Len Frey Appointed to Leadership in Proposed College of Veterinary Medicine
JONESBORO – Another key leadership position in the planned College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Arkansas State University will be filled by an administrator whose experience with both the university and the new college makes him uniquely qualified.
Dr. Len Frey, executive vice chancellor for finance and administration and chief operating officer (COO) since 2018, will step into his new role with A-State effective July 1.
Frey will become senior advisor for strategic initiatives and senior associate dean, announced Dr. Todd Shields, chancellor.
“Dr. Frey has been a dedicated and ardent advocate for A-State in his many administrative roles, and for me personally since I joined campus in 2022,” Shields said in making the announcement. “I look forward to him continuing his outstanding support through this new opportunity in the CVM.”
Throughout the process, Frey has been a key player in clearing the hurdles associated with bringing the veterinary college to fruition. While serving as interim provost during the first half of last year, Frey was deeply involved in the early planning stages, including the decision for the university to move forward without a third-party partner.
“I have had the opportunity to play a key role in planning and implementation of numerous strategic initiatives at A-State during the past two decades. Establishing a new College of Veterinary Medicine has been a top priority for the university for the past several years. This new college has the potential to be one of the most impactful accomplishments for the university, region and state of Arkansas since it obtained university status,” Frey stated.
“I am excited for the opportunity to work with Dean Banse to bring the veterinary college to fruition and I am appreciative to Chancellor Shields and Provost White for allowing me to transition from my current role into this new position where I can focus 100% of my effort on this transformational initiative.”
Frey’s primary role will be supporting the newly appointed CVM dean, Dr. Heidi Banse, by focusing on the operational side of the veterinary college with his depth of administrative experience. This will enable Banse to devote full attention to recruiting faculty and guiding the startup of the college’s academic programs. Banse, who is coming from Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, officially begins work July 22.
“I am thrilled to have Dr. Frey step into this role. He has played a critical part in planning thus far and I am incredibly grateful for his continued commitment to the college’s success,” Banse said. “His experience and expertise in finance and administration will be key assets as we continue to progress in development of Arkansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. I look forward to working with him as we take the next steps towards creation of A-State’s CVM.”
Currently, Arkansans have to go out of state to earn a veterinary medicine degree, a circumstance Arkansas State University aims to change. Along with expanding the campus’s research enterprise, educating Arkansans has become a central theme at Arkansas State under the leadership of Shields and Dr. Calvin White Jr., executive vice chancellor and provost; establishment of the veterinary school dovetails well with one of their central goals for the institution.
“So much credit for the success of the CVM is due to Dr. Frey,” Provost White shared. “In his role as interim Provost, he took ownership of this initiative and we simply would not be where we are today without his diligent work and collaborative partnerships over the last two years.”
In addition to his responsibility for the financial and administrative operations of the university, Frey also has had oversight duties for Human Resource Management, Facilities Management, Delta Center for Economic Development, University Police and Information Technology Services departments and First National Bank Arena at A-State. Before his current position, he had served as vice chancellor for finance and administration since 2012.
With two degrees from A-State, Frey returned to his alma mater as chair of the Department of Management and Marketing in 2000, a position he held previously at Nicholls State University. He became dean of the Neil Griffin College of Business in 2005.
In addition to his primary duties, Frey has been extensively involved in university initiatives, including chairing the strategic planning steering committee. Highlights of his community involvement include the Jonesboro Unlimited board, president of the Jonesboro Economic Development Corp., and board chairman of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Before entering the field of higher education, the native of Mammoth Spring was manager of outpatient services for St. Bernards Medical Center and business manager for cardiology associates of Northeast Arkansas.
More recently, the Institutional Actions Council of the Higher Learning Commission approved A-State’s request to offer a 152-credit-hour Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. A-State's plan to establish a College of Veterinary Medicine and its outline for the school, including the potential of 40 new faculty and staff positions and its program of study, have already been approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
As the new college continues to gear up to meet the high-demand projected needs for veterinary services in Arkansas and the region, the next step will be a visit from the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education, the world’s leading accrediting body for colleges and veterinary medicine, in July. A-State’s current goal is to admit the first cohort of students in 2026.
