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Frugal, JAKE PINHOLSTER is not. “I’m more of an ‘experience the moment’ sort,” he says. “You can’t take it with you.”

And so, just before reporting to his new job last fall — at the University of Illinois — the dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts indulged in a family cruise to Alaska.

“It had been on a lot of bucket lists for a lot of years, and it was amazing to get to experience such luxury while also being up close and personal with wildlife,” he says. “We had the most successful whale-watching cruise.”

It was a year of new adventures for the Sunshine State native, who was born in Orlando, raised in Sebring and Tallahassee, and educated on the Gainesville campus of the University of Florida. 

Now 47, Pinholster spent his first 25 years in the Florida and another 19 wearing a number of hats at Arizona State’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts before moving last fall to the land of four seasons with his wife, mother-in-law and the three dogs.

The accomplished media/projection designer, whose credits range from Broadway (“The Pee-wee Herman Show”) to HBO specials (“Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking”), took time out to answer questions from Editor Jeff D’Alessio in the 276th installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting leaders of organizations big and small.

I can’t live without my … assistant, Amanda. Managing my calendar is a full-time job, and I literally would get nothing done without her.

The hardest thing about being a leader is … worrying about the welfare and well-being of the people you serve.

My philosophy on meetings is … that they should only be used for decision-making and not just for information sharing.

My single favorite moment in this job was … getting to meet a group of passionate and dedicated alumni at my first Illinois football game.

The three adjectives I hope my staff would use to describe me are … compassionate, thoughtful and no-nonsense.

On my office walls, you’ll find … nothing. Haven’t gotten around to redecorating in this first six months.

My professional role model is … my father, who was a dedicated education leader for almost 50 years — and now spends his retirement woodworking.

If I could trade places for a week with any other business person in town, I wouldn’t mind switching with … Jayne DeLuce from Experience Champaign-Urbana.

I think that is an incredible organization with a wonderful purpose.

My one unbreakable rule of the workplace is … give trust. If you expect to receive trust, you must first give it.

The single-most important question I ask job candidates during interviews is … tell me about a time when you repaired a damaged relationship — and how.

The first thing I do when I get to work most days is … check in with everyone who is around.

For lunch, I like to … get out and go for a walk, when I can — but I usually spend it eating a sandwich while answering email.

I wind down after work by … cooking elaborate dinners.

The most beneficial college class I took was … a strange but wonderful course called Pesticides and Pills at the University of Florida in my freshman year, which was taught by Professors Barfield (agriculture) and Doering (pharmacology) and looked at the way humankind’s use of science and chemistry has shaped our evolution since the Agricultural Revolution.

Taught me a lot about the depth and complexity of human systems.

The last good book I read was … “For Small Creatures Such as We,” a reflection on finding meaning in a chaotic world by Sasha Sagan, daughter of Carl Sagan.

My exercise routine consists of … not nearly enough, nor as frequently as it should. I like to walk and swim, so adjusting to winter here has definitely been challenging.

I’m up and at ’em every day by … whatever time my dogs decide they need to go outside.

The worst job I ever had was … working the graveyard shift in the drive-thru at Steak ‘n’ Shake when I was 16.

Particularly around the time the bars closed.

I knew this is what I wanted to do for a living at age … 50. I’m 47 now, so that’s the goal, at least.

In all seriousness, I’m never totally sure — I feel like questioning whether or not you’ve found the right purpose is part of making sure you never lose the search for meaning.