I t would be impossible to stand before you today and not feel deeply humbled and deeply honored. I have spent the last year or more listening to all of you and to many of our alumni and supporters. What I have heard, repeatedly, is that what you do makes a difference. You matter. You matter because you show up every day to help our students on their journey. You matter because of the wide variety of roles you play in this journey, and how all of those roles add up to a learning experience that transforms our students’ lives, their families’ lives, and their communities.
So I open with gratitude and deep humility.
To the Trustees who have gathered for this installation, thank you for the way in which you hold this community in your hands and your hearts. And thank you for trusting me with the work of leading Central Washington University as its 15th president. To the leadership of the faculty, the classified employees, the exempt employees, and the students: I have worked closely with you during my first year to deepen our commitment to shared governance and shared leadership. Your dedication to making Central a stronger, more vibrant university—and your partnership in that work—is deeply appreciated and valued. To the community members, local civic and business leaders, and public health officials who are present and to those who could not be here today, thank you for your collaboration with Central Washington University. Together, we make this region vibrant, resilient, and thriving. We rely on you for so much. Indeed, we could not do what we do without your support. To the legislators and legislative staff present, and to our donors, alumni, and supporters, your support of higher education in the state and of Central Washington University in particular is the foundation for the great work we do in transforming lives; without your recognition of the vital importance of higher education to our economic, civic, and social life, we would not be able to take our work to the next level. To the administration of the university—directors, department chairs, deans, vice presidents, and former presidents—we must always remember that we are stewards of the state and trustees in our own right to the health and vitality of our university. In everything we do, we must collaborate with our university colleagues as partners and expand our collective capacity to think institutionally. To the staff across the university, here in Ellensburg and at our Centers, thank you for the support you provide to all of us and to our students. You often work behind the scenes to keep things going—and we don’t always do enough to honor your great work. But without your dedication and commitment to student success and learning, I know that our project would falter. To the faculty who are dedicated to their disciplines while also recognizing the importance of a broad liberal education, thank you for upholding the time-honored traditions of learning and balancing those traditions with a spirit of innovation. You understand that we cannot maintain the status quo when there is so much at stake. Page 1
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