Home
| Mues takes on a new (old) position |
|
|
| Written by Savannah Cummings -Argonaut | ||||||
| Friday, 13 October 2006 | ||||||
|
Lloyd Mues says he doesn’t like to talk about the past. “The past is gone. I want to look at where we’re going, what do we want to do,” said University of Idaho’s new vice president of finance and administration. Mues, formerly the assistant vice president of Auxiliary Services, has been working in the position since May 2006 when Nancy Dunn had to take a leave of absence due to health problems. On Oct. 5, UI President Tim White announced that Dunn would not be returning to the job and that Mues would remain for at least two years, at which time his performance will be reviewed. Mues said his career has been an “amazing journey,” beginning with his own graduation from UI in the ‘70s. His dream was to become a game warden — a highly competitive field at the time — so he said he joined the Army ROTC so he could use his veteran’s points to give him an edge over the competition. He received a two-year commission with the Army that extended into almost 30 years. Mues returned to UI in the mid-1990s to run the ROTC program, and was planning to retire when he was promoted to oversee the officer-producing programs from American Samoa to Montana. After four years overseeing 56 universities, Mues decided it was time to retire, return to Moscow and get a job in a hardware store. He retired from the Army as a full colonel. “I’d been helping people build their lives,” he said of his planned job. “Now I’ll help them build their homes.” Around that time, Mues said he received a phone call asking him if he’d like to apply for a job as the vice president of Auxiliary Services at UI. He was hired for the position in November 2005. Dunn, a Harvard grad, was hired as the vice president of Finance and Administration in January 2006. That spring, Dunn was diagnosed with cancer and left the position. Mues said White asked him if he’d be interested in stepping in, and he did. His only requirement for taking the job, Mues said, was that he wanted to be able to fill his old position permanently (it is currently held by Tom McGann), and he wanted White to let him know if he ever lost confidence in him. Mues said if White loses confidence, he will vacate the position. His experience in the Army makes him uniquely suited for the job, Mues said, although he acknowledges some people have a hard time making the connection. As the vice president of finance, it is his job to keep the university’s “appetite in line with our resources,” Mues said. He said he oversaw a $1.5 billion budget in the military, so he feels capable of taking care of UI. “There are more similarities than there are differences,” Mues said. “This is my school too. I care a lot about this school.” When he was appointed as interim last May, Mues said he insisted he have full power and not just be a “placeholder,” so he was approved by the state board. His acceptance of the position for the next two years doesn’t change anything, he said. “Nothing’s changed except that I’ll be here for a while,” he said. “That will really help the university.” The office has seen some turmoil in the past, with six people holding the position over the last three years. Despite the problems, Mues said he is hesitant to talk about the past and would rather focus on the direction the university is going, and what can be changed. “I’m on a personal mission to get the trust back between students and faculty,” Mues said. The university needs to work on its goals, Mues said, and come up with a clear mission stating what the university is about so it can continue to attract and retain quality students and educators. “Providing quality to quality people, that’s what we’re about,” Mues said. “The challenges are numerous, but they are within our ability.” According to White, Mues will remain until June 30, 2009 on an annual contract. In the summer of 2008, the university will conduct a formal evaluation of Mues’ performance and will decide whether to keep him on or conduct a national search for the position. “This approach will allow for the needed stability and clarity of focus and activities in finance and administration, including developing a budgeting process that aligns resources with strategic needs and priorities,” White said in an e-mail.  Add as favorites (297) | Views: 4158
Write Comment
|
||||||
