“Dr. Portera fits this position like a glove,” said Sid McDonald, President pro tem of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees on Friday just before Mississippi State University President Malcolm Portera accepted the job of chancellor of the UA system.
“I accepted the position and will begin Jan. 1,” Portera said. “The University of Alabama System will be a great challenge, but I will certainly miss Mississippi State and the students and faculty here.”
Portera was warmly welcomed in Tuscaloosa as his meeting with the Board of Trustees began.
“After Dr. Portera gave his speech, President pro tem Sid McDonald just stood up and said, ‘I nominate Dr. Mack Portera for chancellor,'” said Kellee Reinhart, director of systems relations.
Reinhart said that after the resignation of former chancellor Thomas C. Meredith, an outpouring of interest centered around Portera.
“From the outset, Dr. Portera’s name has been suggested by state leaders, campus sources and the news media as someone we absolutely must talk to about the future leadership of our system,” McDonald said.
The board chose not to advertise their search for a chancellor, as has been the previous practice, because of the overwhelming support for Portera.
“The board of trustees has the authority to conduct the best kind of search for a chancellor that they think is in the best interest of the system, and they felt a need to make a decision quickly because of the system’s current upward momentum,” Reinhart said.
Portera and his wife, Olivia, have been at Mississippi State University since 1998.
“Both my wife and I graduated from Mississippi State and we love the university,” Portera said. “It was extremely important for me to come back to the institution. We have had four great years here.”
Portera indicated several reasons for accepting this position. Portera spent the last 26 years of his career in education in the Alabama system, and he and his wife still have personal ties to the Tuscaloosa area. His older son is currently living in Birmingham, and his younger son will move to the city in May.
As chief executive officer of the University of Alabama System, Portera will oversee three doctoral level research universities in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Birmingham with a $1.8 billion budget and more than 41,000 students.
“I want to deal with the University of Alabama System fairly aggressively,” Portera said. “Each of the universities have strengths, and I want to build on these strengths.
“First I want to find a new president for the University of Alabama at Birmingham,” he said. “I will also deal with the budget situation for the UAS due to the economic downturn.”
Portera also said that Mississippi State University has great momentum and is well-positioned for the future. Portera said he feels that MSU understand its role and its mission.
“I feel like I am leaving Mississippi State in great financial shape considering the current economy, and I have filled key positions that will benefit the university in the future,” Portera said.