UNT System selects sole finalist for Chancellor

[Cerebus]

Quote

Aug. 17, 2017
 
UNT System Students, Faculty and Staff:
 
The University of North Texas System Board of Regents has selected Lesa B. Roe, Acting Deputy Administrator for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as the sole finalist for the position of Chancellor. Ms. Roe’s selection was announced this morning during the UNT System Board of Regents meeting at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth.  
 
Ms. Roe is a results-oriented, decisive leader with proven success in operating in a high-risk, high-visibility environment. She has more than 30 years of experience in corporate-level strategic positioning and execution for a multi-billion dollar federal agency and her track record of driving efficient productivity, combined with a wealth of experience working with federal and state-level legislators, makes her an ideal fit to lead the UNT System into a new era.
 
"Serving the UNT System, the North Texas region and the State of Texas would be a tremendous honor and opportunity – thank you to the Board of Regents for their confidence and trust in my leadership,” Ms. Roe said. “As a leader I strive to be strong, but approachable, and I believe teamwork is fundamental to the success of any organization. I am extremely proud of our NASA teams’ mission accomplishments over the years, but I’m just as proud of the fact that NASA has been an employee-rated best place to work in the federal government for five consecutive years.”
 
Robert Lightfoot, NASA’s Acting Administrator and Chief Operating Office, said the UNT System can expect an experienced and energetic leader in Ms. Roe.
 
“Lesa brings a unique ability to develop a strategic vision backed by an action-oriented implementation plan to achieve the results necessary to accomplish a mission and as a person, she is one of the most genuine and engaging people you will ever meet,” Lightfoot said.  “Lesa’s vast experience and success leading at NASA – a large organization with 10 geographically dispersed field centers – is directly applicable to leading a University System, with similar challenges and opportunities. The UNT System should expect a high-energy, results-driven leader with a laser focus on the mission of UNTS and its critical role of preparing the next generation to enter the workforce. “
 
Now that Ms. Roe has been named the sole finalist for the Chancellor position, state law requires that 21 days must pass before final action can be taken by the Board of Regents on her employment. Chancellor Jackson, the state’s longest-serving Chancellor, will remain in his position until Ms. Roe takes office and will continue to serve the UNT System until the end of 2017.

 

[MGNation92]

I'm not sure what I should feel about this? I mean, general consensus is that people don't like Jackson, but is she going to be any better?

[MeanGreenTexan]

This was not the ideal candidate... at all.
Experience with NASA?
I suppose we'll wait & see.

[Aldo]

She helped run a very large government organization with budgets that get funding cuts here and there and has had lots of political stake/spotlight on it. 

Pretty sure UNT politics will be a bit easier to handle. 

[UNTLifer]

Who were the other candidates?

[AustinFromUNT]

Does this mean we'll actually have a half decent physics department now? It's arguably one of the worst on campus and worst physics department in the state.

[drycreek]

56 minutes ago, MGNation92 said:

I'm not sure what I should feel about this? I mean, general consensus is that people don't like Jackson, but is she going to be any better?

anyone will be better---can jackson leave now

[Greenrex]

I love North Texas and I wish her and my university great success. As I look back over my 74 years, I can without reservation attribute every thing I have ever accomplished in my life to my time at North Texas. Godspeed!

Edited August 17, 2017 by Greenrex

[xyresic]

I take this as a win. No education experience means there is a bit of an unknown, but she is a much better candidate than the other front runner.

Overall, I think we will see her as an improvement over her predecessor. Although as some have pointed out that may not prove to be terribly difficult.

NS has been a big step up from LR. The admin hasn't been perfect, but they have tackled difficult core problems that others kicked down the road. It will be nice if this hire keeps that momentum rolling.

 

[FirefightnRick]

HELL YEAH WE'RE GOING TO THE MOON!   

 

Rick

[Harry]

courtesy Texas Tribune:  https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/17/unt-system-chooses-top-nasa-administrator-chancellor-post/

[GrandGreen]

Being better than Jackson should not even be a consideration.   

This one is out of the blue for sure.  Not the usual politician most pick or either a proven academic.

On the surface, this at least signals a continued emphasis on STEM subjects and increasing research funding.  

Overall, based on what I have read about her, this actually has a change to be a home run of a hire. 

 

2 hours ago, Aldo said:

She helped run a very large government organization with budgets that get funding cuts here and there and has had lots of political stake/spotlight on it. 

Pretty sure UNT politics will be a bit easier to handle. 

I am not sure this is true at all.  

[TheColonyEagle]

Not really digging where they took the pic. Hopefully they'll show her how to get to Denton. The last guy seemed to have a problem finding it. 

[Aldo]

5 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

I am not sure this is true at all.  

in terms of politics? NASA at the very least has to deal with and navigate politics.

[GrandGreen]

2 minutes ago, Aldo said:

in terms of politics? NASA at the very least has to deal with and navigate politics.

Not arguing against that.   However, if done right; the NT job maybe just as challenging if not more so than an deputy administrator job at NASA.  

 

[Aldo]

1 minute ago, GrandGreen said:

if done right

Let's hope she knocks it out of the park. Or Earth, or whatever.

[Harry]

Impressive resume for sure and like the NASA connection but does she see the value in athletics?   Remains to be seen.  

[MeanGreen_MBA]

18 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

Not arguing against that.   However, if done right; the NT job maybe just as challenging if not more so than an deputy administrator job at NASA.  

 

but she is the boss....

 

[GrandGreen]

8 minutes ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

but she is the boss....

 

Not sure what you mean.

She is the acting deputy Administrator reporting to the acting Administrator at NASA. 

In other words, the top positions are being filled and more than likely she is moving on before that is going to happen.  Not a negative, but she not leaving the top job at NASA to be NT chancellor.  

Edited August 17, 2017 by GrandGreen

[MeanGreenTeeth]

Hmmm.  I'm hoping she's good and all, but the "Deputy Associate Administrator" of a relatively minor federal agency seems like a very odd choice.  Nothing against her, just was thinking we would get someone a little more high profile.

[oldguystudent]

14 minutes ago, Harry said:

Impressive resume for sure and like the NASA connection but does she see the value in athletics?   Remains to be seen.  

The chancellor at my other alma mater who turned athletics around from a laughing stock of the country and unheard of out of it into a national power in several sports was a world renowned physicist. Never discount or elevate expectations of somebody's priorities on athletics based on their chosen profession.  There's a pretty mean spirited fantasy football league here at work with a bunch of tax accountants.  I've literally seen a couple people stop speaking for a few years because of it.  You wouldn't necessarily expect that kind of sports passion out of a bunch of windowless office number crunchers. 

[BTG_Fan1]

15 minutes ago, Harry said:

Impressive resume for sure and like the NASA connection but does she see the value in athletics?   Remains to be seen.  

Being from NASA and I'm assuming Houston, hopefully she has seen UH go from a smaller school to a national name is someways... because of Athletics

[MeanGreenTexan]

14 minutes ago, Harry said:

Impressive resume for sure and like the NASA connection but does she see the value in athletics?   Remains to be seen.  

I think Smatresk does, and he's the one who matters.
Things that go on at the Denton Campus falls under Smatresk's control.   Her job, will be to grow/advance the UNT system as a whole.  This mainly includes procuring money from underneath every rock she can possibly find.   If she thinks athletics is a way to do that, then that will mean even greater things for us.  If not, then it's still up to Smatresk to keep up his vision for North Texas.
Also, it doesn't hurt that the Chairman of the BOR (AKA: her boss) is a 7-figure-donor to Athletics.

[GrandGreen]

1 minute ago, BTG_Fan1 said:

Being from NASA and I'm assuming Houston, hopefully she has seen UH go from a smaller school to a national name is someways... because of Athletics

 

18 minutes ago, Harry said:

Impressive resume for sure and like the NASA connection but does she see the value in athletics?   Remains to be seen.  

I also hope she is pro athletics, but in the overall scheme of things it is much more important to move NT system up the educational hierarchy.   The first challenge should be to elevate the NT system up to and pass the UH and Tech systems. 

[Harry]

Hey I'm all for her if she can do similar things here that Rene Khator the 1st woman chancellor at U of H has done:

https://ssl.uh.edu/president/about/

Khator graduated from Purdue with her Masters + PhD from Purdue.  She also spent 22 years (through 2009) at South Florida where she saw a pretty dramatic rise in athletics during that time period.  In fact she was at USF when they were nationally ranked in football.

On the positive side, our candidate  got exposure to college athletics at her undergrad alma mater Florida which is considered a pretty pro-athletic and spirited place.  I think that the undergrad school is typically where people get their athletic identity or main exposure.  So hopefully she will carry some positive memories of that time and try to apply it to this situation.