In a riveting and wide-ranging address as the guest speaker for UMRA’s May 2021 Forum, Ken Powell, chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, gave a keynote talk to the Retirees Association that was both candid and compelling. Powell, who completes his term as chair in June 2021, presented an optimistic view of the University and praised the leadership of President Joan Gabel. In his view, she is off to a “tremendous start.”  

He called out President Gabel’s leadership on the University’s response to the pandemic, putting the safety of our students and staff first and, at the same time, squarely addressing the financial challenges to the University. Powell praised her development of a strategic plan—Impact 2025—even during the pandemic. He described her as strategic, accountable, and a master of shared governance. Indeed, he called out her hard work and that of her senior management team. 

Powell should know about management and hard work. He served for 38 years in a variety of positions at General Mills, including CEO and chairman of the board. General Mills is one of the largest companies in Minnesota and a member of the Fortune 500. Powell described General Mills as a values-based culture that has been part of Minnesota for 150 years. He is proud of his work there and said he has long wanted to serve on the Board of Regents

Critically important to the state

Powell gave two reasons for his desire to serve as a regent. First, he believes the University is critically important to the state and to General Mills and other companies located in the state. He said 20-25 percent of General Mills’ employees hold degrees from the University and the U is the company’s top recruiting school. These are degrees at all levels and in virtually all disciplines. He believes General Mills is not unique in this regard and said that all Minnesota companies depend on the University for educating and developing talent for their workforces.

Second, he said his family was “transformed” by land-grant based higher education. He grew up in a middle-class family in Santa Clara, California. While he went to Harvard because of a scholarship, all his siblings and his mother hold degrees from San Jose State, a land-grant university, and have been successful because of their access to higher education. 

Powell indicated that the pandemic and the University’s response to it have dominated the Board of Regents’ work over the past year. He described in some detail the board’s actions, including declaring a state of emergency; adopting guiding principles for responding to the pandemic (safety first); establishing COVID-adjusted budgets, pay reductions, and access to bank loans. While it is not over yet, Powell believes the University has responded well to this unprecedented emergency. 

He was also careful to point out that even during these troubled times the University was able to secure from the U.S. Department of Defense a major grant establishing the BioMADE Institute on our campus, and, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota Foundation, has established the East Gateway Project, a master plan for 26 acres of land near the football stadium that will be developed to complement University initiatives.

Powell responded to a large number of questions on topics ranging from equity to policing to athletic funding. He responded directly and with clearly developed thoughts.

Ultimately, Powell said, “I am a believer in the importance of education at all levels.” He was an impressive and well-organized thinker about the University who has served it well. 

—Bill Donohue, UMRA past-president