Montreat College is pleased to announce the election of three trustees who began service on the Montreat College Board of Trustees July 1, 2026. Barnwell P. “Palmer” McArthur and Lynne P. Veerman return to board service following previous terms as trustees, while Dr. Gary Rupp joins the board for the first time. Together, they bring a wealth of experience in law, finance, higher education, psychology, ministry, and community leadership to the college’s governance.
Palmer McArthur of Charlotte, N.C., is Of Counsel and a former partner at Moore & Van Allen, PLLC. During his distinguished legal career, he focused on taxation, commercial real estate, joint ventures, and securities. Earlier in his career, he practiced as a certified public accountant with Price Waterhouse in Dallas, Texas.
McArthur earned a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law. He previously served on the Montreat College Board of Trustees from 1993 to 1998.
McArthur and his wife, Caroline, live in Charlotte and are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he has served on the Session. They have four sons, four daughters-in-law, and seven grandchildren. He is active with the United States Tennis Association, enjoys hunting and the outdoors, and has periodically taken courses at Reformed Theological Seminary since retiring.
Lynne P. Veerman of Orlando, Fla., is a retired office manager and bookkeeper with a longstanding commitment to church and community service. She has served as an elder and mentor to young mothers at First Presbyterian Church Orlando and currently serves on the church’s welcome team. Veerman has also served on homeowners association boards in Florida and Colorado and has volunteered as a tutor with Legends Academy and Frontline Outreach in Orlando.
Veerman brings extensive institutional knowledge and a longstanding commitment to Montreat College. She has served multiple terms on the Montreat College Board of Trustees since 1995. She and her husband, Ralph, have four children and 10 grandchildren. They enjoy skiing, mountain biking, and high-alpine hiking in Crested Butte, Colo., where they spend their summers.
Dr. Gary Rupp of Winter Park, Fla., brings extensive experience in counseling, psychology, behavioral medicine, and Christian ministry. He has served as a special fellow in behavioral medicine at George Washington University and has taught counseling and psychology courses at Georgia State University and Regent University.
Rupp also directed the master’s program in counseling at Reformed Theological Seminary–Orlando for more than 10 years. He has served on the boards of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies and Harvest USA and is a former director of the Mount Paran Counseling Center in Atlanta.
A ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Rupp owns a home and hobby farm in Black Mountain, N.C. He is also an accomplished pastel artist and was named one of seven international “Artists to Watch” by The Pastel Journal. He was married to Kay Morris Rupp for 42 years and has two married sons and two grandsons.
