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ASU Helped Launch Careers for the Herringtons

August 06, 2015

Not every Angelo State graduate with an accounting degree goes on to work for a country music superstar, but Terri Herrington (Class of 1979) did.

In 1997, she answered a newspaper ad for an accountant.

“The ad was placed by a certified public accountant,” Terri said. “I interviewed, then he took a day to check my references and called me back. He said, ‘By the way, I am George Strait’s financial advisor and this is his office. We do all of George’s business here.’”



“Everybody thought it was real glamorous and I got to know the family, but it was a real job,” she added. “It was a surprising twist in my career.”

Dan Herrington, Terri’s husband and fellow ASU alum, also had a stellar career—if not quite as glamorous—in computer science and information technology, especially for the 50-plus ASU students who can thank him for their first career positions.

In 1990, the Baytown native joined San Antonio-based USAA, the leading provider of financial services to the military. As the executive sponsor of USAA’s University Recruiting Program, he developed the pipeline for ASU graduates to work at USAA while also playing an integral role in vaulting the company to the No. 1 position on Computerworld magazine’s 2010 list of “Best Places to Work in IT.”

Both now retired, the Herringtons marvel at the lives they have led and the opportunities they have had, thanks to choosing Angelo State.

For Dan, college was more problematic. He flunked out of his first university after three semesters.

“My story, I’m sure, has been played out over and over again in every college in every semester, mostly without a happy ending,” Dan said. “Like many students, I started college without any focus or any direction, and it resulted in my being shown the door.”

Maybe you’ll take a class and it will ignite something. If you don’t have an idea of what you’re going to do, ASU is a place where you can get that opportunity.

Dan Herrington, Class of 1979

A brother working at Angelo State helped Herrington get a fresh start.

“I started at ASU as an undeclared,” he said. “Then I took a course in computer science. That was the first time the light went on. Dr. Fred Homeyer built an outstanding CS program, which ignited the passion within me, and I wanted to learn more and more because it was fun and exciting.”

“My wife, Terri, is one of the very few people I’ve ever known who knew what she wanted to do in high school, picked a college and graduated in three and a half years,” he continued. “And that was before people started college with 30 credits from dual-credit courses.”

Dan’s computer science passion even led him to Terri.

“We met at his professor’s house,” Terri said. “I babysat for them and met Dan at an open house.”

Growing up in Petersburg, Terri had worked as a bookkeeper in high school and chose to enroll at ASU because a friend was going there.

“I don’t think I was an accounting major when I first started,” she said. “I was just a general business major. But as soon as I took my accounting classes, I switched. I was always a numbers person anyway.”

“Unlike somebody else, I mostly just worked and went to school,” she joked.

The Herringtons have fond memories of ASU.

“I took a course in government that the professor just made so interesting,” Terri said. “There were a lot of professors like that. They were passionate, they got to know their students and classes were small. I remember a lot of my professors.”

After graduating in 1979, Dan was employed in the oil industry, and he and Terri lived in the Middle East for eight years.

“My career gave us the opportunity to see the world,” he said.

Dan continued to give back to his alma mater by serving on the ASU College of Business Advisory Council, among other roles. He was honored as the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus by the ASU Alumni Association.

The Herringtons live in Boerne and spend time with their adult children, Jason and Stacie, and their families. They also continue to support the university where their lives were launched.

“Maybe you’ll take a class and it will ignite something,” Dan said. “If you don’t have an idea of what you’re going to do, ASU is a place where you can get that opportunity.”