President Stephen Jordan began his third week at Metro State’s helm on July 18 by convening the President’s Cabinet for the first time.

Composed of senior officers of the college, the President’s Cabinet will serve as the senior policy body for advising the president and recommending actions to be considered by the Board of Trustees.

“We will be hammering out a lot of issues at this table,” Jordan said, adding that all BOT agenda items will be vetted first with his vice presidents and then with this group, reaching a consensus before going forward to the board. Minutes from the vice president and cabinet meetings will be provided to the trustees.

Jordan said that the expectation for the cabinet members is to act as leaders, representing the best interests of their constituencies. “We may not always agree, but all sides of the issue will be discussed and majority consent will be met,” Jordan said, adding that this process uses the existing leadership structure as a model for shared governance.

Cabinet members are:

• Joan Foster, interim vice president for Academic Affairs
• Natalie Lutes, interim vice president for Administration and Finance
• George Middlemist, interim vice president for Information Technology
• Karen Raforth, interim vice president for Student Services
• Lee Combs, General Counsel
• John Cochran, interim dean of the School of Business
• Sandra Haynes, interim dean of the School of Professional Studies
• Ken Keller, interim dean of the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences
• Hal Nees, president of the Faculty Senate
• Dr. John Schmidt, chair of the Council of Chairs
• Joan McDermott, athletic director
• Carol Svendsen, director of Metro Ventures
• Vonda Knox, president of the Classified Staff Council
• Yvonne Flood, chair of the Council of Administrators
• Dennis Bergquist, acting president of the Student Government Assembly

Vice president and cabinet meetings will be held on alternate Mondays.