President Paul J. Maurer is pleased to announce the appointments of Ambassador Philip S. Kosnett (Ret.) and Rev. Dr. Mark Toone to the Montreat College Board of Trustees. Both Ambassador Kosnett and Dr. Toone were unanimously voted onto the Montreat College Board of Trustees on Friday, January 28, 2022.
“Ambassador Kosnett and Dr. Toone will bring deeply valuable experience and perspective to the college’s governing board,” says Maurer. “In their respective careers, both have gained tremendous experience in executive leadership and navigating how to work with diverse populations. Both possess deep academic and practical education and wisdom over decades of service. And Dr. Toone’s seasoned theological perspective is invaluable to the core identity of the college, which is both rare and priceless in American higher education.”
Ambassador Kosnett retired from the U.S. State Department in 2021 following a career representing the United States in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. In senior assignments including Ambassador to Kosovo and acting/deputy ambassador in Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Iceland, he developed a record of success as a strategist, negotiator, and leader. Since leaving federal service, he has taken on roles in consulting, policy analysis, higher education, and humanitarian crisis response.
Mr. Kosnett earned his B.A. in Government from Harvard University and studied the Turkish, Japanese, Dutch and Russian languages. He and his wife Alison are also involved in the humanitarian effort to evacuate and re-settle endangered Afghans. The Kosnetts have two adult children and currently reside in Black Mountain, NC.
Rev. Dr. Toone serves as the senior pastor of Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Gig Harbor, Washington. He is a leader within the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and served for 23 years as a trustee at Whitworth University, a fellow institution in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
Dr. Toone earned his B.A. in History and Music from California State University, Bakersfield, his Master of Divinity from Fuller Seminary, and his Ph.D. in Ecclesiastical History-Revivalism at St. Andrews University in Scotland. He has been married to his wife, Cyndi for 33 years. They have two adult children, including their daughter, Rev. Rachel Toone, who serves as Montreat’s Dean of Spiritual Formation.