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Forward Motion: It’s principles that count
College president says it is leadership qualities, not gender, that rule
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FarkJanie Park is the first female president of Chadron State College in the school’s 96-year history. Even so, she does not consider it a man’s position.
“I haven’t really thought of it as a predominantly male-dominated career,” Park said. “Although in the past, women presidents have been fairly rare, they are growing in numbers. There are more of us now than there used to be. So it’s not that uncommon any more.”
Park said management principles, not gender, rule the position.
“I think management styles may be a bit different between women and men, but the basic principles are all the same. Women in some cases carry them out in a slightly different way, but good management principles, leadership principles, are the same for men and women.”
She said those principles include treating people fairly, talking to them honestly, evaluating them equally and
having a vision. “And you work as hard as those people who are working with you,” she said. “I think those are the kind of things that both men and women do in leadership roles. I don’t think women have to act like men in their roles, but have to have the characteristics that make good leaders and good managers.”
Park received a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She began nursing in Florida and went to graduate school when her two sons began school.
She received her master’s degree and doctorate from Florida Institute of Technology, a science and engineering institute. She received her doctorate in 1983 in cell and molecular biology and was hired on as a faculty member of Florida Institute of Technology. For a number of years she taught biology courses there. In 1990, she became associate dean of the College of Science and Liberal Arts at Florida Tech. In 1993 she became dean of Arts and Sciences at Montana State University in Billings.
In 1996, she became provost and academic vice chancellor at Montana State at Billings. In 2005, she became Chadron State College’s 10th president. She and her husband Tom live in Chadron.
“I think colleges have done a better job in a lot of instances than other areas of the work force in recognizing talented women and moving them up in ranks,” Park said. “I think we’re always striving to hire talented women in our administrative ranks. We have quite a few here at Chadron State. In fact, my chief academic officer, my vice president for academics, is a woman. We have lots of women in rank positions. One of my three deans is a woman, so I think if you’re sensitive to hire the best qualified person, frequently that is a woman, and I think women do rise to the top.”
Park said her career has been rewarding and fun. “I have worked with a whole lot of wonderful people over the years. It’s been a real joy.”
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