June 29, 2023
Shawnee State University Board of Trustees has announced Scott Evans will serve as the Chairperson for the entity in the upcoming academic year. Evans, a Lawrence County native, is the previous Chair of the Academic & Student Affairs committee for the Board. Entering his final year of his nine-year term as a Trustee, Evans is grateful for the opportunity to serve in this position.
“Being elected Board Chair is a tremendous honor for me, I am truly humbled for the opportunity,” said Evans. “I want to do my part to bring a strong, healthy, and thriving Shawnee State University into the future and make sure we as a Board continue to advance its efforts to succeed as its moves toward that future.”
With an extensive background in the military, Evans retired in 2010 from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He served 27 years in uniform and served in active combat in Iraq, leading a Battalion Command of 621 personnel in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004 to 2005. After retiring from active duty, he served as the campaign manager for Ohio Senator Terry Johnson’s first campaign for the Ohio House of Representatives and then worked as a legislative aide for the Senator during his first term as a State Representative. He practiced as a lawyer in Ironton, Ohio before becoming an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Scioto County starting in 2019.
His connection to Shawnee State can be traced back nearly thirty years as he collaborated with the university on its annual Veterans Recognition program. He also worked closely for the Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education as well as with the National Guard to award scholarship funding to students in the region. He is the President of the Lawrence County Veterans Commission and a past chairman of the ADAMHS – Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Services – Board for Scioto, Adams, and Lawrence counties in Ohio.
“What impresses me the most is how much we’ve accomplished in a short time,” said Evans about his connection to the university. “The growth of Shawnee State is not just important to the tri-state region, but to the entire state of Ohio. Our accomplishments in just four decades are incredible, and looking to the future, I am convinced we have much more to offer.”
A first-generation college student, Evans says his parents were strong supporters of their children pursuing a college degree. While a non-traditional college student throughout his higher education journey, he holds multiple academic degrees – a law degree from Capital University Law School, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Organizational Leadership from Defiance College, a Master of International Relations from the U.S. Army War College, a Bachelor of Science in Business from Franklin University, and a Bachelor of General Studies concentrated in Psychology, History, and Sociology from Ohio University.
“Through his eight years on the Board of Trustees, Mr. Evans has demonstrated a sincere commitment to the university mission and knows the critical importance of Shawnee State to the region,” said incoming Interim President Eric Braun. “We are fortunate to have Scott as our Board Chair and I am excited for the opportunity to work together in the new academic year.”
Shawnee State University’s Board of Trustees is responsible for oversight of academic programs, budgets, general administration and employment of faculty and staff within the university. The Board is made up of nine trustees and two non-voting student members, all appointed by the Governor of Ohio.
To learn more about Shawnee State University’s Board of Trustees, visit shawnee.edu/bot.