Jerry Potter Retires After 31 Years of Service

Southwestern marks the end of an era on Jan. 31 when Jerry Potter, who has worked in student finance for many years, finally retires. Over the years, he has helped hundreds, if not thousands, of students figure out how to pay for their college education at SWAU.

The best part of his job, as Potter looks back, are former students who return and say, “I wouldn’t have graduated if it weren’t for you.” Sadly, the most challenging part of his job in the past three decades, are “students who wait till the last minute to do what they need to do.” He shakes his head, adding, “I still have forty students I’m chasing trying to finish registration.”

Potter came initially to Southwestern Adventist University in 1990 as a full-time student while he worked in building maintenance with Dale Hainey. At graduation in 1992, he looked for work from Washington State to Los Angeles, but found nothing, and came back to work full time for Hainey again. In 1996, Dave Hope, then financial vice president at SWAU called him to work in student accounts.

“We didn’t want to be here to begin with, but God wanted us here,” Potter says. “Now after 31 years, He is finally telling me it is okay for me to retire.”

What is Potter looking forward to most in retirement? “No 6:30 a.m. alarm clock.”