Board of Trustees Adds Bonnell, Nuttall Higher Learning Commission Reaffirms Davis & Elkins Accreditation

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Board of Trustees Add Bonnell, Nuttall

Higher Learning Commission Reaffirms Davis & Elkins Accreditation

Two Davis & Elkins College alumni are now serving their alma mater as members of the Board of Trustees. Nathaniel Bonnell ’03 was appointed as a new member, while Bill Nuttall ’70 returned to the Board after a term rotation. “Davis & Elkins College is fortunate to have Nathaniel and Bill as members of our Board of Trustees,” said D&E President Chris A. Wood. “Both of these gentlemen credit D&E with molding their lives and careers. They bring expertise from their professional lives coupled with a passion and commitment to the transformative education that is the hallmark of this institution. The addition of their gifts and graces make an excellent Board of Trustees even stronger as they guide this institution.” Bonnell is president and chief executive officer of Citizens Bank of West Virginia as well as president and CEO of the bank’s parent company, Citizens Financial Corp., and a member of the Board of Directors for both organizations. Related to his role in the banking industry, Bonnell serves as a member of the West Virginia Bankers Association Board of Directors, and recently served as an advisory board member for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. Since earning his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and management from D&E in 2003, Bonnell has served the College and the Randolph County community. He is a former member of the College’s National Alumni Council and in 2007 was presented the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. Locally, Bonnell is an assistant director for the 2021 Mountain State Forest Festival, serves on the Board of Directors of the Randolph County Development Authority, Rotary Club of Elkins, and is past president of the Randolph-Tucker Children’s Advocacy Center’s Board of Directors. He is a member of American Institute of CPAs and West Virginia Society of CPAs, and recently joined the Mountain State Chapter of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization), an organization made up of CEOs younger than age 45. In 2013, Bonnell was named Business Man of the Year by the ElkinsRandolph County Chamber of Commerce. He is a 2014 graduate of Leadership West Virginia. In 2018, he was selected to take part in a roundtable discussion on tax reform with President Donald J. Trump in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. He was also named a 2020 Young Gun by West Virginia Executive Magazine. In addition to his degree from Davis & Elkins, Bonnell holds a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation, having received the WVSCPA Merit Award in 2003 for earning the highest score on the CPA exam in the state of West Virginia. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from West Virginia University in May 2007 and is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and Chartered Global Management Accountant. Bonnell and his wife, Christina, ’04 reside in Elkins with their two children. Nuttall led the Board of Trustees as chair from 2018 to 2020 and served as a member from 2011 to 2020. Nuttall Field was named in his honor after he and alumnus Hank Steinbrecher ’71 formed the Finish the Field Campaign Committee and raised $600,000 to construct the Astroturf soccer and lacrosse field. The committee was honored with the College’s Tower Award in 2013. A goalie and co-captain for the Senators 1968 and 1970 NAIA National Championship team, and 1969 runner-up team, Nuttall was the 1969 NAIA Tournament MVP and the 1970 first team All American goalkeeper. He was inducted into the Davis & Elkins College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991. Former owner of Golden Viking Sports, Nuttall’s career has spanned the professional and collegiate field as a player and coach, the business side of managing the sport on a national level, and play-by-play coverage of ESPN’s inaugural soccer broadcast. Nuttall’s career in playing professional soccer includes three seasons in the American Soccer League and three seasons in the North American Soccer League. He later coached at Florida International University and for the professional team Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He moved on to become the director of player personnel for the Dallas Sidekicks and then was hired by the United States Soccer Federation as general manager of the U.S. national teams as the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994. As a marketing executive, Nuttall has worked for Mitre Sports, LJO International, Soccer Marketing and Promotions, and Diadora. Nuttall was honored by the West Virginia Soccer Association as a Hall of Fame Meritorious Inductee to the class of 2020, a recognition based on his connections to soccer in West Virginia, as well as his accomplishments on a national and international level. In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree from D&E, Nuttall earned a Master of Arts degree from Florida International University. Nuttall and his wife, Beth, ’71 reside in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They have one daughter, Courtney, and four grandchildren.

Nathaniel Bonnell Bill Nuttall

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has reaffirmed accreditation for Davis & Elkins College following comprehensive virtual and onsite reviews earlier this year. The status will continue for the next 10 years with a reaffirmation of accreditation scheduled for 2030-2031. HLC is a regional accreditor, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, whose authority extends over colleges and universities in 19 states from West Virginia to Wyoming. “Once every 10 years, our accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, thoroughly reviews all aspects of the educational experience provided to students,” Davis & Elkins College President Chris A. Wood said. “This peer evaluation ensures that the College is delivering upon the promises we make. The reaccreditation we have received is an affirmation of the high-quality education that awaits every student at Davis & Elkins College. That high quality has been a hallmark of this College for decades and continues to be.” Institutional accreditation validates the quality of an institution and evaluates multiple aspects of an institution ranging from its academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances and resources. Institutional accreditation encompasses the institution as a whole, including all academic programs, all degree levels and both onsite and online course delivery.