One of Stephen Jordan's tenets for good leadership is gathering input from many different perspectives before making a key decision. "I take in lots of information before pulling the trigger," the newly appointed president of Metro State said last week in an interview with @Metro.

In a way, collecting and studying information led Jordan to his career in higher education.

In 1979, while heading up the fiscal-note process in the Colorado governor's office, Jordan was angered by a particular legislative issue. "This issue led me to write an analysis on the budget process, looking at the state Supreme Court's interpretation of the Colorado constitution and the legislative and executive powers." Jordan said.

His paper caught the attention of CU President Roland Rautenstraus, who published and distributed his thesis. "The attorney general then used it to recommend vetoes in the footnotes of the Long Appropriations Bill. I began doing speaking engagements on this topic, and this steered me to my first job in higher ed with CU's Board of Regents," he said.

Twenty-five years later, Jordan has begun his quest for Metro State data by meeting with the college's vice presidents, deans, students and faculty during a quick campus visit last Thursday and Friday.

"I was extremely impressed with everyone's commitment to the college and with the warm welcome I received. After these meetings, I'm even more excited than ever to lead the college," said Jordan, who plans another campus visit in May.

While in town, Jordan and his wife Ruthie also began looking for a house to not only be their home, but to use for entertaining college and community members. "Hosting a dinner prior to a college event plays an important part in engaging constituents with the college," he said.

Jordan added that Ruthie is an essential ingredient to his presidency. "Ruthie sets a great standard. You'll find her to be one of the biggest promoters of the college."

Besides running the third largest higher education institution in the state, Jordan plans to enjoy hitting the Colorado slopes and playing a good game of golf.

More importantly, Jordan said that he and Ruthie are looking forward to spending time with the many family members they have in Colorado. "My four-year-old grandson is thrilled that I'll be coming to his soccer games," he said.

Editor's Note: Watch for additional articles on Dr. Jordan prior to his July 1 start date.