Meet the new boss

By James Beaty

WILBURTON — Minutes after voting to accept a resignation agreement with Dr. Richard Bernard on Wednesday afternoon, regents at Eastern Oklahoma State College named Steve Smith as the college’s new president.

Regents who were present for the meeting at Eastern’s Wilburton campus voted unanimously to name Smith as the new president of Eastern — although the agenda posted for the meeting stated that the regents were to consider hiring Smith as “interim president.”

Smith is also the current dean of Eastern’s McAlester Campus, as well as the new president of the McAlester Chamber of Commerce.

He will be the fourth president to serve at Eastern since Dr. Bill Hill retired from the post in 2000.

During the Wednesday meeting, EOSC Regent Mark Jordan made the motion that led to the regents voting to name Smith as the college’s new president.

“I make a motion that we enter into an employment agreement with Dr. Steve Smith as the president of the college,” Jordan said.

Voting along with Jordan to hire Smith were EOSC Regents Burl Williams, of Stigler, Assistant Choctaw Chief Mike Bailey, John Shero, of Wilburton, and Dale Covington, the former McAlester mayor who now lives in Edmond, but has remained on the EOSC board.

State law requires that public bodies post agendas in advance of meetings specifying the time and place of the meeting “as well as the subject matter or matters to be considered.”

The agenda posted for the Wednesday meeting did not give the public advance notice that the regents would consider hiring Smith for anything other than employment as interim president.

Williams, the owner of a Stigler automobile dealership, is chairman of the EOSC Board of Regents.

The News-Capital asked Williams afterwards about the fact that the board voted to name Smith as the new Eastern president, although the agenda for the meeting specifically stated he would be considered for the job of “interim president.”

Williams said he didn’t know why the term “interim president” had been placed on the agenda.

He said the regents definitely hired Smith as the college’s president and have no plans to open an application process or conduct a talent search for the president’s position.

“We’ve had some time to see his work at McAlester,” Willliams said.

He said he felt impressed at how well Smith can work with companies to help provide the employees they need.

“We see this community growing,” he said.

“We’re very fortunate to have him there to call on,” Williams said.

The regents gave Smith a 15-month contract, with an annual salary of $105,000 and agreed to furnish him a car, along with the costs of operating and insuring the vehicle. The package also includes retirement, medical insurance and vacation benefits.

Smith said he will also continue to serve as dean of Eastern’s McAlester Campus for the time being.

“I’ll be having the pleasure of overseeing both campuses until we get a replacement for me,” he said.

As for being named president of Eastern, Smith said “I’m excited and will continue the things that Dr. Bernard and I started.”

Regents would not say afterwards why they voted to enter a resignation agreement with Bernard less than two months before the end of the spring semester.

Bailey said they had agreed to let Williams handle all the questions from the media.

“The official comment is he submitted a resignation and we accepted it,” Williams said. “These are difficult issues to deal with.”

Asked if the regents had asked Bernard to resign, Williams said “Not officially.”

What about unofficially?

“Not really. We voted and accepted his resignation,” Williams said.

During the meeting, he said that Bernard had come to Eastern during a difficult time in its history and had a vision of better days at the college.

Regents had at least two opportunities to extend or sign a new contract with Bernard prior to the Wednesday meeting and declined to do so, according to records at Eastern.

Bernard’s contract had been up for renewal during the regent’s Feb. 23 regular meeting and during a March 22 special meeting. Regents tabled it both times.

Bernard did not attend the Wednesday meeting. On Tuesday, he said he couldn’t comment on the pending resignation agreement.

Bernard had been president at Eastern for approximately three years. The Eastern regents hired him on Feb. 24, 2004, to replace Dr. Bill Campion.

Smith has been the dean at Eastern’s McAlester Campus since 2005. He replaced Mark Lauerman, who retired from the post after more than 28 years at the college.

Smith came to Eastern from the Meridian Technology Center, where he worked as the director of full-time programs.

Asked about his quick rise to Eastern president and president of the McAlester Chamber, Smith said he enjoyed working with others.

“That’s what I do,” he said. “I like to be involved and I like to lead.”

Eastern Regents Ken Bass and Aud Balentine didn’t attend the Wednesday meeting.

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