On March 31st, Joey M. Loudermilk, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Executive Vice President of Aflac, spoke with Regent students and faculty about the interplay between his faith and his high-profile position.
As general counsel, Loudermilk oversees Aflac’s legal, corporate, and public policy issues. He attributes his position and accomplished resume to God’s hand in his life, saying in reference to Psalm 139 that “God ordained my days before even one came to be.” He said (smiling) that the juxtaposition of his “average” law school career alongside his professional success clearly highlights the providential plan of God in his life.
He attributes Aflac’s success as a Fortune 200 company to the integrity of the people it hires. Pointing out that the reputation of a company falls on the shoulders of its employees, he urged students to recognize the place of God in their own lives and to contemplate what impact that will have on their work. Noting that “it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but only a moment to undo it,” he encouraged the Regent Law community to uphold integrity in a career where it can be so easily disregarded.
Loudermilk was joined by Aflac colleague Bradley Knox (Regent Law ’94), Counsel and Special Vice President. Both men were able to interact informally with students, providing professional advice and encouraging them in their calling.
Michael Hernandez and Jeffrey Brauch. Bar passage rates were a lackluster 40 percent when Jeffrey A. Brauch was appointed interim dean of the Regent University School of Law in 1999. Brauch knew a curriculum overhaul was needed to better prepare students, and he turned to trusted law school colleagues to lead the curriculum reforms, including Michael Hernandez, who played a central role. Fast forward 16 years, and Regent’s bar passage rates have improved significantly, exceeding the Virginia average in four of the past five years. Also, the school, the students and the faculty have earned numerous accolades under Brauch’s leadership. Now, Brauch is returning to the classroom, and Hernandez, a seasoned legal professor and faculty adviser of the nation’s 8th ranked Moot Court program, has been appointed dean of the Regent University School of Law, with the transition beginning immediately. “We’ve had a great run with Jeff as our leader. He has done an excellent job ...