News Release
CEO, Former Board of Trustees Member to Speak April 10
Brent Beesley, former member of Southern Virginia’s Board of Trustees, will give a devotional address on Friday, April 10, at 11 a.m. in the Stoddard Center at Southern Virginia University.
Beesley is the chairman and CEO of Heritage Bank, as well as the developer of a private golf community in St. George, Utah. Prior to his work at Heritage Bank, he was a partner at the Salt Lake City law firm of Ray, Quinney & Nebeker.
He has also worked in a number of positions within the federal government, including director of the Office of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation and CEO of the Farm Credit Corporation of America, where he helped prevent the foreclosures of thousands of American farms and ranches. Additionally, he has appeared before Congress multiple times and acted as an advisor to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
He and his wife, Bonnie Jean Beesley, created the Brent and Bonnie Jean Beesley Foundation in 1996, which provides scholarships and financial aid for students both in the United States and abroad, including Mozambique, the Dominican Republic, India, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
He has also supported Southern Virginia since his first involvement with the school and in 1998 donated more than 50 acres to its campus. The 50 acres are now home to The Fields, a complex that includes the Harvey-Dryden softball field, the multi-purpose turf field and the new tennis courts. He has also provided donations for the improvement of other areas on campus and regularly funds scholarships.
Beesley received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Brigham Young University, and a master’s degree and juris doctorate from Harvard University. He has also served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina and currently serves on the BYU President’s Leadership Council Executive Committee and as young men’s president in his home ward.
Community members and Southern Virginia faculty, staff and students are invited to hear forum and devotional speakers each Friday morning at 11 a.m. in the Stoddard Center. Recordings of past forum and devotional speeches may be accessed online.