“We were shocked and humbled,” President Alvin F. Meredith III said about receiving the call to serve as BYU-Idaho’s 18th president.
In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, President Meredith said he and his wife, Jennifer, would have never guessed they’d serve in this capacity at BYU-Idaho.
After receiving the call, they met with former presidents of the university, including President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church, Elder Kim B. Clark, an Emeritus Seventy, Elder Clark G. Gilbert, a General Authority Seventy and Henry J. Eyring, who just finished his service at BYU-Idaho.
“(They) were just so kind to share their thoughts and ideas and also to make it clear that this is a special place and I better not mess it up,” President Meredith said.
The Merediths began serving on August 1 and are busy getting acquainted with the university and its history, including reading from what are known as the Foundational Addresses. These are announcements, devotional talks and inauguration responses delivered by former presidents of the university and leaders of the Church.
“That’s been a great resource for preparation,” he said.
The Merediths have six children: two boys, two girls and two boys. Three of them still live at home in Rexburg while their two oldest boys are in Provo, Utah, and their oldest daughter is serving a mission for the Church in Sweden.
Their three children living at home go to Madison High School and Madison Junior High School. One is a senior, one is a sophomore and one is in 8th grade.
“And they have absolutely loved their experiences at school so far,” Sister Meredith said.
The announcement that Elder Meredith would become President Meredith happened on May 16 during a BYU-Idaho devotional. They couldn’t tell their children about their new call until the night before it was announced on campus.
“As we crossed the Idaho border, we had the three youngest children in the car with us, and they just erupted in cheers. They were so thrilled,” Sister Meredith said.
Though the Merediths originally called Tennessee home, they have welcomed several moves over the last few years due to various church assignments. President Meredith has served as a mission president in Utah, a member of the Eighth Quorum of the Seventy in the Asia Area and a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southeast Area.
Since moving to Rexburg, the family has jumped into the Eastern Idaho culture. They have gone to Madison High School football games, Yellowstone Bear World and even the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot.
“We thought everyone in southeastern Idaho went to the potato museum, so we went and we're proud to declare that we went there,” President Meredith said, “and we found out that no one in Rexburg goes to the potato museum.”
Sister Meredith says they enjoyed their visit to the museum, and it helped them learn more about potato harvest and now their three children living with them are excited for the harvest break.
The family has lived in large cities like Chicago, Singapore and Hong Kong, but like the slower pace of Eastern Idaho.
“It's a small community, small farming community, and people are just so friendly,” President Meredith said.
People in the community are already starting to recognize them too. While going through the drive-thru at Freddy’s in Rexburg, the employee taking their payment shut the window and the Merediths could hear him telling his co-workers the president of BYU-Idaho was in the drive-thru.
“And so, a couple of students came up to say, “Hi” and that was just really sweet, it was heartwarming, it was good to meet them, and we’re glad they took the time to introduce themselves,” President Meredith said.
President Meredith worked as a senior executive for Asurion in Tennessee, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also worked at GE Capital and The Boston Consulting Group. He became a General Authority Seventy in 2021 while serving as the president of the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission. He also served as a member of the Church Educational System Interview Committee. He will continue to serve as a General Authority Seventy while serving as the president of BYU-Idaho.
“You're going to be hard-pressed to find a bigger advocate of higher education than myself,” he said. “I think education is the key to opportunity. I think the quest, the thirst for knowledge is the key to opportunity.”
President Meredith earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Sister Meredith earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University.
During their work and service in the Church, President Meredith says he’s learned the importance of his relationship with Jesus Christ, which ties directly into the role of BYU-Idaho in the Church Educational System.
“The primary thing for our mission here at BYU-Idaho is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ,” he said. “And every decision that we make, every change that we consider will be looked at through that lens.”
President Meredith says the relationship between BYU-Idaho and the Rexburg community is important. He calls it a “symbiotic relationship.” When his family moved to Rexburg over the summer, the Chamber of Commerce welcomed them with a bouquet of flowers.
“We need the support from the community, and I think the community leaders would say that having the university here is a great blessing to them,” he said.
At the time of the interview, the Merediths had been serving in their new capacity for just 36 days. He says they look forward to meeting community leaders and getting to know them better so they can work together.
The Merediths will be visible leaders for the students at BYU-Idaho. In the short time they’ve been on campus, they are already making an impact and students are excited to learn from them.
Sister Meredith says she grew up moving a lot. Her father was in the Air Force. So, one of the things she hopes students can learn from her is to bloom where they’re planted and to “learn as much as you can, because you never know how long you’re going to have in any particular place.”
President Meredith would like students to understand something from the scriptures. The lesson that “through small and simple things, great things come to pass.”
“That applies in every facet of our lives. Spiritually, if we'll just be diligent about prayer and scriptures and attending church and getting to the temple, then the Lord is anxious to bless us when we do those small and simple things,” he said. “Physically, intellectually, socially, if we can be disciplined about the small and simple things, then we will reap great dividends.”
He also wants students to know “they’ve got this” and that they should involve the Lord in everything they do.
Sister Meredith also says she wants students to know they belong at BYU-Idaho and she and her husband will do everything possible to “help them learn and grow and become disciples of Jesus Christ.”
Sister Meredith also says she’s learned through life experience that through any trial, instead of asking, “why me?” to ask, “what am I to learn from this?”
President Meredith says he believes the graduates of BYU-Idaho will grow in their influence in the world.
“The experiences that they have here that help them to become disciples of Christ, as well as prepare them for the real world to be leaders in their homes, in the church, in the community is going to be a great blessing to so many people that they come in contact with,” he said.
Favorite Holiday
Sister Meredith – Christmas or Easter
President Meredith – Thanksgiving
Must-Have Food on Thanksgiving Table
President & Sister Meredith – sweet potato soufflé
Favorite Tradition
Sister Meredith – taking children to the temple the morning of their baptism at sunrise
President Meredith – kissing his wife on the way to the pulpit when they are both speaking
Favorite Sport
Sister Meredith – football and basketball
President Meredith – football and wrestling
Favorite Dessert
Sister Meredith – brownies with walnuts and vanilla ice cream
President Meredith – chocolate chip cookie with cold glass of milk