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New Mexico college president chosen to lead SOU next year By Kevin Opsahl Updated: Nov 09, 2021 02:15 PM A A Trustees tap Richard J. Bailey, Jr., who leads Northern New Mexico College, to begin work on Jan. 15 through at least 2025. Richard J. Bailey, Jr., president of Northern New Mexico College, will be Southern Oregon University’s next president. Richard J. Bailey, Jr., president of Northern New Mexico College, will be Southern Oregon University’s next president. The announcement came Tuesday afternoon after the institution’s board of trustees convened to make a formal appointment and authorize the chair to execute an employment agreement for him. “I am honored, humbled and grateful to be with you today and I will endeavor, everyday, to earn the confidence that you are placing in me,” Bailey said. “I know how much all of you love this university and you did not make this decision lightly.” He then pledged to put “every ounce of my heart and soul” into the top job, but then — as can happen during virtual meetings — his remarks cut out from the live feed. Board Chairman and search committee head Danny Santos noted that glitch, but it was not enough for him to wonder aloud who was more excited about the new president — Bailey or the board. After the board approved Bailey’s appointment, Santos said: “Congratulations, Dr. Bailey,” and signed the agreement. Bailey will begin work at SOU on Jan. 15. He will succeed Linda Schott, who has served as president since 2016. Schott announced back in April she will retire at the end of this year. According to the terms of his contract, Bailey will be awarded $40,000 in moving expenses and his term will last until at least June 30, 2025. He will get all the same health care benefits as SOU employees, plus six weeks of vacation time. “By my observation, the negotiations went very well and Dr. Bailey demonstrated his excitement and commitment to work at SOU,” Jason Catz, general counsel for SOU, said during the meeting. Board members also expressed confidence in Bailey during the meeting. One member, Barry Thalden, thanked Schott for her work over the past five years and said Bailey’s leadership would provide SOU a way to “leap to exciting new levels that we can only imagine.” Board member Paul Nicholson said he looks forward to working with Bailey and that “we’re all convinced we’ve got the right president.” Lyn Hennion, another board member, said Schott has set the bar high for SOU presidential leadership, but in Bailey, she believes “we’re going to build on everything that’s happened over the last five years with you at the helm.” Following the trustees’ meeting on Tuesday, Bailey will meet with members of the media mid-afternoon for a virtual interview. Bailey was one of five finalists among numerous higher education administrators throughout the country. That small pool of candidates included no women — which garnered some criticism — and no SOU employees. After all five candidates descended on Ashland and Medford for on-campus interviews in October, the trustees met Nov. 2 to make a decision on who the “top choice” should be. “It became apparent throughout the search and selection process that Dr. Bailey’s innovative and entrepreneurial accomplishments, leadership style, strategy expertise and optimistic vision for what is possible at SOU, can propel the university’s bright future, ” Santos said in a press release sent out after the Tuesday meeting. Bailey earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering sciences from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master’s degree in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis, and a doctorate in government from Georgetown University. Prior to his career in academia, Bailey served in the Air Force, including as an air operations official for NATO, where he oversaw the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan. At Northern New Mexico College in Española and El Rito, Bailey’s tenure saw increased enrollment by 20% and raises for employees at a time when there had not been any in years. This year, the school introduced an eight-week Cannabis Establishment Technician course after New Mexico legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older earlier this year. Bailey was also named to the Cannabis Regulatory Advisory Committee to guide the state on the formation of the state's adult-use cannabis industry. This is a breaking story. The Mail Tribune will provide a more detailed article with Bailey’s interview comments in the Wednesday edition of the newspaper.