Westmont Magazine A Tale of Three Families
Tom Lynch ’74, Richard Salyer and Rich Kredel have a lot in common. Not only have they worked in real estate law or development, served together on the Stamps Foundation board, and been active church members, but they all have daughters attending Westmont.
Lynch comes from a Westmont family. Before graduating from CSU Fullerton, he spent two years at Westmont, and his sister, Jan Lynch Mitchell ’73, and his brother, Jim ’80, both graduated. His twin daughters, Andrea and Corinne, are juniors. Andrea is majoring in history and thinking about teaching or law, and Corinne is a biology major headed into a medical field or research. Lynch also has a 16-year-old son, Chris.
“We have a family tradition at Westmont,” Lynch laughs. “We’re glad to be able to provide a quality experience for our daughters. What really sold us when we previewed the school and reacquainted ourselves with campus was the quality of the students. They are just outstanding.”
Lynch works as a real estate developer, building shopping centers. Previously, he practiced law and worked for Downey Savings and Loan. His boss there recruited him to serve on the Stamps Foundation board, which he now chairs. He’s been a member since 1983. He and his wife, Cornelia, who is a homemaker, live in Irvine, Calif., and attend Voyagers Bible Church.
A 14-year veteran of the Stamps board, Richard Salyer is also an attorney, and he focuses on real estate and business litigation. His wife, Cheryl, does the books and records for the firm, and they are both involved with First Baptist Church in Downey, Calif., where they live. Their oldest daughter, Julie, is a junior theater arts major at Westmont, and they have an 18-year-old daughter, Stephanie, and a 16-year-old son, Luke.
“Julie absolutely loves school,” Salyer says. “I think the world of David Winter and the administrators I have met there. I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the college’s personnel and the way the school is run. What a difference Westmont has made in Julie. We couldn’t be happier.”
After spending 25 years in commercial real estate, Rich Kredel works as a church administrator at Voyagers Bible Church. He joined the Stamps board seven years ago.
Kredel’s daughter, Erin, is a sophomore at Westmont where she is studying to be a teacher. Her mother, Stacy, taught deaf and hard-of-hearing students before staying home to raise Erin and the Kredels’ two sons, Brent and Sean. She works part time supervising student teachers at Concordia University.
“I’ve had a consistently very positive view of Westmont,” notes Kredel. “Ten years ago, I wasn’t as supportive of small colleges because I thought they didn’t offer sufficient breadth in programming. But now that I know more about Westmont, I’ve changed my mind. After meeting people like David Winter, track Coach Russell Smelley, and Erin’s professors, I realize that Westmont is a special place with special people.”
Erin runs cross country and track at Westmont and appreciates the coaching she has received. She also served as an intern at a church, which proved to be a great experience.
As a parent, Lynch understands that sending students to Westmont involves some financial sacrifices. Over the years, the Stamps Foundation has funded scholarships for qualified Westmont students with financial need.
Recently the foundation made a $200,000 grant to fund a language lab on campus as part of the Campaign for Westmont. The lab will greatly enhance foreign language teaching and help the college expand its use of educational technology.
James L. Stamps, who started the foundation, had a heart for young people, and wanted to support programs that benefit youth. Projects for Christian camps, an internship program for young people interested in pastoral ministry, and scholarships at Christian colleges have all received funding from the Stamps Foundation.