Sowing and Reaping:
Reflections on my Year as Your President

Has your college president ever told you to “shut up?” Mine has—three times in the last month. It was appropriate. You see, sometimes, I think out loud or talk without listening. Tim Foster does not read the Rocky Mountain Exchange so I am comfortable in writing about him. Tim is the best college president I have ever worked for and is a brilliant mind when it comes to education. Sometimes, more often than not, I don’t understand what he is saying but after carefully digesting it, I get it.

Our most recent discussions have been about measuring standards of our office and developing an early estimator/cost projector. After our last brief exchange, I got the “Shut up, this is what you will do” command.

I came home discouraged about that discussion and the direction I was seeing the world of financial aid heading and contemplated what else I could do for a living. Many years ago I briefly worked in the agricultural economics field. I did cost analysis and break-even points of various crops. “Perhaps,” I thought, “I could go back to that field.” Never mind most of my contacts are probably dead.

Even now an acquaintance will come to me excited about purchasing forty acres. They say, “I am going to plant X crop and retire in a few years. My response is “You are going to end up planting hay and make a few thousand dollars per year. Now, if you really want to make some money you need this number of acres, you need this type of seed for this type of land, you need to plant at this time, you need this type of irrigation system, you need …” Oh my! I’m the Tim Foster of agriculture!

What Tim is trying to get across to me is that in order to harvest a larger crop, we have to think differently. I am caught up in the mentality of the days I moved irrigation pipes for gravity systems and walked the field pulling thistles. Tim is saying, “You got to get the water to the crop early to produce germination; otherwise some of the crop will wither away. You got to have a system to monitor how the crop is growing and know when to make adjustments.” He’s talking pivot irrigation, sophisticated fertilizer, and adequate equipment. We may even need outside help to achieve our goals.

Once I figured it out, it became rather exciting. We have an opportunity to do something bigger and better. Our field is not in danger of withering, it is being forced to change and improve. A line in the movie Remember the Titans goes something like this – “We’re going to change the way you block, we’re going to change the way you tackle, we’re going to change the way you work and we’re going to change the way you eat.” That is the mentality we as coaches need to take in order to improve our players (students).

This has been an interesting year on the national, regional, state, and Mesa State College level. In many ways my short comings have prevented me from being an effective RMASFAA President. Much more could have been accomplished. I am forever grateful to my board, state presidents and committee chairs for what they achieved without my help. I am grateful to my staff for taking on extra work in my absence. Former RMASFAA Presidents and officers, other regional presidents and NASFAA have also given me guidance. Most of all, I am thankful for the leadership and mentorship provided me by my direct supervisor, Andy Breckel, my fellow MSC Director, Pat Hampton, and President Tim Foster. Without all of this I would not have survived.

As we look to the future, Terri Gruba will go forth with far greater leadership skills than I. RMASFAA will continue to be a strong voice into the future. Finally, to all of you wonderful RMASFAA members, I offer you my sincere “thank you” for believing in me and supporting me.