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 Making It
Official:
The
Installation
Ceremony for
University
President Troy
D. Paino
Not long after
the fall 2010
semester began,
Truman State
University
celebrated the
installation of
Troy D. Paino as
the University’s
16th
president. In
keeping with the
theme of
“Celebrating
Community”
selected for the
historic event,
the official
ceremony was
held in Baldwin
Auditorium
on Sept. 17,
2010, before an
assembly of
students,
faculty, staff,
former
presidents,
current and past
members of
Truman's
governing
bodies, members
of the local
community, and
delegates from
higher education
institutions, as
well as
President
Paino's family
and friends.
 Isaac Robinson
III, president
of Student
Government,
welcomed guests
and praised the
Board of
Governors for
choosing
President Paino
to lead the
University.
“When you ask
what they
[students] think
of the decision
to hire him as
our university’s
16th
president, the
answer is always
short, simple,
to the point and
always
consistent and
that answer is
‘the best―the
best person
suited to do
this job at this
pivotal time in
Truman’s
history; the
best person to
listen to and
act on the
concerns of
students; the
best person the
Board of
Governors could
have hired at
this time,’”
said
Robinson, “and I
couldn’t agree
with them more.”
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James Guffey,
president of the
Faculty Senate
and professor of
mathematics,
served as emcee
and acknowledged
distinguished
guests, and
another member
of the faculty,
James D'Agostino,
assistant
professor of
English, took to
the podium to
present In
Command of
Irregulars,
a poem he had
written in honor
of the occasion.
 Among the guest
speakers was
Tracy R. Paino,
brother of
President Paino,
who serves as
executive chair
of the
Departments of
Church
Leadership,
chair of the
Student
Ministries Department, co-director of the Center for Youth
and Leadership
and Professor of
Youth Studies at
North Central
University in
Minneapolis,
Minn. Tracy
Paino offered a
humorous glimpse
into the
personal life of
President Paino,
and then on a
more serious
note, spoke
about the
importance of
following a
sense of call in
one’s life.
“My
brother―little
brother Troy―not
only are we
proud of him,
not only is he
in a place where
he is fulfilling
the call that he
has in his life
that I think
will benefit
this
institution, but
he’s also a man
of integrity,
he’s a man of
character, he’s
a man of passion
and vision, and
we are proud to
introduce him as
a family to
you,” said Tracy
Paino.
Another guest
speaker was Joe
Gow, chancellor
of the
University of
Wisconsin-LaCrosse,
who applauded
Truman’s choice
of his friend
and colleague as
president. Gow
told about how
he became
acquainted with
Troy Paino while
serving as a
dean at Winona
State University
in Minnesota,
the institution
where President
Paino began his
academic career.
“You
learn a lot when
you’re a dean”
said Gow. “The
people who lead
the programs and
departments…you better have
people you can
trust because
they know a lot
more about how
it works than
you do…and
Troy was
certainly
someone that I
could not only
trust but could
confide in, and
I found that he
was always
dedicated to
what is best for
students and the
classroom
experience,”
said Gow. “And I
think we are
both very proud
that we served
at a time when
money was pretty
tight, and we
managed to
protect the
classroom
experience…you
have the right
person for the
challenging
times that we’re
in because he
certainly knows
what matters at
a university.”
The presentation
of the
Presidential
Medallion by
vice chair of
Truman's Board
of Governors,
John W. Siscel,
III, was
followed by
President
Paino's
installation
speech.
During his
remarks,
President Paino
reflected on the
values he has
devoted his life
to that are also
represented by
Truman State
University―the
value of an
education rooted
in community,
the value of the
liberal arts and
sciences in the
life of our
democracy and
the twin values
of opportunity
and excellence.
“I stand here
before you to
celebrate Truman
as a place that
offers our
students,
faculty and
staff a
community that
together is able
to face a
challenge,
pursue truth,
solve problems,
make mistakes,
extend grace,
offer support
and provide
service to
others in our
earnest attempt
to live
meaningful,
purposeful
lives,” said
President Paino.
“At Truman, one
finds a place
where a state of
independence is
achieved by
broadening our
intellectual,
spiritual and
human
connections, by
understanding
our
interdependence.”
 Quoting A.
Bartlett
Giamatti, former
president of
Yale and
commissioner of
Major League
Baseball,
President Paino
described a
liberal arts and
sciences
education as
teaching “the
interplay of
freedom and
order that
shapes an
individual and a
society.” “More
to the point, a
liberal arts and
sciences
education
strives to order
the mind so as
to set it free,”
said President
Paino. “It is
through this
liberation of
the mind that we
make medical and
scientific
breakthroughs,
unleash
entrepreneurial
impulses,
protect the
environment,
ameliorate
poverty’s
effect, test the
limits of human
potential, find
the capacity to
forgive, create
and appreciate
beauty amid the
cruelty and
brutality of
this world, and
better
understand the
depths and
variety of human
experience.”
In his speech,
Paino also
provided some
inspiring words
for how he plans
to lead the
University.
“Every day we
must get up and
reflect upon our
mission and
values and the
questions: Are
we doing our
job? Are we
living up to the
high standards
we have set? Are
we living up to
the twin pillars
of access and
excellence in
everything we
do? Do we offer
opportunities
for all
deserving
students,
regardless of
race, class,
religion or
place of
origin?” said
Paino. “At
Truman it is
deeply embedded
in our culture
to not rest on
our laurels, to
ask those
challenging
questions, to
continuously
assess our
institutional
behaviors, not
to feel
self-satisfied
and prideful,
but to stand as
a testament to
our commitment
to access and
excellence.”
Musical
accompaniment
for the
installation
ceremony was
provided by the
Truman State
University Wind
Symphony One
conducted by Dan
Peterson. The
event also
showcased the
talents of
Dominic
Armstrong, a
2002 Truman
alumnus who led
in the singing
of the
"Star-Spangled
Banner," and a
musical
interlude
performed by the
True Men a
capella group.
In addition to
the installation
ceremony and
reception, a
series of campus
and community
events were held
to celebrate the
special occasion
including a Gala
President’s
Concert; a
University and
Community Band
Fest;
dedication of
“The Dance”
outdoor
sculpture; a
5K Run/1 Mile
Walk with
President Paino
and his wife,
Kelly; a
Presidential
Tree Planting
Ceremony and a
Community
Service Event.
See
video,
transcript of
President
Paino’s speech
and more at
http://president.truman.edu/Celebrating_Community.asp.
A Carbon-Neutral
Event
The Presidential
Installation for
Troy D. Paino
was a
carbon-neutral
event,
underscoring
Truman State
University’s
commitment to
environmental
sustainability.
The President’s
Sustainability
Action Committee
(PSAC) at Truman
was formed by
President Paino
in September
2010 in response
to the
Sustainability
Initiative
developed by the
campus community
and signed by
then President
Darrell W.
Krueger on April
23, 2009. “The
ultimate goal of
the committee is
to help Truman
endure and be a
more sustainable
place in the
future than it
is today,” said
Jon Gering, PSAC
chair and
dean of the
school of
science and
mathematics.
The Presidential
Installation and
its associated
travel, lodging,
building use and
activities
produced 23,744
pounds of carbon
dioxide, an
amount
equivalent to
the carbon
dioxide produced
through the
combustion of
1,211 gallons of
gasoline. The
carbon dioxide
outputs for the
event were
offset by the
purchase of 18
megawatts of
Renewable Energy
Certificates by
Judi Schweitzer
(’89), a Truman
alumna and
member of the
committee. The
revenue from the
purchase of the
certificates
helps fund the
expansion of
clean energy
facilities, as
well as the
advanced
technological
research and
development of
alternative
sustainable
power sources.
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