DR. GAYLE D. BEEBE
President of Westmont College
Dr. Gayle D. Beebe has served as the eighth president of Westmont College since 2007, guiding the nationally ranked Christian liberal-arts institution through nearly two decades of transformative growth, academic innovation, and resilient leadership. Drawing on a rich background in theology, philosophy, and strategic management, Dr. Beebe has combined intellectual depth with practical vision to advance Westmont’s mission of cultivating thoughtful scholars, grateful servants, and faithful leaders for global engagement.
Under his leadership, Westmont has experienced record fundraising success, exceeding $550 million through multiple comprehensive campaigns. These initiatives have fueled an ambitious campus master plan, adding new facilities for the sciences, visual arts, and athletics while creating the Global Leadership Center, the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture, and the Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation. His commitment to academic excellence has inspired new programs in engineering, nursing, and leadership studies, along with expanded global and downtown Santa Barbara learning sites that connect students with real-world experience and service.
Dr. Beebe’s tenure has also been defined by steadfast leadership through crisis. He successfully guided Westmont through the 2008 Tea Fire, the 2017 Thomas Fire, the 2018 Montecito debris flow, and the COVID-19 pandemic, earning deep respect for his calm, faith-anchored, and strategic approach to adversity. His capacity to maintain institutional stability while fostering hope and renewal exemplifies the kind of formation he writes about in his most recent book, The Crucibles That Shape Us: Navigating the Defining Challenges of Leadership (InterVarsity Press, 2024).
In The Crucibles That Shape Us, Dr. Beebe draws from personal experience, global leadership insights, and Christian tradition to describe seven “crucibles”—defining trials that shape a leader’s character, wisdom, and resilience. Integrating theology and organizational life, the book explores how setbacks and suffering become instruments of grace, producing moral depth and spiritual maturity. It builds on the insights of his earlier works, The Shaping of an Effective Leader: Eight Formative Principles of Leadership and Longing for God: Seven Paths of Christian Devotion (co-authored with Richard Foster), completing a trilogy on vocation, spiritual formation, and the moral life of leadership.
Before arriving at Westmont, Dr. Beebe served as president of Spring Arbor University in Michigan and as dean of the School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. He holds a B.A. from George Fox University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, an M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Theology, and an M.B.A. in Strategic Management from Claremont Graduate University and the Drucker School of Management.
Known for his warmth, intellect, and accessible style, Dr. Beebe combines the mind of a scholar with the heart of a pastor and the discipline of an athlete. A native of Eugene, Oregon, and a former multi-sport standout at Churchill High School, he continues to model the integration of faith, learning, and leadership that defines Westmont’s enduring vision. Married to his wife, Pam for 37 years, they have three married adult children who are Westmont alums, and two grandchildren.
