Although he surely was not the most desperate Spartan hoping to land a résumé booster this summer, MSU President M. Peter McPherson seems to have his work cut out for him.
It was reported Thursday that the White House has tapped McPherson's banking expertise to aid Iraq in its financial reconstruction.
McPherson is expected to spend two months in Iraq and work with the U.S. Treasury Department to find ways to resurrect the country's devastated economy. Provost Lou Anna Simon is expected to run things in East Lansing during McPherson's temporary leave.
Of course, who could doubt that the top Spartan is a perfect fit to help Iraq finance its liberation?
McPherson has held various vice presidential posts at the Bank of America including the oversight of the financial institution's Latin American and Canada divisions and global debt restructuring administration.
He helped negotiate the Canadian-U.S. Free Trade Agreement while acting as deputy of the U.S. Treasury under the Reagan administration. And, most recently, McPherson has been offering his financial expertise in Africa.
With the amount of financial good McPherson has tried to spread throughout the world in his lifetime, it's safe to assume MSU's chief Spartan is steps away from a Nobel Prize.
But while all is well and good with McPherson receiving so much praise for his White House invitation abroad, we cannot stress enough how deeply we need him back in East Lansing - soon.
His financial genius and influence are needed assets as MSU and the Legislature look ahead in their budgetary planners.
A good argument can be made that Michigan's financial situation has found itself - in many ways - in more dire straits than Iraq's recently crashed economy.
Of course, MSU will not be in bad hands with Simon. The provost is more than qualified to step into McPherson's role if needed.
Simon was arguably neck-and-neck with McPherson during the 1993 MSU presidential search, and the university has benefited greatly from the accomplishments she has made in her various leadership roles.
Individually, McPherson and Simon are exemplary leaders. But together, they had set even higher standards.
McPherson and Simon are the longest tenured leadership duo currently serving in the Big Ten. Many of their contemporaries often note and work to mimic their accomplishments.
MSU has indeed been in good hands during the past 10 years. It now seems we can share some of our luxury with Iraq. He might be leaving the green pastures of East Lansing for the sandier deserts of Iraq, but that is where our country needs him.
For now, all we can ask is that McPherson hurry home.
