Letter: MSSU president negative, resorts to threats

Missouri Southern State University faculty and student body were stunned last month when Jack Oakes abruptly resigned as academic vice president, just 18 days after he accepted the position. The letter was sent to faculty members following a Carthage Press article in which Oakes thought University President Bruce Speck treated his resignation in an unprofessional manner. The text of the letter is printed below:

Colleagues,

Monday evening July 13 about 6:15 PM, I received at my home a phone call from John Hacker, reporter for the Carthage Press. John informed me that he had spoken with Bruce Speck, via a phone call to Bruce’s office, about the situation surrounding my decision to resign the position of Academic VP eighteen days after my appointment had been announced. He indicated that he would like to give me a chance to comment. I asked him if he would share with me Bruce’s comments. He responded that Bruce said that it was my preference to return to full-time teaching and beyond that he considered it to be a personnel issue and additional comments would be inappropriate.

Because I was comfortable with Bruce's response, I made the following remarks, which later appeared in an article in the Tuesday, July 14 issue of the Carthage Press.

When contacted at home, Oakes said he enjoyed his time in the administration but it was time for him to return to the classroom.

“Dr. Speck and I disagreed on the appropriate management style of the academic affairs division,” Oakes told the Carthage Press. “I always enjoyed being in the classroom and working with students. And I’ve enjoyed this past year working with John Messick as his associate VP. The circumstances made me feel like the best thing for me would be to be back in the classroom.”

Tuesday morning, I learned that later Monday evening John Hacker contacted Bruce at his home for additional comments, which apparently Bruce agreed to make. The resulting article, which was posted on the Carthage Press website Tuesday morning and appeared in Tuesday’s issue of the paper, is attached to this email.

Bruce did as he originally indicated to John Hacker would be inappropriate; in my opinion, he divulged to the public media an
incomplete accounting of the context for my decision to return to full-time teaching-faculty status. I feel that he communicated enough details about an institutional personnel matter to call into question my loyalty to Missouri Southern, made it appear that I would, for selfish reasons, walk away from an obligation to serve eighteen days after agreeing to accept the assignment, and implied I had refused to carry through with the strategic planning project, a project that I personally
had designed and led and which Bruce acknowledged in the article as being carried out very effectively. Therefore, I feel that it is my right and obligation to, without violating anyone's right to privacy, set the record straight.

Reason for Resigning

John Hacker accurately quoted me. My reason for resigning was:

“Dr. Speck and I disagreed on the appropriate management style of the academic affairs division”

Please allow me to share with you four of the many characteristics that, in my opinion, a good leader exemplifies.

1. Often, because of the size and complexity of an organization, it is necessary to delegate responsibility and authority to others. After doing so, a good leader does not micro-manage those individuals.

2. A good leader recognizes that his/her authority is a grave responsibility that affects the lives of other people and should be
exercised very carefully. Sometimes difficult decisions must be made. Sometimes corrective actions must be taken. However, when an individual is not meeting performance expectations, that person should be made aware of the concerns and be given a fair amount of time to develop and implement a remediation plan.

3. A good leader understands that positive reinforcement almost always works much better than does negative and the former should always be the first approach. However, if it does become necessary to exact punitive measures, then those measures should be fair, proportional, and implemented in a humane way.

4. A good leader uses inspiration, motivation, and fair treatment to engender support and participation, not threats.

In the Carthage Press article Bruce is quoted as commenting:

“There’s nothing nefarious about this,” Speck said. “Essentially, Jack decided he was going back to the classroom. There are a series of things that led up to that but it’s a personnel action so in some sense it’s hard for me to give a lot of details about that.”

The series of events that Bruce refers to made me feel that, if I had stayed in the VP position, I would be acquiescing to a management style that violated each one of the above four principles, which I could not do. Had I done so, going forward I would not been able to look two of my colleagues, two of your colleagues, in the eye.

Continuing with John Messick

Before accepting the VP appointment, multiple times I recommended to Bruce that John Messick and I be allowed to continue to serve as VP and Associate VP, respectively, for one more year so that a smooth andminimally disruptive transition plan could be developed and implemented. John indicated to me that he would be willing to stay in the VP position and would announce that FY 2009-10 would be his last year, at which point he intended to return to the Biology Department. On one of
the occasions in which I recommended to Bruce that John and I continue in our current positions for one more year, I also communicated to him John's willingness to do so.

Conditions for Accepting the VP Position

Prior to the June 25 email message in which Bruce announced to the campus that I would be assuming the position of Academic VP, in three different meetings I had clearly communicated to him my requirements for accepting the job.

Plan for Moving Forward

Accepting the fact that John and I would not stay in our current positions for one more year, I developed and I was in the process of implementing a very good plan for moving the university forward by appointing Susan Craig as Interim Assistant Academic VP and restructuring the division (see the attached organization chart) so that the 14 academic/student support offices reported to the Interim Assistant VP. This would have allowed me to focus my attention on the four academic schools, the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research, and the Lifelong Learning Department and also have the time to
continue as leader of both the Strategic Planning and the Shared Governance projects and to make sure that MSSU was moving down a path that would prepare the institution for the spring 2011 Higher LearningCommission focused visit.

Strategic Planning Project

Bruce did not ask me if I would be willing to continue leading the Strategic Planning Project.

Thank You

I consider it to have been a privilege, a honor, and one of the highlights of my career to have been given the chance to work with John Messick and to serve MSSU from the Academic Affairs Office this past year. I really appreciate all of the support that you gave us.

Request

I urge you to provide Brad Kleindl the same level of support. He deserves and he is going to need a lot of help. It is in the best interest of MSSU that he succeeds.

Final Comment

Via a group of documents, I have shared with members of the MSSU Board of Governors details of the events that occurred, starting with the Thursday morning June 18 meeting with Bruce and John Messick at which Bruce asked me to consider accepting an appointment to the Academic VP position and ending with my request on Monday morning July 13 to return
to full-time teaching-faculty status. I trust in their judgment and I am confident that they will handle this matter in a way that is in the best interest of Southern.

Sincerely,
Jack

Stephanie Diffin leaving KSN

Stephanie Diffin, weekend anchor and nightside reporter at KSN, is leaving the station to take a producing job at KAKE in Wichita, where she grew up.

Miss Diffin has been at KSN since the spring of 2007. Reportedly, her last newscast will be this Sunday.

The station is still seekng a replacement for weekend weathercaster Iris Hermosillo, whose last day was Saturday. Miss Hermosillo has taken a weekend weather position at KCTV in Kansas City.

Billy Long campaign kickoff set for Tuesday in Carthage

Auctioneer BIlly Long will have a kickoff event for his Seventh District Congressional campaign 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Law Firm of Checkett and Pauly, 517 S. Main, Carthage.

The event is open to the public.

Richard tops area legislators in lobbyists' gifts

For the second straight month, Speaker of the House Ron Richard, R-Joplin, topped all Joplin-area legislators combined in the total of lobbyists' gifts received.

As noted in the Aug. 1 Turner Report, Richard received $457.78 worth of gifts in June,and $1,986.33 for the first six months of 2009, according to documents posted Saturday on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.

The other five Joplin-area representatives. Ed Emery, R-Lamar; Tom Flanigan, R-Carthage; Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin; Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City; and Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, received $159.30 in gifts, broken down as follows:

Flanigan- $1.27 meal at Dude's Donuts from Michael J. Haynes, AT&T

Stevenson- $148 to travel and lodging from Sara Schuett, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys

Wilson- $9.36 for breakfast from Calvin Call, Missouri Insurance Coalition

Neither Ed Emery nor Marilyn Ruestman accepted any gifts in June.

For the year, trailing Richard's $1,986.33 are Stevenson with $1,204.86; Ruestman $659.70, Wilson $494.47; Flanigan $475.84; and Emery $231.56.

Details given on attempt to toss out death penalty for accused Rowan Ford killer

Today's Joplin Globe features details on a public defender's attempt to have the death penalty taken off the table for her client, David Wesley Spears, one of two men charged with the Nov. 2, 2007 rape and murder of nine-year-old Rowan ford of Stella. Spears was Rowan Ford's stepfather:

Spears’ defense attorney, public defender Cynthia Dryden, recently filed objections to one of the aggravating circumstances that Barry County Prosecutor Johnnie Cox cited in his intent to seek the death penalty.

Dryden, according to online court records, argued that the circumstance of “wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman” is unconstitutionally vague.

Carthage Press advertising manager Felix promoted to publisher

Advertising manager Gina Felix has been promoted to publisher of The Carthage Press, following the anouncement late last week that John Hacker had been named managing editor and Kevin McClintock associate editor:

“Gina understands what makes a newspaper successful, and that’s publishing a quality product that citizens will want to read and businesses will want to use to advertise their products and services to the community,” Rogers said. “One of Gina’s goals is to improve the relationship between the newspaper and the community. We want to make sure that Carthage citizens consider The Carthage Press as Carthage’s newspaper. With Gina in the role of publisher, and John Hacker and Kevin McClintock leading the newsroom, there is no question we have the right people in place to make that happen. The entire staff of the newspaper is dedicated to reaching this goal.”

Carthage Press offers interview with victim's familiy member concerning Liquor Store Killer's parole heaing

The Carthage Press' John Hacker interviewed Debbie (Stemmons) Smith, daughter of John Stemmons, the liquor store owner who was murdered by John Steven Matin in 1975. A parole hearing for Martin is scheduled for Aug. 19:

Smith said in the past she and other family have some to Carthage to collect signatures, but this time there won’t be enough family to do that, so she has to rely on people to write letters.
“I’m hoping Carthage will remember my father and write to the parole board,” Smith said. “Our family history goes way back on Carthage. My father was a 38th level Mason in the Masonic Lodge in Carthage. We had a lot of relatives and friends there at one time. I just hope they will remember my father and write.”

To express an opinion about John Steven Martin’s potential release on parole to the Missouri Division of Probation and Parole, people can send a written letter to: Mr. Brian Jamison, Chairman; Division of Probation and Parole; 1511 Christy Dr.; Jefferson City, Mo.; 65101. Martin’s inmate number is 00027228.

Iris Hermosillo completes last KNSF newscast

Iris Hermosillo, who has been a fixture on KSNF's weekend newscasts the past two years, just said a tearful goodbye to co-workers and viewers as she completed her final newscast.

Miss Hermosillo is taking a weather position at KCTV in Kansas City.

House Speaker Richard nears $2,000 mark in lobbyists' gifts

Speaker of the House Ron Richard, R-Joplin, received concert tickets, baseball tickets, travel, and your typical everyday meals from lobbyists in June, according to documents posted today on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.

Richard received $457.75 worth of gifts in June, bringing his total for the first six months of 2009 to $1,986.33.

His June gifts are listed below:

-$31 meal from David Smith, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, June 11

-$90 ticket to Cardinals-Royals game, Nancy Giddens, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, June 20

-$86.08 lodging/travel, William Gamble, Missouri Beverage Association, June 25

-$29.93, dinner, Tony Reinhart, Ford Motor Company, June 28. Reinhart also bought a $29.93 meal for Richard's wife, Patty.

-$166.74 for two tickets to a concert and $60 for a meal before the concert from Doug Rogers, Cerner Corporation.

The cultural education of Luann Ridgeway

Give Sen. LuAnn Ridgeway credit.

When the Missouri Senate is not in session, the Clay County Republican does her best to improve herself culturally and intellectually. That process is made easier by the helpful lobbyists who are willing to foot the bill for her education.

During the month of June, Sen. Ridgeway learned about Irish music, Missouri baseball, the law and the legislative branch, to the tune of $927.73, according to documents posted this morning on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.

It was Embarq lobbyist Gregory S. Gaffke who presented Sen. Ridgeway with $268 worth of tickets to the Celtic Woman concert at the Sprint Center in Kansas City June 26. A video of one of the songs the group performs accompanies this post.

Six days earlier, Nancy Giddens, representing Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, footed the bill to the tune of $90 for Sen. Ridgeway to watch the St. Louis Cardinals play the Kansas City Royals.

Her other lobbyist-financed educational activities in June included a $103.33 meal from Jennifer Dunham, a lobbyist whose clients include Anheuser-Busch and Isle of Capri casino, but this meal was paid for by her lobbying firm, $410 for continuing legal education books from Catherine Barrie, Missouri Bar lobbyist, and Sheila Gay Tracy, lobbyist for the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce bought a $16 meal for Sen. Ridgeway for a legislative update, according to the Ethics Commission documents.

During the first six months of 2009, Sen. Ridgeway has received $3,467.66 in lobbyists' gifts.

A wise woman once wrote, "The real role of government is to set the rules for everyone to compete on a level playing field and allow everyone to compete in the free market system --- not to pick winners and losers based upon who has the best lobbyist."

That comes from a June 10 capital report written by Sen. Luann Ridgeway.