Good morning, Beavers!

Let me begin with a couple critical acknowledgements. President Hensrud, you have been more than generous with your time. Many folks here do not know this, but she came into her leadership role at about the same time that my chancellor, Dr. Holz-Clause at the University of Minnesota Crookston came into hers. They participated in the same president’s school as they came in and so I have heard about your leadership repeatedly over the past four years. I know you’ve been a colleague and supporter for my chancellor and a part of the shared leadership for higher education in northern Minnesota and working together to advance the work that we’re doing for the region and beyond. I appreciate the work that you’ve done, the team that you have put together and I wish you the best in these last months as you then start your next chapter.

Chancellor Malhotra, what an exciting opportunity it is to work with you. The vision that you have set forth for Minnesota State colleges and universities, Equity 2030 is an aspirational, powerful goal that puts Minnesota on the map as a leader in the nation in higher education. It is exactly what we need to be doing in terms of value for all of our students and for the future of our communities in our state and I’m excited. I would be remiss to not also mention my better three quarters sitting there at the table, Dr. Joy Hoffman, I’ll say a little bit more in a moment. Let me start with this, because a couple of you maybe listened in yesterday, but others who did not.

Yesterday morning happens to be the 20 year anniversary of when I got down on one, kind of, to ask her to marry me. The ‘kind of’ part of this is I woke her up early in the morning for sunrise and took her up to the top of Mt. Soledad down in La Jolla, southern California. It was cloudy so we didn’t see the sunrise, anyhow. I wanted her to step outside though and she’s like, “No, it’s cold out there.” So we were in a 2001 TJ Jeep Wrangler. Now I’m big, so I tried to get down on a knee inside of this Jeep Wrangler. It was just the beginning of years of laughter and just the best years of my life. The best decision of my life. I share it because I recall the feelings of nervousness and the excitement that I felt. But most of all, the sense of awe and humility that she would say “yes” to me.

In a somewhat similar way, that’s how I feel now, excited, nervous, but a sense of awe and wonder that you –the students, the faculty, the student affairs educators, staff, alumni, the community of Bemidji State and Northwest Tech – would choose me to work for you in the years to come. It is truly an honor and I’m excited to be here. The choice for me on the other hand was easy. I’ve tried to craft over the last 25-30 years of my career, a mission, a northern star, of advancing holistic student success that is grounded in equity and inclusion. You embody that so well. This institution, a comprehensive regional university, grounded in liberal arts and professional studies attending to the whole student. Ensuring that learning is not just what happens in the classroom, it’s what happens outside the classroom. It’s not just what happens outside the classroom, it’s what happens exceptionally well in the classroom. It’s about transforming the lives of students and ensuring that transformation is grounded in equity and inclusion.

I thank you so much for beginning this moment with the land acknowledgement statement. A sacred statement honoring the land and the water where we are at. That is a space where this alignment of Bemidji State University and Northwest Tech is not only the anchor and the cornerstone of Equity 2030 in the State of Minnesota. You are the national leader in this work. You have an opportunity to help the nations and beyond to understand the opportunity that comes with learning from one another in humility and continually asking the question of others, “what do you see that I don’t?” That is an element of humility that our society needs much more of these days. I’ve decided to be here because of your commitment to do just that and to advance that in the future of this campus and the region.

As I mentioned those elements, I would like to extend a couple important thank yous that reflects the core of who I am, my roots, et cetera. Of course, at the University of Minnesota Crookston; my chancellor there, the team of professionals, faculty students, student affairs educators that I have worked with there and amazing group of folks. I’m going to have hard time saying goodbye because they’re really special people doing special work. I have a host of mentors of folks who have invested in me over the years and I’m not going to try to list them all off, but I am truly fortunate to stand on the shoulders of giants and a rich, diverse community of mentors.

I wish to specifically name members of my family. My parents, Clarence and Lynn Hoffman. My father began as an agricultural education teacher and then became a businessman in western Iowa, spent 10 years on the Iowa legislature. He taught me about the importance, the central place of integrity at the heart of leadership and work. That is non-negotiable in what we do and what we are about. My mother was a preschool teacher, the most caring, creative, empathetic educator I have known. Not only has it been a joy to see her light up when she engages with children, but to see children engage and light up as they’re with her.

Dr. Joy Hoffman is the most fierce and powerful advocate for equity, inclusion and justice that I know. A powerful student affairs educator and the person more than anybody else that holds me accountable to be the leader that I aspire to be. And I am so thankful to be engaging in this journey with you. And then my two step children, step adults at this point – Hannah is a second Lieutenant in the Marines. She will receive her MOS assignment of duties tomorrow. That will be the exciting event for our family.

Then there is C.J., my youngest, who is a senior at the University of California Santa Cruz. They are studying to be a science educator and they proudly identify as autistic, not an individual with autism norming me. Autistic because C.J. recognizes that they see things that I don’t and that I’m better when I see those things. That curiosity of what others have seen that we don’t, that is part of the spirit that I hope we can continue to foster as we do some bold, exciting work in the years to come.

I’m so excited to be here with you. I’m honored that you would choose me. Thank you for this opportunity. I look forward to engaging with you personally here in the next moments. Thank you.