Where I Stand
This is why I want to be a University of Nebraska Regent…
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE STUDENTS AND THE STATE
I am running for a position on the University of Nebraska Board of Regent because, in addition to believing our students deserve the best possible education, I believe the four NU campuses, as well as outreach programs in many remote locations, form a significant educational, social and economic backbone for “The Good Life” state. Nebraska has been good to me, my family and countless other fellow Nebraskans, and I am ready to lend my passion, values, leadership and experience to work with the Board of Regents as we strengthen the university and bring our students, the school and the state through the 21st Century with confidence!
NO-NONSENSE, DOWN-TO-EARTH APPROACH
I believe a successful Regent in this no-nonsense, get-it-done age must be much more than an ivory-tower seat warmer. He or she must offer more than a long list of civic credentials, board memberships and society connections. A successful Regent will take a fearless, practical, down-to-earth approach to making the most of the university as a great state resource, putting our famous Midwestern work ethic to use and turning the university system into an asset for all Nebraskans, from students and parents to businesses, faculty, employees, non-profit organizations and local governments.
A successful Regent must be a leader, tireless worker and team player, but it’s also critical to have a specific plan in mind to make these educational, social and economic dreams a reality.
My goal as a Regent is threefold: recruit the best students, enhance the quality of our programs, and partner with business and government to create jobs and keep our well-educated college graduates in the state for the benefit of us all.
GOAL ONE: RECRUIT THE BEST STUDENTS
Those intimately involved in the University of Nebraska—professors, admissions counselors, staff, Regents and many others—realize the programs the University of Nebraska has to offer are very high quality. Not only do we participate in innovative programs, international events and cutting-edge research, but we have inspired and initiated such things, and we enjoy the respect and opportunity that comes from holding a position of leadership in many fields. (To learn more about the premier educational opportunities offered at NU, visit www.unl.edu.) Programs like these add up to an education any student would be proud of.
However, there are many high school juniors and seniors both in Nebraska and out of state who are unfamiliar with the university’s academic stature. I believe the Regents need to assist in this endeavor and get out into the state personally to help tell the story about the educational excellence offered at the University of Nebraska. I want parents to know we can prepare their children for the world in as fine a fashion as other institutions they might be considering for a perceived high academic status. On the other hand, I want to keep our programs affordable so we can offer a good education to anyone who wants it. I want to aggressively recruit the very best students from the time they are in junior high. I believe we could invite students to visit our campus at a young age and get them and their parents thinking about NU as a viable—even preferred—college option in a variety of disciplines.
In addition, I want parents to know their children will be safe on our campuses. I already have spoken with the Lincoln campus director of security about ways to keep students safe, so a tragedy like the one that occurred in Virginia this year is unlikely to happen here.
All of these considerations are a natural extension of the work I have done for years in support of children—as a former foundation and operating board member of the Cedars Children’s Home, as current president of Heartland Big Brothers and Big Sisters, as a founding member of the Heartland Big Brothers and Big Sisters Foundation, and as a current board member for the Lincoln Children’s Museum. Perhaps most telling as evidence of my passion for our youth is my position as a husband and father of five children. There are eight NU graduates in our family with one more on the way: my son Matthew, a freshman in the fall of 2007. We all are proud of our Nebraska education and we’re putting it to use right here in our great state.
GOAL TWO: ENHANCE UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
To make the first goal a reality—recruiting the best—it follows that we must continue to enhance the already high-quality programs we offer at the University of Nebraska. Academic quality is important, of course, but we also have to assure that the academic programs we offer are designed to meet the needs of the “real” world. I propose that we form partnerships with businesses in Nebraska, that we use the partnerships and our outstanding faculty to determine what is needed in the workforce, then adopt new programs or enhance existing programs to meet those needs.
For the student, that means we continue our excellence in core disciplines, but we enhance those offerings to make sure graduates will be competitive in the 21st Century workforce. We school students in the basics, but also teach them how to think beyond the basics to the extraordinary—we challenge them to their limits and help them become exceptional job candidates in any industry.
Again, I believe it is critical for the Regents to get out into the state and visit other states to spread the word. We’ve been hearing that the new Husker coach has to get out and “touch the people” to inspire the fans’ loyalty and belief in the team. We need to do the same to inspire loyalty and belief in NU academics. Another way to look at it is that the students, parents and counselors throughout Nebraska and in other states are the university’s customers. In business, you can’t build a store and expect customers to come. You have to get out there and talk about your business and demonstrate the quality of your product before you can expect to be successful. Likewise, the Regents must get out and tell the story about NU.
I’ve already begun this task in my work over the years as a private sector spokesperson and advocate of the University of Nebraska. I received my undergraduate degree from NU, and the school’s placement office helped me find a job in Omaha, where I attended Creighton University and earned a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate—the comparison between the schools helped me understand the high quality and value of my NU education. Since then, I continued to support the university as an active member of the Omaha Alumni Outreach project and as a member of the College of Business Administration Alumni Board, serving as president in 1993. I served as adjunct faculty in the College of Business Administration, which demonstrated to me the needs and value of our faculty. In fact, I am a lifetime member of the Alumni Association, with a lifelong commitment to building and developing our school—even if I never see the Regents’ boardroom.
GOAL THREE: PARTNER WITH BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT TO CREATE JOBS
The end goal of a college degree is a good job. What happens if NU graduates can’t find good jobs in Nebraska after graduation? They’ll look in other states. If that happens, the fruit of our efforts to build a pre-eminent university and recruit first-rate students and faculty will be taken away from us and enjoyed by others. This “brain drain” is one of the most destructive forces in our state. As a state, we can’t afford to lose our intellectual capital. We must, instead, create a “brain gain”—a constructive, conscious force that keeps our highest-quality, hardest working talent in the state, as well as bringing back students who have left us, thereby broadening the tax base of our state and bolstering our economy. Again…good for everybody!
How do we do it? In my opinion, the best way to create “brain gain” in Nebraska is for the University of Nebraska to partner with private commerce and state and local government to create ongoing educational opportunities that assure the jobs are there when the students are ready. Among other efforts, the Regents must support the development of more internships and externships to enhance the educational experiences of NU students by exposing them to the real world and giving them built-in connections when they begin job hunting. Prospective employers are more likely to hire students they’ve hosted as interns. Students who see the sophistication and savvy of Nebraska businesses in this kind of test job situation are more likely to view a Nebraska job after graduation as a viable, desirable option.
The work being done through Lincoln’s 2015 planning group, including partnerships between business and government, is one step toward a stronger economy that provides desirable jobs for new graduates in Nebraska. The Regents can support those efforts in a number of ways, and I would expect to work through as many terms as needed to provide the sustained effort that will be necessary to see our 2015 efforts through to a positive end.
As a Nebraska business person for the past two decades, I believe I can offer a wealth of experience to help make these things happen. I have successfully built a practice in a small business that employs interns. I’m a member of the Lincoln Estate Planning Council, and I enjoy the honor of having been recognized by my peers with one of the highest ratings a lawyer can earn—an AV rating for legal abilities and ethics. I am a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, one of only 38 in Nebraska. My father and two of my brothers also are small business owners in this state.
THE END GAME: VALUES AND EXPERIENCE
At the end of the day, my overall approach to these issues is the same approach I use in my personal life as a father and husband, and as a business owner and legal representative of many other Nebraska businesses and individuals. I make decisions based on a solid set of values that has never let me down. I insist on using my many years of experience and lessons learned as a foundation for analysis of any situation. I surround myself with capable, thoughtful allies. Then I allow my big heart to begin the decision-making process and I use my brain to finish it.
I and my supporters already have worked hard for many months to lay the groundwork for this campaign. We will continue to work hard as more Nebraskans join us every day in our quest for a strong educational system that can in turn strengthen our state. When the election is over and I take my place as Regent, the REAL work will begin. My lifelong advocacy of Nebraska and its university system will come to fruition. I’ll use my management and business skills, my knowledge and experience in education and my Husker fervor to meet these goals and make you proud, as your representative on the Board of Regents.