Fort Hays State University exists to improve lives. Every day, I witness our relentless focus on excellence and the unwavering resilience of my Fort Hays State colleagues. We work hard at supporting our students, faculty, and staff. We are responsible to one another and for one another. Together, we build a better world.
On Monday, Feb. 7, we welcomed two new Tigers to Fort Hays State, ones who will join us in our journey to build a better world. It is my pleasure to introduce to the community the newest members of our senior leadership team: Wesley Wintch, vice president for Administration and Finance, and Ginger Williams, dean of Library Services.
Wesley is relocating from Valley City, North Dakota, where he and his family have lived for almost seven years. Wesley has been serving as the vice president for Business Affairs at Valley City State University. He and his wife, Natalie have three children: Daniel (a college student), Anne (a ninth-grader), and David (a fifth-grader).
Wesley likes to play basketball (although he claims he is not very good anymore – sounds like a challenge to me), piano, and guitar. He also likes dad jokes. I, too, love dad jokes and am a loyal follower of @Dadsaysjokes on Instagram.
Wesley said that he and his youngest son are excited about FHSU’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History.
“For certain, we are going to have to visit soon after we arrive,” Wesley said.
I know David will enjoy his visit to the museum, and I am betting he will want to enroll in some of Sternberg’s great summer camps.
“We are excited to move to Hays and become part of the community,” Wesley said. “It is my hope that I can join the FHSU team, learn a lot from my colleagues and also make a positive difference to the campus and larger Hays community. I was very impressed by the warmth I felt from the employees and students at FHSU and their passion for the campus.”
Wesley shared his start day with our new dean of Library Services. Ginger is relocating from Wichita, where she has served as the associate dean for Academic Engagement and Public Services for the University Libraries at Wichita State University. She was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma.
After Ginger’s young sons finish their school year in Wichita, she be joined in Hays by her husband, Brent, and two energetic boys (second-grader Nigel and kindergartner Damian). Like Wesley, Brent likes dad jokes, basketball, and music.
Ginger and her husband are both musicians. Ginger plays viola and has played with professional symphonies in Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, and Colorado. Brent has played all over the world with symphonies and his quartet, enhake, and has a DMA in violin. They have also played with rock bands at SXSW and the Troubadour (California). Brent is planning to start a studio to teach violin and viola lessons in Hays.
The Williams family will fit in well with their love for music and our love for the song “In Heaven There is No Beer,” as they are also homebrewers. They started brewing about 12 years ago.
Much like Wesley, Ginger said she felt welcomed at Fort Hays State from the start.
“I also was really impressed during my interview by how much the Fort Hays State folks loved the university,” she said. “I’m excited to get to know the library’s needs and help shape its transformation during the upcoming renovation.”
I am very excited to welcome our newest senior leaders, Wesley and Ginger, and their families, to Fort Hays State University as well as to our wonderful Ellis County neighborhood. I know they will love our close-knit community, where people smile, and their welcome is genuine and inclusive.
Tisa Mason is president of Fort Hays State University.