Dr. Barbara Damron is thrilled to be visiting SWAU’s campus once again, as she helps lead the celebration for the Nursing Department’s 50th Anniversary – a department she benefited from at its very inception. Dr. Damron attended Southwestern Adventist University 1971-1973 as a nursing major. She is currently a member of Southwestern’s Board of Trustees. She received a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Southwestern Adventist University in 2024. She received her BSN from Union College in 1975, an MSN from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1980, and completed her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin in 1996.
 
Dr. Damron has had an impactful career spanning 49 years of experience as an education executive, an advanced practice nurse, a health care executive, a college professor, an international consultant and a cancer scientist. She is currently a tenured professor of nursing and of medicine at the University of New Mexico, where she holds the endowed Ridenour/Mason New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium Fellowship.  She was formerly the Chief Government Relations Officer at the University of New Mexico and formerly the Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Higher Education Department, appointed by the New Mexico governor. She had oversight of the state's 28 public institutions of higher education, 4 tribal colleges and over 190 private and proprietary post-secondary schools. 
 
Dr. Damron has received over 30 international, national, and state awards. She was not only the first in her family to go to college, but she was also the first in her family to go to high school, lending even more impact to her legacy.  

Pastor Adam Keating is thrilled to return to his alma mater as a 15-year graduate. He is currently the senior pastor at the Crowley Seventh-day Adventist Church, where he is excited about the work God is accomplishing through the members of the church. Guided by the words of John 10:10 - “I came so everyone would have life and have it fully” - he is passionate about engaging everyone in serving Jesus Christ and fostering holistic well-being, believing that all believers are called to serve others.
 
He lives out this calling at home with his family—his wife, Eva, and their two sons, Grayson and Landon. As a family, they enjoy traveling and sampling delicious food from around the world. Pastor Keating also finds inspiration in photography, running, and reading.
 
Pastor Keating is a proud graduate of Southwestern Adventist University (2010) where he earned his degree in Theology, and of Andrews Theological Seminary (2014) where he received a Master of Divinity. He will soon graduate with an EdD in Organizational Leadership from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is studying what makes people resilient and exploring ways to strengthen the traits that help navigate life's challenges effectively. He is enthusiastic about opportunities to share and teach these principles with others.
 

Pastor Edrey Santos excitedly returns to Southwestern Adventist University as a twenty-year
alumnus. After graduating in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in theology, Pastor Santos has spent two decades in different forms of ministry. His journey with Jesus has led to places and experiences Pastor Santos never imagined. He has pastored churches, taught and coached academy students, and spent half his career in the hospital setting as a chaplain and Ministry Site Mentor for student chaplains in training. In 2018, as the Director of the Mission Integration team, Pastor Santos guided the leaders of Parker Adventist Hospital in executing the organization’s mission statement (“to extend the healing ministry of Christ”) within their respective departments. He currently serves as the pastor to the congregations of Sheridan, Buffalo, Gillette, Upton and Newcastle SDA Churches for the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Pastor Santos has a passion in whole person care, focusing on the unity between mind, body, and spirit. He believes the main purpose in life is to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ! Transformation of character and attitude, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, brings forth a born-again spirit that Jesus speaks of in His interaction with Nicodemus.

Married for eighteen years this May, Pastor Santos and his wife, Bobbi, enjoy the great outdoors and their four pets (two horses and two dogs). They love to camp, overland, off-road, and hike “14ers” in Colorado. Pastor Santos’ other hobbies are carpentry, sports, and cars. They delight in spoiling their nine nieces and nephew. Pastor Santos has a degree in art, computer animation and graphic designs. He completed his MDiv in 2021. Pastor Santos was born in Manila, Philippines, but was raised in Houston, Texas, and still claims his roots as a Texan in Wyoming.

Pastor Keith L. Gray is delighted to return to his alma mater of 30 years (and 34 years!) where he has also spent a good portion of his career. A Texas boy, he grew up as a member of the Bellfort SDA Church in Houston, Texas. He has been preaching the gospel since the age of 16.  
 
Pastor Gray is a two-time graduate of Southwestern Adventist University, first receiving his BS in Education (1991) and later, responding to the call of God on his life, he received his BA in Theology (1995). He also has his Master’s from Andrews Theological Seminary. He has served as pastor in the Texas SDA Conference, as associate chaplain at Southwestern Adventist University, as VP of enrollment, and as assistant to the president of Southwestern Adventist University. He has also served as Director of Youth and Family Ministries for the Southwest Region Conference.  More recently, he served as the Dean for the School of Leadership for North Dallas Adventist Academy. He has served as the head Pastor of the Acts 2 SDA Church for almost 8 years.
 
Pastor Gray has preached all over the United States and across the world in countries as near as Canada and as far away from his homeland as Australia, Taiwan, Tonga, Kenya, South Africa, Ireland and many other places. God has blessed him with a unique ability to make the word of God come alive to young and old audiences alike.
 
His greatest earthly accomplishment was convincing the former Miss Charmaine Hylton (Molly to her friends) of Jamaica, West Indies to change her last name to his. They have been married and serving the Lord for over 30 years and still going strong.  They have a daughter, Carissa, who is a teenager.
 
His boast is in the grace of His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and he has dedicated his life to telling souls who are hungry where they can find the Bread of Life.  

Sherry Fisher is a Registered Nurse and currently works as a Manager for Health and Wellness, overseeing the operations of school clinics for the Tulsa Oklahoma Public Schools. She attended Southwestern Adventist University; first in 1981-1983 as a student in the Associate of Nursing program. She met and married her husband at SWAU, they moved to Bristow, Oklahoma, where she completed her associate degree in nursing. She returned to Southwestern to graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2006 through the Adult Degree Program.

Previously she served her community as the Oklahoma State Department of Health District Nurse Manager and then the Nursing Services State Manager for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. She worked as a Clinical Director for Warren Clinic/Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she opened and directed the operations of a Covid drive-thru testing site and clinic, the only Covid clinic in the State of Oklahoma. Sherry and her team tested up to 1000 people per day and saw 40-50 patients in the clinic daily. Sherry has also served as the Oklahoma State Department Director of Health and Physical Education, as a Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative Facilitator for Warren Clinic, and the Director of Health and Safety and the School Nurse for the Bristow Public Schools.

She currently serves as the Director of Health for the Oklahoma Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and on the North American Division Executive Committee since 2006. Sherry volunteered at Wewoka Woods Adventist Camp as the camp nurse for five summers and was the Children’s Ministry and Adventurer Coordinator for the Oklahoma Conference of Seventh-day Adventists from 2000-2006, served on the Community Health Improvement Project for Bristow as well as the Chairperson for the Oklahoma Action for Healthy Kids. Sherry loves supporting mission work and has been on mission trips to Fiji, Honduras, Mexico (twice), South Korea, and Turks and Caicos.

Rightfully so, Sherry has been acknowledged for all her efforts with awards such as the recipient of the "Most Distinguished School Nurse" award for the State of Oklahoma, recognized by Governor Henry as “Top 10 Health Promotor” for the State of Oklahoma, and voted Support Staff of the Year for Bristow Public Schools for five years. Bristow Public Schools was one of the first districts in the state and the first district or business designated as a Certified Healthy District under her leadership.

When Sherry is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 42 years, their two daughters and sons-in-law, but most importantly spoiling/loving her three granddaughters.

Sherry started her pathway in nursing at Southwestern Adventist College; greatly influenced by her instructors to serve by keeping Jesus first and foremost in her career and He would/will direct her success.  She has taken that to heart and has a life to reflect that.

Honoree Photo Album