Senate confirms Northwest regents

The Missouri state Senate has confirmed Gov. Jay Nixon's three most recent appointments to the Northwest Missouri State University Board of Regents.

John W. Richmond, Democrat, Albany, and Dr. Patrick B. Harr, Republican, Shell Knob and Maryville, joined the university's governing board in early January. Gene Dorrel, Republican, Maryville, was appointed last August.

Richmond spent 29 years as president and CEO of Northwest Medical Center in Albany. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a master’s degree in hospital administration from Webster University.

Harr practiced medicine in Maryville for 38 years and served as a volunteer physician for Northwest and Maryville High School athletics teams before retiring last June. He holds undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and attended Northwest where he studied pre-medicine.

Both Richmond and Harr were appointed to terms ending Jan. 1, 2019.

Dorrel is a Northwest Alumnus who graduated in 1976. Since 1990, he has been general manager of United Electric Cooperative in Maryville and Savannah. He also serves as president of Nodaway County Economic Development Corp. His term will expire Jan. 1, 2017.

The confirmations mean that six of the board's eight voting positions are now officially filled. Other members include  Dr. Douglas Wycoff, Democrat, Cameron; Mark Hargens, Democrat, St. Joseph; and Joseph Bosse, Republican, St. Louis.

Hargens currently serves as board chairman. Ashton Rafferty sits with the panel as a student regent but has no vote.

Created by state statute, the regents meet on campus every couple of months and are charged with setting policy and providing fiscal oversight for university operations.

The board signs off on hiring decisions regarding senior personnel and must approve budget recommendations prior to their implementation by university administrators.

By law, six of the eight board members must live in the university's traditional northwest Missouri service district, which embraces 14 counties.

At least one regent must reside in Nodaway County, and two must be from other parts of the state. No more than four can be members of a single political party.