Following a weather delay, the final of three external candidates vying for the provost job at Missouri State University was able to visit campus to meet with faculty and administrator.

Mitchell McKinney, dean of the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Akron, participated in an open forum Feb. 25. His visit was postponed after snow and cold temperatures canceled classes.

The open forum for Clarenda Phillips, who is leading a reimaging of STEM equity at Texas A&M University, was Feb. 11. The next day, the open forum for James Satterfield, dean of the College of Education at Boise State University, was held.

Satterfield is not considered an internal candidate but he served as department head of counseling, leadership and special education in the College of Education at Missouri State from 2016 to 2020.

The internal candidates are Mark Smith, dean of the McQueary College of Health and Human Services, and Shawn Wahl, founding dean of the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. Their forums were in early February.

This the university's first national search for a provost in at least 13 years, and it drew strong interest, attracting more than 80 applicants.

The past two provosts — the long-tenured Frank Einhellig and John Jasinski, whose time was more brief — were both recruited by former president Clif Smart.

The university plans to announce a new provost as early as March. Tamera Jahnke is currently serving as the interim.

Clarenda Phillips

Phillips, who is currently working at Texas A&M University, has more than 30 years of higher education experience.

She previously served for six years as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, as well as the same role at Notre Dame of Maryland University from 2016 to 2018.

At Morehead State University, she was associate vice president of academic affairs from 2007 to 2012 and department chair of sociology, social work and criminology from 2012 to 2016.

Since 2023, she has worked with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities as faculty for the Academy of New Provosts.

In response to a question about her leadership philosophy, Phillips said she a "relational" leader.

"I take a coaching approach to leading, understanding that everybody brings gifts and skills to the university and it's up to me to identify those gifts and skills and then continue to build on those while identifying gaps, we all have gaps," she said.

Phillips said with professional development, leaders can reach their potential.

"I'm looking to empower and equip. I'm looking to give people authority to carry out their responsibilities. I'm also giving people a voice in sort of the decision-making and that is how I lead," she said.

Phillips said she remains flexible, making sure she meets employees and students where they are with an eye toward the future.

"I flex a lot because none of us are all the same and none of us need the same thing at the same time. It's important to know your people, to assess their strengths and support them when they need that support and when they need that additional development," she said.

She has a bachelor’s in sociology from DePauw University, a master’s and doctorate in sociology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary.

James Satterfield

Satterfield, who has been at Boise State University since 2022, has more than two decades of experience in higher education.

At Auburn University, he led department of educational foundations, leadership and technology from 2020 to 22. He was program coordinator for the doctorate in higher education program at Clemson University from 2009 to 2011.

In the middle, he spent four years at Missouri State.

Asked about his leadership philosophy, Satterfield there isn't a one-dimensional answer.

"My perspective that I've learned over time is that people are different, situations are different," he said. "If I had to select a traditional leadership perspective, it's servant-leader."

Satterfield said he also leans into coaching and mentoring people "get to the place they want to be." He said there are times, a leader has to coach an employee into making a change so they and the individuals that they lead can also be successful.

"There are people who needed me to show up as an advocate and needed me to respond in a servant kind of way. There was a program that was really kind of unseen and unheard and I watched that and all I did was show up to help," he said.

"They had a public event and I just showed up. And just me showing up and participating, talking allowed that program and the people in that program to feel valued and to feel heard."

He holds a bachelor’s in kinesiology and master’s in gifted education from Norfolk State University and a Doctor of Education from Eastern Michigan University.

Mitchell McKinney

McKinney has worked in higher education for more than three decades.

At the University of Akron since 2021, he spent years at the University of Missouri in the following positions: acting deputy provost from 2016 to 2020, department of communication chair from 2013 to 2016, and associate chair from 2009 to 2013, director of the Political Communication Institute from 2012 to 2021, and director of graduate studies from 2010 to 2013.

A leader in political communications, McKinney served as a White House Fellow for the Office of Domestic Policy in 1993.

In response to a question about his leadership philosophy, McKinney said: "The top priority is to care for the wellbeing of those around me ... of our people, of our faculty, our staff, our students. And a large part of that caring for the well being is I look for ways that I can empower and support others to be successful in the work that they do, to achieve their goals."

McKinney said the role of the provost is to serve others. He believes in an inclusive and collaborative approach.

"As dean or the college, I will not be successful, we will not be successful, unless the 24 units that make up this college are successful and I can find ways to support those chairs and directors and faculty in our service to our students and their success," he said.

He has a bachelor's degree in speech communication and government from Western Kentucky University, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and doctorate in communication studies from the University of Kansas.