Letter from President-designate Portera

Dear Colleagues:

The decision by the Board of Trustees to name me the sixteenth president of Mississippi State University is a great honor. I am grateful, excited, eager, and optimistic. Olivia and I deeply appreciate the warm response and outpouring of good wishes we have received and look forward to assuming our new roles with the Mississippi State family. We are prepared to devote ourselves completely to the continuing success of an institution we both love.

Dr. Donald Zacharias already has been generous with his time and his willingness to help me prepare for the challenges ahead. He also has offered me the opportunity to assist him in some ways during the next two months as he presses ahead with Mississippi State's legislative agenda. My first task as president-designate is to be as supportive as I can in helping him ensure the momentum of the several initiatives he is now guiding to a conclusion or to a point at which responsibility can be effectively transferred. My presence and visibility on campus will be appropriately limited for the next several weeks, but I can assure you that I will be working hard to prepare for a seamless transition in early January. Dr. Zacharias and I are collaborating to minimize any disruptions in the operations of the university.

I do hope to hit the ground running and I am eager for opportunities to listen and learn from the faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends of the university. Dr. Zacharias has designated an assistant in his office to help coordinate possible formal interactions with campus groups during the remainder of this year, and I am interested in hearing your views on the full range of issues before us. I believe in teamwork and strong partnerships and I look forward to working with you in the coming months.

-Malcolm Portera