The first finalist for the vice president of extension and outreach, who received a doctorate from Iowa State, said he wants to come back home to work for Iowa State. 

Brent Hales, senior associate dean and chief financial officer at the University of Minnesota, spoke at the first open forum for the vice presidential position 3 p.m. Monday in the Gallery Room of the Memorial Union.

Hales spoke of what he would do as the vice president of extension and outreach and what he thinks the community should do to help. He said he wants to give back to Iowa State, where he began his journey.  

Hales has worked at many other colleges such as Des Moines Area Community College, Delta State University, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Minnesota Crookston and currently the University of Minnesota as their senior associate dean and chief financial. 

He spoke about Iowa as a community and wanting to hear all voices. Hales said he wants to make sure that he can try to meet everyone’s needs as vice president to build the value of the community.

Hales spoke on meeting with existing partners along with diverse and new voices within the communities. He wants to make sure Iowa is working as a team to improve themselves as a whole.

“I want to visit every county within the first 18 months I am here,” Hales said, “I want it to be an ongoing effort to do so.”

Hales wants to grow Iowa’s influence domestically and internationally. He spoke about changing the status quo of this position and not waiting for things to come to him, but to get out and push meaningful change, to embrace the new.

“I’m calling all voices to say this is all of our work, not my work, not the leaderships work, this is all of our work,” Hales said. “If you want change, you got to let us know how to let it happen.”

He’s determined to maintain the land grant mission of creating, sharing and applying knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place and maintain trust in the Iowa State Extension and Outreach program.