But you have to match competence with character. They build on each other. For all the talk about character, it is Eaton's own character that speaks the loudest. He is very much the person he projects. There is no gap between his public persona and what he is.
Students appreciate that.
They have an incredible nose for hypocrisy. Seattle Pacific's message, delivered with Eaton's easy, personable style, has reached across religious and cultural divides. When novelist Chaim Potok spoke on campus about the importance of values in modern life, Eaton invited local Jewish leaders into his home to meet Potok and talk about common concerns. He cares genuinely about communicating Seattle Pacific's distinctives in a way that is winsome and relevant. I believe in it, not just as a slogan on paper, but as a way of moving forward with integrity and great effectiveness in the new millennium.