Anthem Executive Assists Midwestern State University with President Search
November 7, 2023 – Executive recruitment firm Anthem Executive recently assisted in the recruitment of Stacia Haynie as the 13th president of Midwestern State University. Michael Ballew, Scott Watson, Mike “JR” Wheless, and Florene Stawowy led the assignment. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Haynie as the 13th president of Midwestern State University,” said Mark Griiffn, TTU System chairman of the board of regents. “On behalf of our regents, I’d like to congratulate and thank regents Ginger Kerrick Davis, Shelley Sweatt, Pat Gordon and the entire MSU Texas presidential search committee for the tremendous work that went into searching for and identifying a field of outstanding candidates for this critically important position. I join my fellow regents in expressing the utmost confidence that Dr. Haynie will provide MSU Texas with the visionary leadership, sound judgment and guiding hand required to continue advancing the mission of the university to provide students with a rigorous undergraduate and graduate education.”
“It is the honor of a lifetime to be named president of my alma mater,” said Dr. Haynie. “MSU Texas provided me an impeccable academic foundation that has served me well in my professional endeavors,” said Haynie. “I look forward to partnering with the exceptionally talented faculty and staff to provide the same exceptional education I received to the students who—like me—claim MSU Texas as home.”
Dr. Haynie returns to her alma mater following a 33-year tenure at Louisiana State University, where she was instrumental in countless academic endeavors and achievements that led to national recognition. Her background and leadership service at LSU includes recently serving as executive vice president and provost and chief academic officer; dean of the College of humanities and social sciences; vice provost for academics and planning; associate and interim dean of the graduate school and department chair, all while serving as a professor teaching judicial policies, constitutional law, comparative judicial behavior and American politics as the J.W. Annison Jr. Family Alumni professor.
Related: Anthem Executive Recruits President for Lamar University
Midwestern State University (MSU Texas) is a public liberal arts university in Wichita Falls, TX. In 2020 it has over 5,000 undergraduate students. It is the state’s only public institution focused on the liberal arts. MSU is organized into seven colleges with 16 undergraduate programs offering 43 majors and 30 minors, and nine graduate programs offering 28 majors and 15 minors.
Proven Recruiters
Anthem Executive, headquartered in Houston, TX, serves clients across a range of business sectors, including higher education, health sciences, corporate and non-profit institutions, global software and technology, private equity, insurance, service and manufacturing, oil and gas, and others. Its consultants bring a combined 80 years’ experience in the search industry. The firm’s higher education practice spans the entire leadership spectrum. In other sectors, Anthem Executive covers all roles from CEO and other C-suite leaders, board directors, vice president, and director, among others.
Mr. Ballew, a registered Native American and member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe, serves as the firm’s chief diversity, inclusion, equity, and compliance officer, as well as search committee facilitator. He joined the executive search industry 14 years ago following a 20-plus year career in senior-level management with expertise in recruiting, counseling, training, operations, strategic planning, facilitation, project management, and workplace diversity.
Anthem Executive Recruits Provost for Western Oregon University
Anthem Executive has assisted in the recruitment of Jose Coll as the new provost and vice president of academic affairs of Western Oregon University. “Dr. Coll’s experiences in higher education leadership have prepared him perfectly to take the helm as provost at Western,” said Jesse Peters, president of Western Oregon University. “But more than that, he is student-focused and collaborative, making him a strong partner in this community as we strengthen and improve our institution. We look forward to him joining the leadership team at our university. Welcome to Western Oregon, Dr. Coll.”
Mr. Watson has been in the executive search industry for over 30 years. In addition to higher education institutions, he has served hospital/health systems, global software and technology companies, private equity enterprises, MCOs, insurance companies, service and manufacturing organizations with global footprints, and others.
Mr. Wheless, a veteran of more than two decades in the search industry, has served a broad portfolio of clients across many industry lines on behalf of organizations ranging from small operations to Fortune $100 billion plus enterprises – including working with and recruiting some of the nation’s most influential leadership. Mr. Wheless has served institutions and organizations across a broad range of geographies and sectors in higher education, technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, law, insurance, hospitality and food services, retail, CPG, EPC, manufacturing, aerospace, mining, construction, and real estate.
Ms. Stawowy, who has been in executive search for over 20 years, is a core member of the higher education and academic health practice. Over the last two decades, she has developed deep expertise in senior‐level search, having been charged with numerous executive leadership transitions with a particular emphasis on higher education and academic health search.
Related: Anthem Executive Recruits President for Lamar University
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
