark Associates LLC, an investment management company based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Previously, he served as senior vice president of finance and controller for CVS Caremark Rx Inc. and as a senior manager at Ernst & Young. Weeks earned his undergraduate degrees in accounting and computer science from Harding and his Master of  Business Administration from Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management. He is a CPA and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Brentwood and have three children.

Additionally, longtime board member Richard Gibson announced his retirement from the board on May 6, after serving 54 years.

“Richard will be sorely missed as he has served on the finance/investment committee and overseen the growth of our endowment,” said Walker. “His contribution to the board has been unmatched.”

Harding University is a private Christian, liberal arts university located in Searcy, Arkansas. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, it is the largest private university in the state. Harding’s student body represents students from across the U.S. and more than 50 nations and territories. The University offers more than 100 undergraduate majors; more than 15 preprofessional programs; more than 40 graduate and professional programs; as well as numerous study abroad opportunities including locations in Australasia, Peru, England, Greece, Italy and Zambia. For more information, visit harding.edu .