Pictured above: St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock will step down from his role to return to the College of Education.
Courtesy of USF
By Annalise Anderson
USF St. Petersburg faculty and administrators have battled to maintain the unique identity of the waterfront campus throughout consolidation.
St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock has been at the forefront of that battle, consistently advocating for student success and the opportunities the campus offers.
Now, the campus is looking to fill Tadlock’s shoes come June.
In his role since 2018, Tadlock announced in January that he was stepping down to return to a position in the College of Education. Initially, his final day as regional chancellor was set for December, but he agreed to extend his role following the retirement of former-President Steve Currall.
In an Oct. 21 listening session hosted by Interim President Rhea Law, campus faculty, staff and administrators shared ideas about what attributes Tadlock’s successor should possess to best lead the campus.
“Regional chancellor is an interesting position because that person has to be an advocate for our campus, our faculty and all things St. Petersburg. And at the same time, work for good integration and communication with OneUSF,” said St. Petersburg Interim Vice Chancellor Deni Elliott. “I see Martin doing that delicate dance day after day.
“I think we need a chancellor who comes to us with experience working in complicated environments, and doing so with grace as well as compassion,” Elliott said.
Patti Helton, St. Petersburg regional vice chancellor for student success, said, while campus leaders want the next chancellor to reflect “all those characteristics that leaders have,” one of the most important is integrity.
“I think to be a strong branch [campus] chancellor, you have to have your ego in check,” Helton said. “Because it’s not about the person. It’s about the institution and what we’re all trying to accomplish… One of the things I really do appreciate about Martin is that he doesn’t have this huge ego that has to be fed. His focus is on the university and us being successful.”
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Magali Michael said that, under consolidation, collaborative work is crucial to reviving campus morale.
“To me, one of the most important things is the person’s ability to work collaboratively and to not only talk about shared governance, but actually mean it and actually live it,” Michael said. “The morale is pretty far down on campus for both staff and faculty. I think that consolidation and the pandemic made it very difficult.
“We need someone who can move everything forward,” Michael said. “But with people feeling like they’re part of that forward movement and not just experiencing something that other people have planned.”
St. Petersburg’s Student Government (SG) representatives shared their expectations for Tadlock’s successor with The Crow’s Nest.
“I think the qualities of being principled and innovative are important, however I think the most important quality is being receptive to students, and willingly open to engage with students to hear their thoughts on USFSP,” said Sean Schrader, St. Petersburg SG senator.
According to Schrader, sustainability and campus identity should remain a priority for the next regional chancellor.
“Although great strides have been made to promote sustainability across campus, there is always more than can be done. Additionally, ensuring that USF St. Pete’s presence remains strong in this new consolidated environment is critically important to USF St. Pete’s long-term success,” Schrader said.
St. Petersburg SG Governor Veronica Jimenez echoed Schrader’s sentiments, adding that improvements to campus diversity and safety is a “must have.”
Jimenez said that Tadlock has been a known, positive presence on campus since she arrived.
“From my four years here, Dr. Tadlock has been an incredible regional chancellor. He has been present with the students since my first day here,” Jimenez said. “He is eager to listen to our needs as students and what the university can do to make our experience at USF the best it can be.”
Schrader said that Tadlock’s leadership throughout more than three, sometimes turbulent, years has been admirable.
“I have been very fortunate to get to know Dr. Tadlock over the past several years. I have admired his leadership so much, especially during the COVID pandemic, as USFSP was able to balance the college atmosphere for students, while ensuring safety was a top priority. Additionally, Dr. Tadlock has been a very strong voice for USF St. Pete as we are now consolidated as OneUSF,” Schrader said.
Following its listening sessions, USF will form a search committee to find Tadlock’s successor as St. Petersburg regional chancellor.
