MARGARET SPELLINGS: Chancellor David Belcher's transformational leadership of Western Carolina University

David Belcher was one of the most sincere human beings I ever met. When he said, “we’re in the business of changing lives!” — as he did often — it wasn’t a marketing slogan. It was a conviction that he made an entire institution join him in believing.

Changing lives for the better was David’s life mission, his driving goal for Western Carolina University and his legacy as a chancellor and a public servant.

He and Susan were known across the community – and the state – as a tag team; a duo of inspiration, action, and integrity. David’s leadership came through energy, passion, and a deep commitment to his colleagues, his community, the students who adored him, the ideals that motivated him and the work that gave meaning to his life. A man of deep character, he recognized that conviction had to be backed up by action.

He was, without question, a verb. He viewed his role as a champion for all North Carolinians, a bridge between the university and the citizens it is meant to serve.

That belief guided his action as a leader and his generosity as a man. He was a fountain of energy who could command a stage. But he was also an attentive listener, a devoted friend, someone who could make a crowded room fade into the background as he focused on the conversation — the person — right in front of him.

At a time when activity is flaunted as a virtue, and in a job that pulls in a dozen different directions every day, he was committed to being present for the people around him. His success on behalf of Western Carolina shows what can be achieved if you put human connections front-and-center.

It took just one time hearing his full-bellied laugh, seeing him in a crowd of students, or listening to him passionately laying out his vision for WCU to know that what he cared about was the task at hand and the people right in front of him. His ability to inspire was unrivaled. It was – and is – difficult to want anything other than make him proud of your effort, intentions and the results you get for the students and community he cared about.

David took an institution and showed it that new heights were not only possible but achievable. He did it by being decisive but collaborative, caring but strong, visionary but flexible.

During his tenure, Western Carolina rose to new heights, with soaring enrollment growth and graduation rates and a record-breaking fundraising campaign, which showed the deep trust WCU’s alumni had in David’s vision. It was a vision deeply rooted in the community around Cullowhee and based on a belief that WCU was there to serve western North Carolina and bring inclusive economic growth to a region that had largely watched the rest of the state’s growth from afar.

It’s a vision and a trajectory that will continue in the hands of a community inspired by David and his leadership. And it’s an impact that WCU honored last week as it named its College of Fine and Performing Arts after its concert-pianist-turned-Chancellor, David Orr Belcher.

We should all be more like David Belcher. Living as a verb means doing the hard thing, trying to lift a community by loving, listening, and giving. To be so good at what you do that others aspire to be better, all while feeling included, not diminished.

To me, the David test is simple. A sk yourself at the end of the day, “did my actions today make someone else aim higher, perform better, or think bigger?”

If you can answer “yes” to that question enough, you’ll find yourself joining David and his WCU community in the business of changing lives.