On Thursday Jan 10, Val L. Peterson, Vice President of Finance and Administration, attended the final round of questioning for the Snow College presidency.
Contending against, Bradley J. Cook, Steven J. Hood and Courtney R. White, Peterson and the other candidates went through a round of questioning from the general public lasting for roughly 50 minutes each.
The candidates introduced themselves and were asked a range of questions including plans for diversity, how to foster entrepreneurship up to student housing, distance education, fundraising and management styles.
Hood, who is the only finalist that currently works for Snow College, expressed the uniqueness of Snow by continually putting its students first. He shared multiple painful growing experiences he has had during his career that have helped shape who he is professionally. From the acceptance and acknowledgement of the different needs for different personalities to difficult decisions he has had to make concerning the future of other individuals, Hood made clear how important people were to him.
Peterson with his background in finance and administration showcased his strengths in fundraising, relationship building and a collaborative leadership style. Peterson spoke passionately about the need for relationship building for not only fundraising opportunities but for better work environments.
“I don’t want to be the type of person that just dictates what is going to happen,” said Peterson. “I want to have input, I want to have that discussion.”
Cook, introduced himself by sharing a story of George and Betsy who alongside 50 other families settled the land near Ephrahim where Snow College is located during the harsh winter in the 1800’s. The message of the story highlighted that anyone through hard work can find themself in the running for high power positions. Cook spoke about nontraditional student education and the importance of being more open towards online education.
During his interview, White showcased his readiness and training geared towards preparing him for positions like holding the presidency of Snow College. White expressed his respect for Snow College professors as their impact was profound on his life. He also showcased his desire to do his best to ensure faculty at the college felt appreciated by offering market value compensation.
The process leading up to the round of questioning lasted almost nine months.
After the resignation of current president Gary L. Carlston in May of 2018, Snow College began its search for the next successor. The 22-member search committee was named in June of 2018 by the Board of Regents.
The search committee was tasked with approving a position announcement for the presidency as well as opening the call for nominations and applications based on feedback obtained from public meetings held in September of 2018 between the Snow College community, the general public and the search committee.
The search committee announced the four finalists on Jan. 4, 2019 and are expected to announce the new president of Snow College on Friday evening.
The interviews can all be found on YouTube on the channel WATCHit Snow College.
