Wilmore, KY — November 10, 2025 — The Asbury Theological Seminary Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, in conjunction with the inaugural celebration of President David F. Watson. During the quarterly meeting, the board recognized significant milestones and transitions pertaining to members of the board.

Peter J. Marra Elected as Board Member

The board of trustees voted unanimously to elect Mr. Peter J. Marra as a member of the board. Marra earned his M.A. in Leadership from Asbury Seminary and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Colson Center as well as in an advisory role for several organizations. He has over 20 years of experience in organizational strategy, leadership development, and technology integration. He has worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Microsoft and founded several companies himself while working extensively in the startup and incubation space. Marra has also served in many ministry settings, including short-term international ministry in more than 15 countries, pastoring, church planting, and mission mobilization. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The Citadel in South Carolina. He has been married for 21 years to his wife, Heather, and they are proud parents of four children.

Dale Ditto’s Retirement

The board of trustees also celebrated the retirement of Mr. Dale S. Ditto from the board. In December, Ditto will complete his third five-year term, the maximum limit for a board member, having been initially elected in 2010. During his tenure, Ditto lent his expertise to the Finance Committee and the Audit Committee, including a stint as the Audit Committee Chair. His major contributions to Asbury Seminary include starting the Tom & Fran Ditto Scripture Memorization Scholarship in 2012, which has provided $87,200 in support to 188 students, and advocating for reducing student debt and minimizing dependency on federal student loans for Asbury Seminary students. 

President Watson expressed his gratitude to Ditto for his years of faithful stewardship and service: “I am incredibly grateful for Dale Ditto’s service to the board of trustees and to Asbury Seminary in general. Dale’s decades of experience made him a valuable contributor to our mission, and his broad knowledge of the markets and investments allowed him to ask the right questions and assist our committee members in better understanding. On behalf of the faculty, staff and students of Asbury Seminary, I give my heartfelt thanks to Dale and pray the Lord richly blesses the next chapter of his life.”

Dr. E. Dale Locke Named Chair and Passing of the Gavel

The board of trustees elected Rev. Dr. E. Dale Locke to serve as the next board chair, effective January 2026. Locke was elected to the board in 2018. He has served on the Formation Committee and as Chair of the Governance Committee since 2022. He played a major role as a member of the search committee that ultimately selected Dr. Watson as the ninth president of Asbury Seminary. Additionally, Locke received both his M.Div. and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Asbury Seminary and was awarded Alumnus of the Year in 2017. 

The board held a Passing of the Gavel ceremony, a symbolic ritual in which the outgoing board chair passes on the gavel used to convene and adjourn meetings to the incoming chair. Helen Rhea Stumbo, who completed her service as the interim board chair, passed the gavel to Locke. Stumbo was elected last year on an interim basis, at the suggestion of the Governance Committee, to help preserve the continuity of leadership during a transitional period.

On his election as the new Chair of the Board, Locke stated: “It is with a deep sense of humility and honor that I step into the role as Chair of our board, beginning this January. As a trustee, I believe our current board stands upon the shoulders of all those who served before us; many, for a number of years and in significant ways. My prayer is that we will serve in our season with the same faithfulness, stewarding forward the mission of our beloved institution, and continuing to pray that God will raise up ‘men and women to evangelize and spread scriptural holiness throughout the world.’”

Three other officers were also elected. Helen Rhea Stumbo was elected as Vice Chair, Anna Jackson was elected as Secretary for her second term, and Greg Spillyards was elected as Treasurer.

About Asbury Theological Seminary

Asbury Theological Seminary was founded in 1923 to prepare and send forth well-trained, sanctified, Spirit-filled, evangelistic ministers to spread scriptural holiness around the world. Today, thousands of Asbury Theological Seminary graduates flourish in every state, on every continent, and in every time zone, reaching the world through evangelism, missions, church planting, preaching, teaching, and counseling. The sun never sets on its graduates. Asbury Theological Seminary continues its mission in providing holistic ministerial preparation as an interdenominational institution with a flagship campus in Wilmore, Ky., and extension sites in Colorado Springs, Memphis, Orlando, Tampa, and Tulsa, and fully online degree programs. For more information, please visit asburyseminary.edu.

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Media Contact:

Asbury Theological Seminary
Gianfranco Ramirez
Director of Communications
gianfranco.ramirez@asburyseminary.edu