When Presley Mock was nominated to be on the Southwestern University Alumni Board two years ago, he saw it as a chance to reconnect with his alma mater.

"I was honored by the nomination," he says. "I hadn't been very active as an alumnus, and this seemed like the perfect way to be of service. I have a great sense of loyalty to the University."

He currently serves on the board committee that examines recruitment and retention programs. "We act in an advisory capacity and regularly meet with the admission staff to review statistics, look at potentially underserved segments, and try to address current challenges the University faces in those areas."

He is particularly interested in finding ways to keep students from dropping out or transferring. "After we enroll them, what are we doing that makes them lose interest? At some level, I think they need more encouragement—to have a faculty or staff member take a personal interest in them. Making connections and developing relationships keep people involved."

Mock learned the value of involvement from his own experiences as a student at Southwestern, where he served as a resident assistant, a member of the Southwestern Science Society and Blue Key, and as president of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.

Even before he came to Southwestern from La Porte, Texas, he knew he wanted to become a physician. He says he was attracted to the school because of the strong science curriculum within the context of a well-rounded liberal arts education and the success rate of students going on to medical school. Both of his parents were alumni as well.

While a student at Southwestern he met his wife, Lynn Parr Mock '83, who grew up in Georgetown and was a year behind him in school. The couple married in the Lois Perkins Chapel in June 1984. They now have two daughters, Abbey, 6, and Jillian, 9.

Mock was accepted to medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where he graduated with honors in 1986. He was then accepted to a highly competitive Ear, Nose and Throat residency in San Antonio. Five years later, he took a position with the Dallas Medical and Surgical Clinic, a group that dissolved in 1994 and reformed into Texas Medical and Surgical Associates. Since 1995, he has served as CEO of this multi-specialty group.

In May, Mock was selected as chief of staff at North Dallas Ambulatory Surgery Center. He also is chairman of the managed care committee for the Dallas County Medical Society and a state representative for the Texas Association of Otolaryngology.

"My interest in ENT developed in medical school. I knew I wanted to do surgery, and this is a region of the body that is very dynamic. It presents academic, medical and surgical challenges. I feel that I'm continually learning and getting better at what I do. I get a lot of personal satisfaction from having the opportunity to treat people with problems and see them through the recovery."

-Greg Holland