My first opportunity to become acquainted with new UW President Shane Reeves came in 2019. My son was a sophomore at the United States Military Academy. They call sophomores "Yuks" at West Point.
My son was walking to class when then-Col. Shane Reeves (now a retired brigadier general) was giving a West Point tour to a couple of civilians. He recognized my son as a Wyoming cadet and ordered, "You, come over here!"
My son's heart sank. He thought to himself, "What have I done wrong?"
He walked over and was surprised to see Sen. Mike Enzi, who had nominated him to the academy, and Diana Enzi visiting West Point. They had a friendly but brief chat, and my son was off to class.
Reeves was popular with the cadets.
The cadets called him "Rockin' Shane Reeves," a name that stuck from his high school DJ days in Rock Springs.
He hosted giveaways on his late-night radio show. He would give a prize to the tenth caller.
When ten calls didn't come, he lowered it to the fifth caller. Then the first. Soon he realized no one was listening to his radio show. Thus, the name Rockin' Shane Reeves.
I did not know at the time that President Reeves was an in-demand, national-caliber speaker on innovation and leadership, that he hosted a podcast on excellence at the academy called "Inside West Point: Ideas that Impact," or that he was a Rock Springs Tiger.
I found out over the years that he was a talented academic leader, and that he took part in some of the cleverest pregame spirit videos in college football. (Who can criticize a "Beat Air Force" video?)
This week he announced a contest to select an anthem to be played between the third and fourth quarters at UW games, to get everyone out of their seats. Songs can be submitted on his Facebook page.
I submitted "Should've Been a Cowboy" by Toby Keith.
Reeves must have unlimited energy. He appears to be everywhere.
He has met with the UW Staff Senate, personally welcomed the class of 2030 at student move-in, met with the FFA in Riverton, pitched a pinecone into Rexy’s mouth, announced a new podcast about UW that begins in September, met with teachers at their annual convention in Casper, visited with the community in Evanston and hung out at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
As an ambassador for UW, his outreach and his desire to connect with every community in Wyoming are amazing.
Reeves understands that to be a great leader, he needs to listen first. Then ask hard questions and truly listen to the answers. From there, cogent solutions crafted.
Of all the places in the country President Reeves could have chosen, and there were many, he chose Wyoming.
He said there was something special about the people of Wyoming, different from many places in the country. The people of Wyoming are gritty, intelligent, friendly, self-reliant and full of character.
Reeves says so much of the country is scared to discuss issues.
In Wyoming, he says, we have the ability to listen, the intellectual ability to respond, the grit to disagree and the character to remain friends after the disagreement.
Our self-reliant nature makes us search for not who's right, but who has the best idea.
Reeves also notes that we may not realize how special Wyoming is, because we live here, and discussions on issues for us are just another conversation and nothing out of the ordinary. But in the scheme of the country, those conversations are something special.
Reeves notes that the University of Wyoming is a hidden gem, and that it can be the crown jewel of the Rocky Mountain region.
The foundational strengths are there: great alumni support, an R1 research designation, high-quality faculty, and a big-school education in a more personal setting where students get to know their professors, coaches and classmates.
Reeves hopes to enhance the campus culture and educational opportunities, so our graduates become more in-demand, productive members of the workforce.
He says AI is a great enabler, and that the University will be embracing AI in a thoughtful and ethical manner, while making sure students maintain their critical thinking skills.
President Reeves is a Rock Springs graduate, a great ambassador for the University, a visionary and a leader who can take the University of Wyoming to the next level.
We are lucky to have him, and he, along with the University, deserves our support.
The time for regressive thinking has passed. We all need to work to build Wyoming’s future.
Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2004 to 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House. He can be reached at: YourInputAppreciated@gmail.com
