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Please join me in congratulating Sam Holland on his appointment as interim dean of Meadows, beginning July 1, 2014.

Sam has been on the SMU faculty since 1991 and has served as director of the Division of Music – the largest division in Meadows – since 2010. He is not only an accomplished University administrator, but a visionary leader who has done an outstanding job in moving the Division of Music forward over the past three years. He has built strong community relationships with local organizations like the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Opera, and has established a national reputation in keyboard pedagogy, community outreach and in the ways that music schools are rethinking preparation for jobs and citizenship. He is a skillful fundraiser who worked with our development office to secure two new endowed music chair positions, and he has hired outstanding new faculty such as chair of voice Clifton Forbis and artists-in-residence Emanuel Borok and Matt Albert. His reputation as an innovator and creative thinker is well deserved.

Most importantly, Sam is a fair, transparent, even-handed, and trusted colleague.  He understands Meadows and believes in the mission of the school to create graduates who will use their craft to make a difference in the world.  He is a talented administrator and you can count on him to do what is best for the School in every instance.

The leadership of the University and I are confident he will be an excellent steward of Meadows programs and goals and will continue the momentum of the school while the search process for a new dean is under way.  I suspect the search will begin very soon and the University will aim to make an appointment as soon as possible. Sam will continue to serve as director of the Division of Music concurrently, and Sam and I will be working on a plan to get him extra assistance during this interim period.

I will miss you all, but I know Meadows could not be in better hands.

With thanks,

Jose