NW Missouri Times

Gov. Mike Kehoe has announced the appointment of Steve Black to the Northwest Missouri State University Board of Regents. Black, from Maysville, will replace Lydia Hurst of Tarkio, whose term is set to conclude on January 1, 2031. However, Black's appointment requires confirmation by the Missouri Senate.

Steve Black is a cattle and grain farmer as well as a business consultant with expertise in manufacturing, operations management, performance improvement, and strategic guidance on acquisition due diligence in northwest Missouri. He previously held a position at Johnson Controls Inc., where he was the vice president of Air Distribution Technologies Operations for North American manufacturing and distribution.

In addition to his professional background, Black has been involved with several civic organizations such as the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Greater St. Joseph. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Northwest.

The nine-member Board of Regents at Northwest Missouri State University is responsible for managing university resources and setting general educational and financial policies. Six members must reside within the University's 17-county district; one member must live in Nodaway County while two others may live outside the district. The board limits political party representation to no more than four voting members from any single party.

Current board members include Chair Mel Tjeerdsma from Maryville, Vice Chair Stephen Coppinger from Kansas City, Shanda Durbin from St. Joseph, Jason Klindt from Kearney, John Moore from Raymore, Deborah Roach from Grant City, and Roxanna Swaney from Liberty. The student regent seat remains vacant.