Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Long, Ph.D., was selected by the Wichita Business Journal for their “Women Who Lead in Education” segment.
“I’m very pleased for this recognition among so many more worthy women leaders in our vibrant education community,” said Long.
Long has always had a knack for processes and diagnosing issues within an organization, which has led her to take on many leadership roles throughout her career.
“I try, to the extent possible, to think about problems organizationally rather than centering them on who is to blame or why a certain person failed. I think leadership followed my drive to solve organizational problems,” she said.
Long began working at Newman in 2016 and has grown as a leader and a listener during that time.
“At Newman, we have many diverse voices, each of whom brings great value to the table. As I’ve developed as a leader, (I’ve found), it is less important to share my thoughts than to help others express theirs for the greater good,” she said.
Long had a nontraditional career path but one that has helped her grow into leadership roles. She graduated from college as a first-generation student and worked her way through all of her higher education, including her doctorate.
She held positions as a medical assistant, veterinary assistant, commercial construction estimator, manufacturing product manager, marketing manager, grant writer, business owner and eventually a college faculty member. From there, she became a dean and later an assistant vice president for a university and eventually took the position of provost at Newman University.
Long said she enjoys the servant leadership opportunities that Newman provides. “On a good day, I solve problems for others,” she said.
“Servant leadership is a little bit of being an everyday superhero. Anytime I can clear a path to make situations better for others and the organization is a win for me. Of course, every day isn’t full of wins, but you can still work to overcome challenges, large and small, that lead to positive outcomes for as many people as possible; that’s never not rewarding.”
