Q&A: Tricia Keith, former Board of Trustees chair, reflects on experiences as Trustee
Trustee Tricia Keith makes a comment during the finance and facilities meeting on Dec. 5, 2018 in the Presidents Conference Room.
The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees met this week without former chair Tricia Keith. It's the first time the board has met without Keith as a trustee then since Jan. 2013.
Trustee Richard Studley has taken over the role of CMU Board of Trustees Chair. The two open appointments to the board have yet to be filled by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Keith served on the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees for her eight-year term, holding the position of chair from 2018 to 2020.
Although she orginially chose CMU fo graduated from Central Michigan University in 1993 with a double major in German and political science. Keith was recently named the president of the emerging markets division of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
“It's been my honor to be on the board, but (I'll) definitely stay involved," Keith said. "Just like everything else, it's always about the people and the relationships that you build. I think all of the people that I've served with over this time, who have come and gone from the board, are still there are very important. The administration and the president are very important and so you know I look forward to continuing those relationships and supporting the university.”
Central Michigan Life spoke with Keith about her experiences as a Trustee.
CM Life: What was your biggest accomplishment on the board of trustees?
Keith: "I think that's a really easy thing to answer. Before I became chair of the board, I was the vice-chair of the board, and in that role, I was chosen to lead the search in the presidential transition.
One of the things I'm most proud of is how we were able to get Bob Davies here, as the president, but I think that process was also really important. We established a very transparent, very collaborative process. When we put the search advisory committee together, we had stakeholders from all across the university. We were able to get a real broad cross-section of the university to come together and participate in that search advisory committee and people understood what we're trying to accomplish. We held a number of interviews and community and stakeholder forums with the university community where we sought to put the presidential profile together.
I think we hit it out of the park with President Davies in matching that profile, and I'm really excited about the work that he's leaving at the university."
What was the biggest accomplishment of the board under your leadership as the chair?
What I'm most proud of is certainly hiring and working with President Davies, but I think there are some components under the work that he has done over the last two years and building his leadership team and his cabinet. I think we're really proud of the university response around COVID-19, because it's so critical.
We have a really, really wonderful culture within the board itself. I think that the collegiality and the manner in which the board works to the benefit of the university is not something you see all the time and everywhere. I think we can be really proud of that culture that we've built within the board itself as well.
What was it like being a woman on the Board of Trustees?
Frankly, I know that there's been a lot written about the diversity or lack of diversity on the board. I think one of the things that's really important for people to see is that we all bring different perspectives, and it's not everything that we see. I certainly bring the perspective of a woman, but I also bring the perspective of a businessperson, the perspective of a small-town farm girl and the perspective of an alumnus. Although the other seven others were men, they have varying things that they bring. They come from different political perspectives. They come from different professions. Some were alumni, some weren't.
If you use the picture of the iceberg that we always think about when we think about diversity, there's a lot more underneath than just what you see at the top. So, while I always enjoy the camaraderie of other women, I think it's important to think about all the dimensions of diversity that all eight of us brought.
What’s your best memory from being on the board?
I have a lot of great memories from the board. I think the day that we were able to announce President Davies was coming to campus and we were able to walk around to take pictures in front of Warriner and at the seal. That was really, really exciting.
Some of the activities as well. Who can forget the amazing you know football run that we had last year that culminated in going out to the Albuquerque Bowl? I mean the Sweet 16, the women's basketball team, the run that they went on was just, tons of fun.
Then, frankly, it's always wonderful when we're at a board meeting when we've been able to do it in person, when we can recognize great accomplishments, such as a Fulbright Scholar. There are just a lot of really, really great memories and there are goofy things that happened too. My first two years, another trustee and I would get up in the morning before the board meetings and we would go for a run around town. I'm slipping and sliding sometimes in the snow and going for a run and having talks. Those are really fun memories too.
When you were a student, did you ever picture that you would be on the CMU Board of Trustees?
I didn't know what the board was as a student. So, no, but it's been a great honor to be on it. I'm not sure it was publicized as much when I was here as it as it is now.
What will you miss most about the CMU Board of Trustees?
Always the people. I'll always miss the people. The back and forth that we have and getting to better ideas because we are able to share different perspectives and build on them to come to a consensus on a decision. Then the relationships, by far, are what I'll miss the most.
Since you are no longer on the board, how do you plan to support CMU?
One of the great privileges about being on the board is that you get to see the university from a different side. It’s also one of the challenges of coming on the board. My experience at CMU was 25-30 years ago and when you join the board you need to make sure that while you can benefit from your experience of being an alumnus, it needs to not color your view of the modern-day CMU because things change. It's been a great opportunity to really learn and get reintroduced to CMU for what CMU is today and what it is tomorrow. I always was a CMU Chippewa, certainly, I've had more intensity in the relationship again over the last eight years.
I'm not sure what's happening post my time on the board. I've had a couple of people reach out encouraging me to stay involved in different initiatives and certainly I will stay involved. Obviously, just like everything, it's always about the people and the relationships that you build. I think all of the people that I've served with over this time have come and gone and from the board and are still very important. The administration and the president are very important, and I look forward to continuing those relationships and supporting the university.
