Investiture Remarks by Candice Lee, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director
Vanderbilt University
April 9, 2022
What an honor it is for me to share this stage with all of my colleagues for this incredible occasion, in particular with Reverend James Lawson.
As an African American and a woman who has been on this campus for 26 years, I know that but for heroes like him who endure and thrive through things that others might find unimaginable, I don’t get to stand before you. To have someone of his gravitas participate today is one indication of how important this moment is. Rightfully so as we cement Chancellor Daniel Diermeier’s place in our history, and also because of what Reverend Lawson’s presence says about us as an institution.
A lot has happened since 1960, and Vanderbilt University continues to come to grips with its history, to reconcile, to forge ahead and to thrive.
Since our founding in 1873, we have been imperfectly glorious! A place that, perhaps, one might say, dares to grow. I love that phrase because of the implied acknowledgment that growth takes courage. You must dare to do it. And we have certainly experienced such under Chancellor Diermeier’s transformative leadership and will continue to do so.
As an alumna, I care deeply for this place, and I know firsthand how the Vanderbilt experience can springboard our students to success in life beyond their wildest imaginations. I also understand that there have been times when the greatest roadblock to success was not any outside force, but ourselves. We all know about silos and walls and territories. But Daniel is challenging us to radically collaborate and work together as One Vanderbilt unlike anything I’ve experienced during my time here.
And that’s a pretty long time...after all, my bachelor’s degree was conferred by our sixth chancellor, Joe B. Wyatt, my master’s degree by our seventh chancellor, Gordon Gee, and my doctorate by our eighth chancellor, Nicholas Zeppos.
I don’t plan on obtaining any more degrees from our esteemed institution, but our ninth chancellor did hire me as the athletic director. We began our posts about the same time, and he often quips that “There is not an inch of daylight between us.” That resonates with me every time, as it is intended to describe our shared vision about the value of athletics in the university community and our commitment to excellence.
At many institutions, the athletic department operates apart from. At Vanderbilt, we understand that we are a part of the university. What a privilege it is to say that and truly live that out—and to do so with a mutual understanding that excellence will be achieved and sustained without sacrificing our core values.
From the start, Daniel gave my colleagues and me permission to “raise our level of aspiration”…again, he dared us to grow. Actually, on his first day in office in 2020, Daniel convened our vice chancellor group simply to touch base and establish expectations. I recall him saying that he was being bombarded by well-intentioned people who shared their sorrow for the fact that he was taking over an institution during a global pandemic. I chuckled because, in my piece of the world, I was getting those same condolences as a new athletic director during such a tumultuous time.
I will never forget his answer, as it helped alter how I viewed my own circumstances. He said the doubters were focused on what they assumed were the problems, headaches and limitations of leading a university in a time of crisis. But right from the very beginning, Daniel was very clear that he believed just the opposite. There was no better time to move a university forward. There was no better time to lead! And he saw an opportunity to lead boldly. The rare moment to make the biggest strides, he said, is when others are retreating. In general, it was Vanderbilt’s time to step forward and not look back. He set that tone of confidence from the very beginning, and it was just what we all needed to hear.
I’ve heard one of our Board of Trust members share on multiple occasions that Daniel has the “courage of his convictions,” and I agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment. In my world, elite athletes must believe they are the best, or they risk getting beaten before they even begin. But I also know that those same athletes must be coachable and curious about how to improve if they are to truly succeed. Chancellor Diermeier strikes this balance well. He dares himself to grow as he embodies his role. As the leader of the institution, he empowers others to do the same.
He has hit the ground running and has not slowed down since. In fact, he made the comment the other day that as a university we are traveling at 100 miles per hour in the right direction. But then he followed that up with saying, “and we are in a 100 mile per hour speed zone.”
There is an orientation toward action—let’s get things done—but do so with the discipline, diligence, intellect and care that this community deserves.
We know that nothing is promised and time is finite. Thus the time is now to maximize our potential.
At this time in history, at this time in the life of this university, we are fortunate to have a leader who understands Vanderbilt’s boundless capacity to lead with confidence and vision.
It is an exhilarating time to be here. That’s because of our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni and this great city we call home. And it’s also because of the leadership of our Chancellor Daniel Diermeier.
Congratulations, and Anchor Down.