Four new members join Texas Lutheran University’s Board of Regents in 2026, their appointments having been finalized by the TLU Corporation at its January 31 meeting. The new regents are Dr. Sandra Harper, Lori Swann, Pastor Leslie Price, and Sarah Metzer.
Harper, who recently retired as President of McMurry University after serving for more than a decade, holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Texas. Additional professional experience includes serving as president of Our Lady of the Lake College in Louisiana and also in senior administrative roles at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City University. While president at McMurry, she was active in the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT), the Educational and Institutional Insurance Administrators, Inc. (EIAA), the North American Association of Methodist Schools, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges Council of Colleges (SACSCOC), and the Abilene Industrial Foundation. A recognized leader in faith-based independent universities, Dr. Harper currently resides in Abilene.
Swann presently serves as general counsel for Cunningham Capital in Houston and has been the director of the American Legion Auxiliary of Texas Girls State since 2014—a role which brings her to the TLU campus ever summer. She has been a part-time instructor at Rice University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree before attending law school at The University of Texas School of Law. She has also served as assistant district attorney for Harris County and on several boards, including the Children’s Assessment Center Foundation, Vecino Health Centers, and the Assistance League of Houston.
Price is senior pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in San Antonio, where she has served since 2010. A Kansas native, she previously worked in youth ministry and associate pastoral roles. She earned her undergraduate degree in political science from Valparaiso University and both a Master of Youth Ministry and Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary. Fluent in Spanish, she completed Clinical Pastoral Education and interned in a marginalized urban community in Mexico City, and her ministry is rooted in faith, service, and inclusion.
Metzer graduated TLU in 2022 with a degree in sociology before going on to earn a master’s in construction management from Texas State University in 2024. She was a member of the 2019 national championship softball team and is one of TLU’s most decorated athletes. She lives in Seguin, where she is construction superintendent for The Koehler Company as well as a volunteer assistant TLU softball coach.
The first meeting of the TLU Board of Regents this year is scheduled for February.