In February, the Brescia University Board of Trustees added three new members: Rick Higdon, Sister Carol Shively, and Kevin Schwartz.
Rick Higdon and his wife reside in Marietta, Georgia. He is the President and CEO of Turnpoint Solutions, a boutique, global technology consulting company serving customers in the mining, transportation, and energy industries. Prior to founding Turnpoint, he was President of the Mobility workforce management division of Axiom. He has served for ten years in various positions of increasing responsibility with the software company, Mincom, where he led Latin American operations, North American sales, and was regional CFO. Rick received his bachelor of science in accounting from Brescia College in 1986. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Sister Carol Shively is an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph who resides in Bossier City, Louisiana. In 1999 she was appointed superintendant of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Shreveport. She presides over 2,200 elementary and high school students in seven schools in northern Louisiana; five elementary schools, two high schools, and Loyola College Prep in Shreveport; and Saint Frederick in Monroe. Prior to being superintendent in Louisiana, Sr. Carol was superintendent in Beaumont, Texas for a couple years. She has also held the roles of principal and teacher. Sr. Carol received her bachelor of science from Brescia College in 1983 and has also completed a master’s in education administration.
Kevin Schwartz and his wife reside in Owensboro. He is the founder and managing partner of Schwartz CPA Group, which employs 20 plus full-time and part-time staff providing audit, Write UP, payroll and tax services to western Kentucky and southern Indiana. Prior to founding Schwartz CPA Group, Kevin worked for a large accounting firm, PicewaterhouseCoopers, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was awarded the 2010 Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Board Director of the Year and the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Chamber. He serves on the Junior Achievement of Western Kentucky, Rotary Club of Owensboro, Western Kentucky Botanical Garden, and Kentucky State Society of CPA’s committees. Kevin received his bachelor of business administration in finance from the University of Kentucky and a master of business administration with an emphasis in tax from the University of Central Missouri.
Also at the February Board of Trustees meeting, the Board gave final approval of the University’s Five Year Strategic Plan, which places emphasis on academics, student services, stewardship, community engagement and Brescia’s Ursuline legacy.