http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/missourist_6356.mp3
Earlier today Governor Jay Nixon was on the campus of Missouri State University to make an announcement about university president Dr. Michael Nietzel. KSMU’s Matt Evans was at the press conference and files this report.
In front of a packed room in Plaster Student Union at Missouri State University Governor Jay Nixon announced that MSU president Michael Nietzel will be joining his administration in Jefferson City as an advisor on higher education and workplace readiness matters. Nietzel will begin this unpaid role right away while continuing to serve as university president until his successor is named. Governor Nixon expressed his confidence in Nietzel during the press conference.“The challenges are going to become who has the trained workforce at all sorts of disciplines to meet the demands of the future. Quite frankly, quite simply I want Mike Nietzel at my side as we make the challenging choices in this state about how we can be positioned as excellent in that area. [We’re] not looking for the middle, [we’re] looking for the top.”Governor Nixon says Nietzel will work directly with him and his senior management team.Nietzel, who announced last fall he would step down as president of Missouri State University, says he’s excited about the new opportunity to represent higher education in the state of Missouri. He admitted he’ll have a little more work now that he will be acting as university president and as an advisor to the governor. “But I think that we can manage that. There’s about a month left in this semester and then things do taper off a little bit in terms of the pace.”Missouri State University Board of Governors Chair Brian Hammons was also at the press conference and said the search to replace Nietzel was on pace and the board plans to have candidates on campus in early May.For KSMU News, I’m Matt Evans.