ACU Names New Trustees

Abilene Christian University recently added three new members to its Board of Trustees, the university’s governing body.

Larry G. Autrey (’18 MBA) retired as executive chairman of Whitley Penn, a large regional public accounting firm he led for 25 years, growing it from a single market firm to the 34th largest firm in the country with nearly $300 million in revenue. He also worked with his partners to build a wealth management firm managing assets of more than $1 billion. Whitley Penn is the only firm in the country to be awarded the IPA Best of the Best Firm for 25 years and was noted as a Best Place to Work by Texas Monthly, Accounting Today and the Dallas Morning News. 

Autrey is a member of ACU’s Athletic Advisory Committee and College of Business Administration Advisory Committee, as well as the President’s Venture Council. He received the ACU Distinguished Alumni Citation in 2025.

Autrey and his wife of 34 years, Tiffany, live in Westlake, Texas, and enjoy visiting North Carolina and San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, where they play golf, tennis and pickleball. They are the parents of Chandler Autrey and Landon Autrey (’21). 

Jack Rich (’76) served as president and chief investment officer of Abilene Christian University Investment Management Company from 2006-23 after holding a variety of positions at ACU from 1991-2005, including executive vice president and vice president for business. Prior to coming to ACU, he was president and chief operating officer of Morton Companies, a San Antonio real estate development company, and senior vice president of InterFirst Bank-San Antonio.

In 2011, Rich received the Rodney H. Adams award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers, and in 2009, Foundation and Endowment Money Management awarded ACU’s endowment the Small Non-Profit of the Year award. Rich has been chairman of the Community Foundation of Abilene ($100 million in assets) and has served on the boards of the Development Corporation of Abilene, Kenley Schools, Abilene Christian Schools, Southwestern Bankers, Bank of San Antonio, and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

Rich and his wife, Karen (Leith ’78), live in Abilene and are the parents of Mark Rich (’05), Clay Rich (’06), Julie Rich (’09) and Katie (Rich ’10) Gudgel, and they have 10 grandchildren.

Josh Ross (’03) is the lead minister at Sycamore View Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Ross is also a speaker and the author of several books, most recently Coreology: Six Principles for Navigating an Election Season without Losing Your Witness (2024), Scarred Faith (2013) and Bringing Heaven to Earth (2015). He and his mother wrote Scarred Hope: A Mother and Son Learn to Carry Grief and Live with Joy in 2020. Ross has served on the board of Agape Child and Family Services in Memphis since 2011. 

He is married to Kayci (Rogers ’03), and they have two sons, Truitt and Noah. His parents, Rick (’78) and Beverly (’79) Ross; brother, Jonathan (’05); and sister, the late Jenny (Ross ’00) Bizaillion, all attended ACU. 

Ross spoke at ACU’s May Commencement ceremonies in 2022. He loves playing and watching sports, going on long walks with his wife, eating wings with his boys and enjoying banana pudding with his friends. 

About the Board
ACU’s Board of Trustees is the governing body for the university, and members are eligible to serve up to five three-year terms. Trustees set policy, guide the institution’s long-term direction and ensure it fulfills its mission to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. 

– Wendy Kilmer
Feb. 10, 2025