MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — Brewton-Parker Christian University (BPCU) celebrated a historic milestone on Monday, August 3, with the dedication of the George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building, marking the culmination of years of vision, planning, and collaboration to expand healthcare education in southeast Georgia.
The dedication ceremony brought together university leadership, local and state officials, donors, faculty, staff, students, and community members to celebrate the collaborative effort that made both the BPCU School of Nursing and its new expansion possible. The state-of-the-art facility will serve BPCU nursing students beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.
Officials included in the program were Mrs. Ginger Morris, Chair of the Montgomery County Commission, Joey Fountain, Mayor of Mount Vernon, and Dr. Andrew Young, Field Representative of Senator Raphael Warnock, who provided the needed congressional approval for a sought grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA).
“We are grateful for the wonderful partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce EDA, the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation, and our county, city, and state officials and the many others who were willing to give the resources so that BPCU could have such a quality facility that is fully equipped and fully funded,” said Dr. Steve Echols, President of BPCU. Echols further noted that the facility will greatly expand the capacity of the university to provide much-needed nursing graduates for the region.
During the ceremony, Dr. Debbi Bryarly, Dean of the School of Nursing, gave a brief history of the program since it was first proposed in 2018. Following a long process that included the presentation of a feasibility study to the Georgia Board of Nursing, the program received initial Georgia Nursing Board approval in 2021 and approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 2022. As a result, BPCU welcomed its inaugural class in the fall of 2022. In 2024, the program earned national accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The first graduating class achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The following year, the Georgia Board of Nursing officially affirmed BPCU as a fully approved nursing school. This fall, the university is anticipating as many as 84 students majoring in nursing from the freshman through senior classes.
The George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building represents an investment not only in BPCU but also in the future of healthcare throughout Georgia and the surrounding region. Purposefully designed to prepare the next generation of nurses, the facility features modern classrooms, advanced simulation laboratories, collaborative learning spaces, faculty offices, and hands-on clinical training environments that mirror today’s healthcare settings. As the demand for qualified nu The building is named in honor of George W. “Jack” Strickland, Jr., a highly esteemed businessman, veteran, and philanthropist whose legacy of servant leadership continues to impact lives across Georgia.
After purchasing Evans Concrete Products in 1948, Strickland transformed the company with exponential growth while earning widespread respect for his dedication to his employees and his community. His generosity lives on through the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation, whose magnanimous support has been a great blessing to BPCU over a number of years and helped make the new nursing education facility possible.
Representing the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation at the ceremony were board members Mr. Tommy Strickland, retired Chief Executive Officer of Evans Concrete, and Mrs. Sharon DeLoach, current Vice President of Evans Concrete. Both noted that they felt that Mr. George W. Strickland, Jr. would have been very pleased with the building and its potential to serve the community and region, which was a central purpose in his establishment of the Foundation. By naming the building in his honor, President Echols noted that “Brewton-Parker Christian University recognizes a man whose vision and commitment to serving others will inspire generations of nursing students to provide the best possible care reflecting Christ-like compassion.”
Dr. Beverly Robinson, recently retired Vice President of BPCU, was the writer and coordinator of the grant to the EDA, which became a major component in providing the funds for the construction of the building. Dr. Robinson expressed, “The George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building is a beautiful reminder of what can be accomplished when people come together around a shared vision. We are grateful that the EDA considered this project to be of such benefit to the community and region to be worthy of this significant grant. We are deeply grateful to the many individual donors, the George W. Strickland, Jr. Foundation, our elected officials, healthcare partners, university trustees, faculty, staff, and the many friends of Brewton-Parker Christian University who believed in this dream. Their investment is not only in a building, but in the lives of future nurses who will go on to serve their communities with excellence, compassion, and Christ-like care.”
The dedication of the George W. Strickland, Jr. Nursing Education Building marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for BPCU. As students begin classes in the new facility during the 2026–2027 academic year, they will receive an education that integrates academic excellence, clinical experience, Christian faith, and servant leadership. In the years ahead, the new facility will provide for the continued growth of the School of Nursing that exhibits BPCU’s commitment to Christian service.
Brewton-Parker Christian University is the only accredited four-year Christian university south of Macon and north of Jacksonville, FL. As a comprehensive Georgia Baptist institution, Brewton-Parker Christian University offers liberal arts and professional programs in a learning community grounded in shared Christian values. Through the application of biblical truth in scholarship and a co-curricular focus on character, servant leadership, and cultural engagement, the university strives to provide a transformational experience that equips the whole student for lifelong learning and service in Christ.
Visit Brewton-Parker Christian University online at www.bpc.edu.
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