MARYVILLE, Mo. – With the final of four presidential candidates visiting campus Tuesday, the next leader of Northwest Missouri State University should be announced soon.

Approximately 100 faculty, staff and community members gathered at the student union for an hour-long question and answer session with Dr. Joseph Shepard, vice president for administrative services and finance at Florida Gulf Coast University.

“This opportunity comes along once every 25 years,” joked Dr. Shepard, referring to Dr. Dean Hubbard, who is retiring after 25 years as president at Northwest.

Dr. Shepard, who doesn’t shy away from quoting Chinese proverbs, is an engaging public speaker. He said he was attracted to Northwest’s community engagement in student success.

“Your greatest asset are your people at this institution,” Dr. Shepard said, answering a question about how to market the college.

The 50th of 1,500 people hired at his current institution, Dr. Shepard has had a hand in building it enrollment from zero to 11,000 students over the last 13 years. He also had a hand in raising $300 million for the college without the help of an alumni association.

Similar to Northwest, Florida Gulf Coast University is involved in alternative energy. Dr. Shepard said he was part of a team that brought a two-megawatt solar energy project to campus that will drastically reduce its energy costs.

A faculty member inquired about the ability of Dr. Shepard, a former math/business teacher turned administrator, to lead a liberal arts institution. Dr. Shepard said his love for teaching got him in to the education business, but his talent lies in his ability to form relationships and raise funds.

“I can make the biggest difference as an administrator,” he said.

Dr. Shepard was raised in Arizona, where his father owned a newspaper. He earned a bachelor’s degree in math education from Northern Arizona University, his master’s in business administration/finance and banking from the University of North Texas, and his doctorate in public administration from Florida International University.

He and his wife, Marcela, have two teenage children.

The presidential search committee members said previously that they had hoped to make their final decision in late April or early May. The next Board of Regents (who have the final say in who is named) meeting is Friday. However, the agenda doesn’t call for an announcement regarding the new president.

Jimmy Myers can be reached at jimmym@npgco.com