Welch College has named Russell Houske as Men’s Resident Director at Welch College and Rebekah Talbot as Women’s Resident Director, according to Jon Forlines, Vice President for Student Services.
“We are pleased to announce that Mr. Houske and Mrs. Talbot will be serving in these roles,” Forlines said. “We believe they will continue the excellent job done by Anna McAffee, who served as women’s resident director for eight years, and Mike Edwards, who served as men’s resident director for seven years, as well as five years in the 1990s.”
Talbot, a 2012 Welch music education graduate, served as a music teacher in North Carolina public schools before returning to Welch as academic office manager for two years. She has served as a homemaker and photographer since 2016. She and her husband, Chris, who serves as campus pastor and teaches youth and family ministry at Welch, have two sons: William (age 2) and James Elliott (eight months).
Houske recently joined the Welch staff as Facilities Services Manager, after serving as a bi-vocational youth pastor, pastor, and paramedic. He recently completed his B.S. in General Christian Ministry at Welch and is now enrolled in the master’s program in Theology and Ministry at Welch. He and his wife Amber have four children: Jacob, a freshman at Welch, Jackson (15), Carleigh (14), and Cayden (12).
“Our resident directors and their spouses are really like dorm parents,” Forlines said. “In recent years, the spouses have played such an active role that we’ve begun to think of them in this way. Chris Talbot and Amber Houske are going to be sharing some of the RD responsibilities. Both the Talbots and Houskes are exceptional Christian couples who will bring their ministry backgrounds to this role which is so important in the spiritual formation of our students.”
The new resident directors will begin their duties in June of this year.