ORU Welcomes New Board of Trustees Members
ORU is excited to welcome six new members to the University’s Board of Trustees. The
Board voted earlier this month to elect Dr. Phyllis Allen, Dr. Sterling Brackett,
Russell Evans, Dru Hammer, Tracy Houston, and Erich Lau. They will be officially installed
at the Board’s spring meeting in April.
“We are honored that these distinguished men and women have decided to give of their
time and talents to help ORU develop Whole Leaders for the Whole World,” said Dr.
William M. Wilson, ORU President. “We know each of them will bring a strategic vision
to the board as ORU continues its unprecedented global growth and attracts students
from more nations, expanding its influence in different spheres of leadership.”
Dr. Phyllis Allen currently serves as a mentor and education advisor for children
in the Georgia foster care system. Before that, she practiced podiatry for nearly
a decade and has also served as an adjunct professor at various colleges and universities.
Allen earned her undergraduate degree at St. John’s University, post-graduate work
at Columbia University, and a graduate education at the New York College of Podiatric
Medicine. She also has a Masters of Divinity from Liberty University.
Dr. Sterling Brackett is an ordained minister with The Foursquare Church, and has served in various ministry roles over the last 45 years. He recently retired as the Corporate Secretary and Vice President of Corporate Affairs for The Foursquare Church. Sterling also pastored an Arabic-speaking church in California for 11 years and served for 10 years as President of Life Bible College East in Virginia.
Russell Evans is the founding pastor of Planetshakers Church in Melbourne, Australia and is considered one of the leading international Christian communicators for this generation. Before founding Planetshakers, Evans served under his father’s leadership as Youth Pastor at Paradise Church in South Australia. The annual Planetshakers Conference, held in multiple locations around the world, has grown to over 45,000 attendees.
Dru Hammer is the founder of her own ministry, Hammeredheart.org, which helps women
and children who have gone through difficult times because of abuse and divorce. She
served 22 years as the corporate secretary and board member of the Armand Hammer Foundation
and for nine years worked with the Los Angeles Dream Center, helping victims of human
trafficking. She serves on the Joyce Meyer Ministries Board of Directors and the National
Board for Childhelp, a non-profit charity aiding victims of child abuse.
Tracy Houston is the co-owner and Chief Information Officer of the John Houston Family
of Companies, a group of seven businesses focused on real estate and construction.
Houston also has extensive experience in the information technology industry. When
she and her husband, John, launched their businesses, they began with a goal to “reach
people for Christ and give to the Kingdom.”
Erich Lau is the President and Founder of Lighthouse Media in Phoenix, Arizona, which for 30 years has worked with Christian ministries to expand their television outreaches. Lau has served Christian Men’s Network as the National Chairman for the Board of Governors and works closely with Kingdom Connection with Jentezen Franklin.