On July 1, Charles “Mac” Powell took office as the new president of Bastyr University, a school of naturopathic medicine.
He oversees the institution’s Washington and California campuses and clinics from the university grounds in Kenmore.
After moving to the Puget Sound from the San Francisco Bay area, Powell, 42, spent the first few weeks of his tenure finding his way around campus, meeting faculty, staff and students and introducing himself to the Bastyr community at large.
“The first week is always a whirlwind,” Powell said.
He and his partner, Tuan Ngo, have also taken time to explore the local area. Both have an interest in good food and entertaining so a first stop for the couple was the Woodinville wine region. They have also been looking at the numerous recreational and dining activities the region has to offer.
“We’re still having trouble finding our way around but we’re looking forward to making friends who can give us an idea of where to go and what to do,” Powell said.
He also has to find his way around the large Kenmore campus, which is laid out in a different manner than what he is used to. Powell is the former president of John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, California. His previous campus consisted of seven buildings spread out in different locations in the San Francisco Bay area.
By contrast, the 51-acre Bastyr campus in Kenmore is centrally located, complete with gardens and hiking trails to enjoy. This appeals to Powell who enjoys the outdoors. In fact, he authored a book on golf and was once dean of the National University Golf Academy as well as a “Class A” member of the PGA.
Powell is the fourth president in Bastyr’s history, taking over for Daniel K. Church, who retired in of June after a decade at the school. It was under Church’s tenure that the school added eight programs and created a new campus and teaching clinic in San Diego.
“All who love Bastyr want to thank President Church for his tremendous contributions to the University and the field of natural medicine,” says Samuel L. Anderson, chair of the Bastyr University Board of Trustees, in a statement. “Dr. Church’s leadership was a significant influence on Bastyr’s growth over the past 10 years. His legacy will never be forgotten.”
Church also saw student enrollment soar by 31 percent in the last decade, from 920 students in 2005 to 1,210 last year. The expansion and relocation of the Bastyr Center for Natural Health took place while Church was in office and 11 LEED platinum-certified student housing buildings were constructed.
This leaves Powell some very big shoes to fill but it is something he finds inspiring rather than daunting. He did not hesitate when the recruiters for Bastyr approached him about the vacancy.
“I think that continuing the work to build the success of the clinics, to continue to expand and build a presence and awareness of the university is very important,” Powell said.
Like his predecessor, Powell would like to see ongoing growth as is outlined in the school’s master or strategic plan. He enjoys seeing crowds of students on campus at a time when many universities are experiencing declines in enrollment. “I think we need to be able to expand our presence, our growth, in Seattle at the clinic and at San Diego,” Powell said. “I’d like to see some more programs here in Kenmore so we can continue to bring people to our beautiful facility and show people what we do.”
He’d also like to make more people aware of the economic importance of a university such as Bastyr to the local community. Universities bring people, businesses and revenue to the area, especially a university like Bastyr with its curriculum of natural health education and its location adjacent to the Bothell health sciences business corridor.
Bastyr is a non-profit, private university that is recognized for its undergraduate, graduate and non-degree natural health programs. Students come from around the world to study naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, midwifery, psychology, nutrition and more at its Washington and California campuses. The school even has a graduate program in Ayurvedic sciences. These are not programs commonly offered at most universities making Bastyr sought out among the competition.
Powell believes he is taking the reins at Bastyr at a critical time for naturopathic medicine. Currently there are only 17 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and five Canadian provinces that have laws regulating naturopathic doctors. Just as there has been a change in healthcare in the U.S. in recent years, so there has been a shift in recognition for naturopathic doctors. Several states and territories now have pending legislation that could lead to more licensing for naturopathic doctors. That could mean expanded opportunities for Bastyr graduates.
“I think the university has to engage and re-engage with our alumni and really demonstrate the value of an educational institution as a partner in their future practice,” Powell said.
A higher level of awareness about natural medicine combined with increased levels of insurance coverage means more people are choosing treatment at clinics such as Bastyr Center for Natural Health. That means an increased relationship with the community.
“Bastyr has been an important community partner for almost 40 years,” he said. “And we’ll continue to be a partner into the future.”
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