Two finalists selected for MSSU presidency

Dwight Douglas, chairman of the Joplin university’s Board of Governors and the presidential search committee, said Bruce W. Speck, provost and vice president for academic and student affairs at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., and Joe A. Wiley, president of Rogers State University in Claremore, Okla., are in the running for the position left vacant when Julio León resigned in August.

Terri Agee, who is serving as MSSU’s interim president, did not apply for the position.

Speck will participate in a public forum at 11 a.m. Jan. 16 in Billingsly Student Center, and Wiley will participate in a public forum at 1 p.m. Jan. 17 in the same building. Douglas said the candidates would respond to the public’s written questions at the forums and meet in closed session with the board.

“I cannot tell you when the process will be completed … but I can say we will be far down the road by Jan. 18,” Douglas said.

In September, the university advertised the vacancy in national publications. The search committee received 42 applications before the Nov. 1 deadline.

As the committee narrowed the field, the board hired EFL Associates to conduct a background screening on an undisclosed number of candidates. Both finalists visited Joplin on Jan. 5 and met with the search committee, Douglas said. The panel unanimously recommended both finalists to the board, he said.

Jeff Wells is editor of Joplin Tri-State Business, Springfield Business Journal’s sister publication. See JTB’s Jan. 14 issue for more on this story.