Will Simpkins - MSU Denver
Thirlby Co. Leader to Learn From: August 2023
August 2, 2023
In August 2018, Dr. Will Simpkins began his role as Vice President for Student Affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver, leading student engagement and wellness initiatives, enrollment management services, and workforce development and industry partnerships at Colorado’s third largest and most diverse university.
During his five years at MSU Denver, Will has created the C2 Hub, the school’s signature student success program that meets student and industry partner success needs. Will has also built or invested in programs focused on student equity, student access, student basic needs support, and community engagement.
Will’s passion for supporting students at MSU Denver was a product of his firsthand experiences with education, and seeing how it impacted his own family. “I believe that education absolutely changes a family,” shared Will. “My mom was the first in our family to go to college. Only one of my grandparents graduated from high school. Today, my sister and I are now doctors of education. In just one generation, access to education changed our entire trajectory.”
In addition to his impact at MSU Denver, Will serves as a board member for the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, and has held numerous community roles, including the co-chair of the Workforce and Education Committee for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. When asked what is mission or purpose is in life, Will replied: “Just do good. I ask myself constantly - ‘Am I of service, supporting others, and doing good?’ If I can't answer existentially ‘yes’ - then something’s out of calibration.”
Read on to learn about Will’s journey into higher education, why he prefers public speaking over cocktail parties, and why he believes everyone should get a coach, travel early, and color outside the lines.
OUR INTERVIEW WITH WILL
For your daytime job, you work as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Metropolitan State University (MSU) of Denver. For those of our readers who don’t live in Colorado or aren’t as familiar with your university, tell us about why it’s such a special place.
MSU Denver is a regional public comprehensive university. This type of school exists everywhere but nobody knows about them. Over half of Americans are educated by those schools. At MSU Denver, we serve 96 percent in-state students, educating more Coloradans and more people of color than any other institution in Colorado. We’re the state’s third largest and most diverse university with almost 17,000 students.
Regional public comprehensive universities are often people’s pathways to meeting their dreams. By design and value, what we do at the university is tied to local communities. We think about who lives here, how we serve them, what’s the economy, and what are the jobs and skills needed for our learners and their families to thrive.
I will always choose to work at a place like MSU Denver. I grew up in a small town and the idea of being an active member of your community was baked into me. My parents and grandparents would have called it taking care of your neighbors.
What is the biggest challenge you have as a leader working in higher education?
Higher education is a tightly regulated industry, and so there is a lot of law and policy at the state and federal level that dictates what we do. We are also regulated with the culture, and there’s a concept of shared governance. The faculty share in the governance of our organization, so when you’re trying to manage an organization and create change, I can’t do anything unilaterally. The good news is, allowing folks an opportunity to engage in a change process almost always ensures that the change is better and more sustainable.
Why are you passionate about what you do, and what inspired your career path?
I wanted to be a poet. It was the way I expressed my feelings. I figured out during college that it wasn’t something I could make a living doing, and that I didn’t really know what my voice was. I was an “out” queer college student - this was at the time of Matthew Shephard’s murder - when there weren’t that many LGBTQ student resource centers for us.
So much of what I do is about disrupting systems of oppression, and I believe that education absolutely changes a family. My mom was the first in our family to go to college. Only one of my grandparents graduated from high school. My family resembled many of the families that are still in the coal country of the Appalachian mountains.
Today, my sister and I are now doctors of education. In just one generation, access to education changed our entire trajectory. So for me, access to education is everything - it’s how we disrupt the school to prison pipeline. It’s how we support housing and move people off of public benefits. At MSU Denver, we fully fund one third of our students - they pay nothing.
One of our core values at The Thirlby Company is FUN - having fun at work, and laughing while we get important work done. You are someone who truly embodies this value. Why do you think that is?
To be honest, laughter was originally a self defense mechanism for me. The class clown is usually masking some pretty deep pain. So I knew I could win people over if I could make them laugh.
That being said, at work, we spend a lot of time here so if you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going to be productive. We are a human centered enterprise at MSU Denver. If we’re not having fun, it’s not going to work. We are all doing this work with not enough money, people, or facilities. We’ve gotta have fun.
It’s also about culture. In student affairs, we are about the experience students have. Fun is really important. It’s a reminder that it’s not that serious. There are some elements in my job that are really serious, including trauma and suicide. Yes, those are really serious moments - but 90 percent of my day is not that.
Switching gears a bit to our seven leadership questions - how would you define confidence?
An inner feeling of security.
What have you learned about vulnerability, in the context of leadership?
It’s hard to do it intentionally. Most people don’t know how to do it. The people who do know how to do it are often made to feel like it’s a negative. I know you can’t do anything well without being vulnerable. It’s how you connect with people, drive strategy, and create empathy for those you serve.
How would you define your mission or purpose in life?
First - do good. Just do good. I ask myself constantly - “Am I of service, supporting others, and doing good?” If I can't answer existentially “yes” - then something’s out of calibration.
Second - be happy. For my generation, gay men grew up struggling to find happiness in a world that told us we were different no matter how supportive your family was. Everyday you had a message sent that you are less than or weird. I was very bullied as a kid. It was normal, run of the mill school stuff that is not okay. Yet, none of my teachers were prepared to interrupt it or disrupt it. That stuck with me. I don’t want to be sad anymore so it’s on me to identify what makes me happy and pursue it.
So how do you strive for happiness?
If you have to try to be happy you have to acknowledge that you are not happy in some ways. I turned 45 this year, and that is truly mid life. It kind of sucks because there is no do-over for part one. I’m thinking about this idea of permanence - that the decisions I make today will have profound implications for the rest of my life. I also question my goals. Am I striving for that thing because I want it, or because everything in the world tells me that I should want that thing? Examples might be an intimate relationship or having kids.
What I'm learning from my younger colleagues is this: protect your peace. It’s about the core strategies of centering yourself and not giving all of yourself to every person or situation. It might seem contrary to the ideal of vulnerability, but in balance, they are a powerful combination of self-healing.
What is your greatest superpower as a leader?
Facilitating complex decision-making processes.
What is something that might surprise people about you?
I hate cocktail parties and receptions. They are entirely uncomfortable for me. I do not do well in unstructured environments where I don’t know anyone. You can put me on stage in front of 10,000 people and I’ll soar, but if you send me to a cocktail party I will have a hard time.
I am one point over the E in the Myers-Briggs assessment. Almost dead center. I get energy from being around people I know.
What advice would you have for someone who is struggling or feeling stuck right now in their life or career?
Get a coach. It’s worked for me and I’ve seen it work for others. We all need an objective person who we trust who can give us the truth along with resources and guidance. The biggest mistake I see people make during tough times is relying just on their “yes” friend.
What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
Travel earlier. I didn’t leave the country until I was 38 years old. Putting yourself in other cultures gives you perspective and makes you question a lot of things about yourself.
Also - get therapy. If your foot hurts for a long time, you go to the doctor. Why do we treat mental health any differently?
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
The one fact that I remember from a research study is that people who spend money on experiences are typically happier than people who spend money on things. This always pops up when I’m about to go shopping or debating spending money on concert tickets or travel. I don’t remember most of the sweaters I’ve bought over the years, but I absolutely remember taking my parents to Europe, or buying a ticket to a fundraiser so I could meet Cher.
Also, I’m a rule follower, and I have friends who are not rule followers. Sometimes rules are nice, but sometimes you have to take a chance and color outside of the lines. That’s also how I got to meet Cher without a VIP ticket!
About Will Simpkins (he/him/his)
Dr. Will Simpkins is the Vice President for Student Affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver, leading student engagement and wellness initiatives, enrollment management services, and workforce development and industry partnerships at Colorado’s third largest and most diverse university. Dr. Simpkins’s previous experiences in higher education include career services, student activities and leadership, diversity initiatives, and civic engagement in both public and private institutions in New York City as well as serving as affiliate faculty of the Educational Leadership in Higher Education program at Montclair State University.
At MSU Denver, Dr. Simpkins created the C2 Hub, an innovative program that meets student and industry partner success needs. With over a dozen Industry Navigators, 50+ Peer Mentors, and initiatives that reach students in high school, the C2 Hub is MSU Denver’s signature student success program. Dr. Simpkins has also built or invested in programs focused on student equity, student access, student basic needs support, and community engagement.
Dr. Simpkins is currently a Senior Impact Fellow of the Aspen Institute Leadership Development Index and serves on the Executive Committee of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and Board of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation. He was previously appointed to New York City’s Manhattan Community Board 9 (West Harlem) by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in 2007, serving two terms with involvement in health, governance, and zoning issues. He has served in a number of leadership roles in professional organizations, including national co-chair of the LGBTQ Knowledge Community of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the Idealist.org On Campus Advisory Board.
Dr. Simpkins earned an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, with a dissertation that examined the college experiences of bachelor’s degree students who receive welfare (TANF benefits) in New York City. He also holds an M.Ed. in Counseling and Personnel Services with a concentration in student leadership development from the University of Maryland and a B.A. in English with concentrations in creative writing and cultural studies from Virginia Tech. When not supporting student success, Dr. Simpkins enjoys challenging hikes, traveling to beautiful places, and playing fetch with his handsome pup Rowdy.
You can follow Will on LinkedIn or on Instagram @drsimpkins.
About This Feature
Leaders to Learn From is a standing feature in The Thirlby Company’s monthly newsletter that recognizes outstanding leaders in our community who embody our company’s core values. You can learn about our other honorees here, or subscribe to our newsletter to receive this feature and more inspiring content in the future.
