Weatherwise, the weekend in Pullman turned out far better than I expected. The rest of the week may prove to be more “winter-like,” but the sun sure makes a difference. The drive to Kennewick and back last week was quite pleasant, as was the opportunity to see a few faculty, staff, and industry members at the potato conference.
This week I attended a Board of Natural Resources meeting. It was considerably quieter than the past few have been. The new Commissioner of Public Lands is settling in, and we are getting a sense for how he prefers to conduct meetings. Time will offer better insight into his priorities, passions, and processes.
In the other Washington, things continue to move fast, though not always forward. I much appreciate the efforts of those caught in the whirlwind of trying to make sense of executive orders and interpretations of the same. Being the messenger is a thankless role, and the waiting for clarity seems like an eternity.
We are almost done waiting to learn who the next WSU president will be. As we welcome our next president, I want to also thank our current president for the commitment and dedication he has shown to WSU over the last nine years. I often fail to think about what it takes to serve in such a role until events like those of the last few weeks arise, providing a sharp reminder.
Thanks to our faculty for submitting annual review materials. Now it’s time for the chairs and directors and the dean’s office to review the many accomplishments and impacts your programs have continued to make over the past year. The latter part of this week’s calendar allows me to dig into the documents a bit. I am always amazed at how much of the year is spent conducting annual reviews and promotion reviews. WSU isn’t unique in this. In some ways, if the weather is going to be poor, I would prefer that occur when I have a pile of reading to do.