August 07, 2002 Trustees cite expansion, new input as reasoning MARIETTA ã Life University¼s Board of Trustees appointed three new members to its panel T 08/07/02 By Phillip Giltman Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer MARIETTA ã Life University¼s Board of Trustees appointed three new members to its panel Tuesday as the school continues its battle to regain accreditation. Following the June resignation of former trustee chairman Dr. Rebecca Ray, the board announced the appointment of Dr. Thomas Klapp, Dr. Robert De Bonis and Dr. Sharon Gorman, expanding the 12- member panel to 15. „One trustee had resigned and we wanted to enlarge the board,¾ said board member Judge Kenneth Nix. Board of Trustees chairman Dr. Chuck Ribley sounded very optimistic about the board¼s move to add three new members. „I think they will work effectively to support the reaccreditation process,¾ Ribley said. „I feel with the amount of work that is involved that we could use more trustees to help the institution be as prestigious as it can be. More minds make a better institution.¾ Panel member Dr. Stewart Rowberry said he wouldn¼t have recommended the new trustees if they weren¼t qualified to help the school regain its accreditation. Trustee Lee Scroggins, who was not certain whether the additional trustees would help the school regain accreditation, said the board had been depleted over the years and appointing three new members was a good move. „They have good qualifications,¾ he said. „I don¼t know if it will help the school regain its accreditation, but I¼m sure it won¼t hurt.¾ Dr. Klapp, who graduated from Life in 1979, has practiced in Ann Arbor, Mich., since 1980. He has served on two Council on Chiropractic Education visiting teams and currently serves as president of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations. „It¼s going to be a challenge, and I¼m doing it for the love of the university and my alma mater,¾ he said. „I think the university will be reaccredited, and I have faith in a lot of the people involved.¾ Dr. De Bonis, a graduate of New York Chiropractic College, has managed a New York-based chiropractic practice since 1978. He was also a founding member and officer of the New York State Chiropractic Council and has served on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. He is the current chair of the New York State Board for Chiropractic. „Robert has dedicated his life to the chiropractic cause,¾ Ribley said in a prepared statement. „His 24 years of chiropractic practice and continuous demonstrations of leadership in the field prove that he has the knowledge, experience and talent to help secure the success of Life University.¾ Dr. Gorman, a 1984 Life graduate who currently manages three chiropractic offices in Pennsylvania, serves as a Pennsylvania representative to the Life University Alumni Association and is the Northeast Regional Director of the Chiropractic Fellowship of Pennsylvania. „Sharon¼s alumni relations and loyalty to Life University makes her a valuable addition to the Board of Trustees,¾ Ribley said in a press release. „She has been a member of the President¼s Circle, the schools donor program for many years and spoken to our students on several occasions. Her participation will help Life survive its current crisis with dignity and continue its success into the future.¾ pgiltman@mdjonline.com