Whitman College president George Bridges has recently been elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).

The NAICU, which is made up of college presidents from more than 1,000 private and independent colleges and universities, exists to speak about and advocate for private independent colleges. As one of four newly elected at-large board members, Bridges will serve a term of three years, and is honored to represent and advocate for Whitman.

“Whitman is highly regarded nationally,” Bridges said. ” It is really an honor to be recognized as one of the country’s strongest independent colleges and certainly one of the top two or three in the West.”

Bridges was elected to the board based off of a recommendation made by NAICU President David L. Warren. In an interview conducted by Lenel Parish of the Whitman College News Service, Warren said that Bridges was “elected because of his expertise in the field, proven leadership and commitment to America’s college students.” Bridges will attend three meetings a year, where he will work on strategies for encouraging and representing liberal arts colleges in the federal budget.

“This group pushes very hard to ensure monies for federal financial aid for students stay in the stimulus package,” Bridges said. The group works on better lending practices, ensuring that despite the struggling economy, students will have proper funding to go to the school they wish.

What does Bridges’ new position mean for Whitman College? Not only will it help Whitman continue to gain national recognition, it will also directly benefit Whitman students and the future of the college.

“Typically at meetings college presidents discuss their schools, the challenges they face, and how they are addressing them,” Bridges said. “These conversations, over meals and at receptions, allow me to promote Whitman and also learn from other presidents ways of adapting to changes in the economy.”

The most important part of it all, Bridges said, is that he can serve as an advocate for students, which is the primary goal of NAICU.

“That was really the hook for me,” Bridges said.