Duane Brooks Resigns From Baylor Board Of Regents

by Larry D. Brumley

Baylor University Regent Duane Brooks has resigned from the university's governing board in recognition of a recently revealed policy of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which originally elected him to the Baylor board in 1999.
Brooks, pastor of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston and the brother of Baylor Vice President for Finance and Administration David R. Brooks, was re-elected to the Baylor board in 2002 by the BGCT, which has elected one-fourth of the university's regents since 1991.
Earlier this month Duane Brooks was made aware of a BGCT policy that states individuals elected by the convention cannot serve as trustees of Baptist institutional boards if they are related to a senior administrator of that institution.
"It is now apparent that my continued service as a Baylor regent would not conform to BGCT guidelines," he said. "Although this issue went unnoticed by all concerned for over three years, I recognize that it remains a valid issue."
Duane Brooks was elected to the Baylor Board of Regents in November 1999 and was seated in June 2000. Three months later his brother was named vice president for finance and administration. Duane Brooks said he neither participated in the interview process nor voted on his brother's hiring and offered to step down from the board to remove any possibility of a conflict of interest. The university's legal counsel approved Duane Brooks' continued service based on the university's existing conflict of interest policy for board members, which requires that he not participate in matters directly involving his brother's employment or compensation.
"Because I hold both Baylor and the BGCT in the highest regard, I have decided to tender my resignation in order to avoid any appearance of impropriety," Duane Brooks said. "As I reflect on my tenure as a regent, I am so very grateful for the privilege of serving the university I love and respect. I intend to continue to support Baylor and to seek to bring healing in the larger Baylor family."
"For over three years, Duane Brooks has served Baylor's Board of Regents with great distinction," said Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. "He has provided particularly strong leadership for the Academic Affairs Committee through a period of strategic change at Baylor. His service to the university through the governing board will be missed, but I look forward to Duane's future contributions as a trusted friend to me and as a loyal alumnus of Baylor."
Brooks' unexpired term on the Board of Regents will be filled at the BGCT annual meeting in Lubbock Nov. 10-11.