Board Member Don Lovelace and his Service to Liberty
Liberty Life is conducting a series of interviews with each current board member so that Liberty families can get to know each member better. We at Liberty want to appreciate the board members for all of their valuable service they voluntarily give to Liberty.
Board member Don Lovelace first heard of Liberty from a friend when his son, Dillon, was in elementary school in Southlake in the mid-’90s. It was Christmas break, and Lovelace decided to take his son to a Warrior basketball game at a tournament in Arlington.
Before he knew it, he found himself sitting in the midst of Liberty families and becoming sold on the school.
Now one of the biggest thrills for him is getting to work with his son, a Liberty graduate, in the family business, Lily of the Desert.
“Dillon has got me energized,” said Lovelace. “I enjoy the business more today than I ever have.”
Lovelace said that his son has shown confidence and know-how, and Lovelace gives the credit to Liberty.
“I am so proud that Dillon will talk with any person at any company at any level,” he said. “I think this confidence came from his attending Liberty. He is very comfortable with who he is, as well as in his beliefs and value system.
“He is going to be so much better at this business than I ever was.”
Lovelace recalled how Dillon, who graduated from Liberty in 2003 and played baseball at New Mexico State University, had asked to lead his college team in prayer as a freshman. Lovelace said this type of spiritual leadership that Dillon displayed came from Liberty.
“He learned to step up and be a leader from his role models at Liberty, including his coaches and his Bible classes every day.”
When Lovelace’s family came to the school in 1995, he remembers at orientation hearing founder and president, Dr. Rodney Haire, say, “One thing you will find at Liberty is that when you send your child off to school, we will support your value system and your Christian beliefs.”
Lovelace said, “I was so excited when I heard that. Liberty has enriched our value system through its teachers and coaches who supported our son. Dillon learned at Liberty the real value of discipline and how to overcome adversity.”
Haire asked Lovelace to be on the board of trustees in 1996, and Lovelace has stayed on past Dillon’s graduation.
“The board is active, engaged, and effective,” Lovelace said. “Dr. Haire sets a great example, and the Lord uses him in such a fantastic way.
“The neat thing about the board is that this group of Christian businessmen loves and respects each other. We support each other even when we disagree. We are also about action, not words. We get things done and put closure on projects.”
Lovelace said the bottom line is always what is best for the students.
“As a board, we always ask, ‘Is it good for the students? Does it enhance their educational experience and help them become better people? Does it help them grow in their Christian education?’ The students are always the focal point.”
Lovelace said the board looks at long-range planning and the financials each month.
“As a board, we are currently looking at the growth of the physical facilities of Liberty,” he said. “The board has so much talent, and with that group, combined with working with staff members and students, we are creating a master plan that stems from a quality decision with many involved.”
The board wants to ensure Liberty is prepared for growth now and in the coming years.
“We have always asked for wisdom from the Lord, asking Him to direct us and guide us,” he said.
“Even in growth, I believe Liberty will keep the same value system, the same core of what we stand for and believe. I know the Lord will show us the way to do that,” he added.
As a Liberty parent, Lovelace came to know early on that Liberty was more than just a school.
“Liberty is far more than just an education – it is a family thing, a way of life,” he said. “Liberty will enhance a family’s Christian growth if families will let it.
“I value what Dillon learned in the classroom, but the building of him as a person and who he became in the process far outweighed what he learned in a textbook.”
Lovelace’s attention on outcomes flows into his company, Lily of the Desert. Founded in 1970, Lily of the Desert Organic Aloeceuticals is an integrated grower, processor, and manufacturer of leading aloe vera based products that are marketed in more than 40 countries.
What has made Lily of the Desert successful is something that Lovelace has also brought to Liberty.
In Lovelace’s office is a book titled, “Management: A Biblical Approach” by Myron Rush. This book has made a tremendous impact on Lovelace, as shown by the wear and tear on the book. The book describes important topics such as: how people are a company’s (and school’s) most valuable resource, the importance of a team spirit, how to promote good working relationships, and the value of planning, time management, leadership, attitude, and performance.
“I learned the golden rule in church at a young age,” Lovelace said. “In building a business and selling products, one of the things I believe in is doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. We are not perfect, and our stakeholders are entitled to question our judgment, but we will never have them question our integrity – that will never be an issue.
“We also have a passion for quality with our products. We are going to give our customers their money’s worth. When we make a statement about our products to our customers, we are going to back it up. My dad had a favorite saying, ‘Never promise beyond your capacity to deliver.’ It is a fundamental truth.
“It is pretty easy to build a business when you build it on biblical principles.”
Those same biblical principles he has promoted at Liberty. He and his wife, Patty, have made many contributions to Liberty and were instrumental in creating Partners Through Faith (PTF) and the Warrior Club.
“I am so proud of Patty,” Lovelace said. “She is a difference maker.
“As PTF president for six years, Patty began getting parents involved and engaged through PTF, and then it began multiplying.”
Lovelace believes people are always looking for great causes to be a part of, and he said Liberty is one of the greatest.
Fellow board member Andrew Gannon said of Lovelace, “Don is my model for what a board member should be. He rarely misses a meeting, he always has something meaningful to add, and he has served on the board long after he no longer had a child at Liberty. I respect and admire Don greatly, and I hope he remains on the board for a long time to come.”
Dr. Haire added, “Don Lovelace and his wonderful wife, Patty, have been faithful members of the Liberty family for more than 15 years. Don brings a unique and successful style of leadership to board discussions. I think that all of us on the board feel that his commitment to success is unwavering. So many times, in the course of board meetings, Don reminds the room of our firm commitment to the principles and values set forth by the Lord. I trust his counsel, and love him as my friend.”
Liberty Christian School, with its foundation on the Lord, has been built by families like the Lovelace’s who paved the way with commitment, vision, involvement, and hard work. Now Lovelace is being blessed by working with his son in the family business, his son who was educated, molded, strengthened, and developed at Liberty. We are forever grateful to the Lovelace’s and how they have invested their time, resources, expertise, wisdom, and love to this school they have called home.