Commencement Ceremony 2024

As a professor in the Counseling Ministries department, Dr. Thacker is passionate about teaching counseling students to integrate scripture and psychology and apply those concepts to real life counseling situations. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at DTS, Dr. Thacker maintains a small private practice in which she specializes with children and adolescents and supervises LPC-Interns. She is a licensed professional counselor, a board approved supervisor, and holds multiple certifications in counseling. Most importantly, she is married to Chad and they have three children: Emerson, William, and Webb.

Dr. George M. Hillman Jr. serves as the Vice President for Education and Professor of Educational Ministries and Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary. He oversees all seminary activities related to academic affairs and student life. Before stepping into this role, Dr. Hillman served as Vice President for Student Life and Chair of the Educational Ministries and Leadership department at DTS. As department chair, he oversaw the MA in Christian Education degree and the creation of the MA in Christian Leadership degree. He is also the former Director of Internships at DTS, where he developed the seminary’s ministry residency program.

Dr. Hillman came to DTS in 2002 with years of pastoral experience in churches and parachurch organizations in Texas and Georgia. He is the author or co-author of six books and several journal articles on theological field education, church educational ministry, and pastoral leadership.

Dr. Hillman has a BS in Sociology from Texas A&M University, an MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has a passion for education, spiritual formation, and leadership development.

He is a rabid college football fan and loves good barbeque. He and his wife have one grown daughter pursuing a career in the arts.

Dr. Mark Yarbrough began his tenure as the 6th president of DTS on July 1, 2020. He also serves as Professor of Bible Exposition. Along with his responsibilities of leading DTS, he travels extensively leading tours and speaking at conference centers. Mark has authored several books, including, How to Read the Bible Like a Seminary Professor, Jonah: Beyond the Tale of a Whale, and Tidings of Comfort and Joy. He has been married for over thirty years to Jennifer, his high school sweetheart. They have four adult children, one son-in-law, and reside in Sunnyvale, Texas.  

Besides teaching both historical and systematic theology at DTS, Dr. Svigel is actively engaged in teaching and writing for a broader evangelical audience. His passion for a Christ-centered theology and life is coupled with a penchant for humor, music, and writing. Dr. Svigel comes to DTS after working for several years in the legal field as well as serving as a writer with the ministry of Insight for Living. His books and articles range from text critical studies to juvenile fantasy. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children, Sophie, Lucas, and Nathan.