A faithful pillar of Faulkner University for more than 47 years, Wilma Phillips was celebrated as the 2026 Alumna of the Year during the annual Marketplace Faith Friday Forums on February 20, 2026. Almost five decades earlier, Phillips moved to Montgomery from Arkansas with her husband, Lanar, who was in the Air Force, and their two sons. It was not until they found a local church to attend, that they learned about Faulkner University and Phillips found her life’s calling.
The Phillips enrolled their young children in Alabama Christian Academy (ACA), which was next door to Faulkner. After first learning about the university, Phillips was immediately struck by its mission to glorify God through educating young men and women, not just intellectually, but caring and nurturing the whole person through integrity, and character.
She soon accepted a part-time position in the university’s Gus Nichols Library in order to help pay tuition costs for her two sons at ACA and would eventually begin taking classes there herself. Before the move to Alabama, Phillips attended Arkansas State University in the late 1960s, but had not completed her degree. She instead worked in health services and eventually began a career in respiratory therapy.
In 1980, a full-time position opened in the university’s Business Office, and she transferred into what would become her life’s vocation. As she settled into her new role, she discovered a love for finance. While balancing work and family responsibilities, she began taking business and accounting classes as her schedule permitted and eventually completed her business degree from Faulkner in 1990.
Those early years working at Faulkner were challenging. Payroll was sometimes difficult to meet, and staffing often shifted as employees did what was necessary to care for their families. Whenever a position became vacant, Phillips frequently stepped in to fill the need. Over the course of her tenure in the Business Office, she served in every clerical role — including payables, purchasing, student accounts, accounting, and budgeting. She often reflects that even though the work was difficult, she loved every minute of it.
When the vice president for finance left the university, then-president Billy Hilyer, after much prayerful consideration, appointed Phillips to the position. At the time, no woman within Faulkner’s sister schools associated with the churches of Christ had held such a role. She went on to serve as chief financial officer until her retirement in 2020. Shortly thereafter, she joined the Faulkner Board of Trustees, where she currently serves as Board Secretary.
In 2021, after serving 41 years at Faulkner University, Phillips was honored for her distinguished service by the renaming the Rotunda’s business offices to the Phillips Business Center. President Mike Williams and Faulkner Board of Trustees Chairman Dale Kirkland, unveiled the plaque, which reads in part, “Wilma was a trailblazer for women in higher education. She served as chief financial officer for 26 years. She also became a national voice in higher education finance serving as President of SACUBO and on the board of NACUBO. She led with clarity and grace which propelled the mission of Faulkner University.” Phillips continues to serve Faulkner and supports higher Christian education by giving back both financially and with her time.
Vice President of Advancement Billy Camp presented the award to Phillips saying she represents what it truly means to serve with dedication, integrity and heart and that honoring Phillips in this way was “long overdue.”
“Many people help institutions succeed through bold ideas and public leadership,” Camp said. “She did it through consistency, loyalty and an unwavering sense of responsibility. She showed us that leadership doesn’t always come with applause – it often comes with long hours, hard work and choices and steadfast resolve.”
Phillips treasures the relationships formed during her decades on campus. Her first supervisor, Mr. Blois Clifton, made each day an adventure, often recruiting the Business Office staff to assist with event decorating and planning. As the “face” of the Business Office for many years, Phillips came to know students by name — among them Keith and Angela Cantrell, Tommy Bone and Billy Camp who have become lifelong friends. Many of whom are now grandparents themselves.
In reflecting on being named Alumna of the Year, Phillips emphasizes not what she has done for Faulkner, but what Faulkner has done for her.
“Faulkner has given me friends for life — a community of believers in both our Lord and in this university. Faulkner has given me family,” she said.
Both of her sons earned their degrees at Faulkner and met their wives on campus. Four of her grandchildren have also attended the university, forming friendships that continue the family’s deep connection to the institution.
For Phillips, Faulkner provided more than a career. It offered a calling — one that was challenging, meaningful, and deeply fulfilling. She remains a strong advocate for Christian education, believing that institutions where every student matters continue to hold lasting value in today’s world.
