Elson Floyd began 2003 with a new job. Moving from Michigan in the cold of winter, Floyd became president of the University of Missouri System. He was the unanimous choice of the Board of Curators and the Faculty Consultative Committee.

Floyd's experience and perspectives were the good reasons he was chosen. He was CEO for Western Michigan University since 1998 and the executive vice chancellor for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for three years, where he'd been for a total of 13 years. His three degrees are from there--a BA in political science and speech, a master of education degree in adult education, and a doctor of philosophy degree in higher and adult education. He also served two years as executive director of the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board which is responsible for statewide coordination, planning, policy analysis, and student financial aid programs.

When he arrived at the University of Missouri System, he said his goals included how to improve the UM System's relationship with the Missouri General Assembly, how to protect higher education funding and how to maintain a good relationship with students. He believes that, "Our most important mission is to serve as the economic engine for the state of Missouri."

"The University of Missouri can add uncompromised value to the total economic equation of this state. We want to harness the intellectual power of the citizens of this state to make a meaningful and sustainable difference into the future," he adds.

Funding for the UM System decreased by 10 percent last fiscal year. About $48 million was withheld last May from MU alone. As a result of state budget cuts, MU began alerting students that some classes could be canceled. Missouri's budget shortfall is expected to be almost $1 billion. In what might prove to be an especially helpful experience at Western Michigan, Floyd helped raise $125 million from non-government sources. Given the Republicans' current budget plan which cuts $587 million from the Democratic spending proposal, of which nearly $90 million would be subtracted from state colleges, Floyd has a real challenging job before him.

When Reggie Robinson, 45, was named to be the Kansas Board of Regents' president and chief executive officer, no one was terribly surprised. As Regents Chairman Jack Wempe said, he'd already demonstrated "distinguished leadership across a broad spectrum of administrative roles, both nationally and in Kansas."

Those roles have been varied. For the four years prior to his appointment as CEO, he served jointly as Chief of Staff to KU's Chancellor and as a Visiting Associate Professor at their law school where he had been an associate professor since 1988. In 1993, he joined the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. as a White House Fellow, where he was Special Assistant to the Attorney General. At the end of his fellowship, he continued to serve in the Justice Department in a variety of senior management posts. While he enjoyed D.C., he thought returning to Kansas would provide his family with more time together.

So what does one do as president and CEO of Kansas Board of Regents, which governs the state's six univ-ersities, 19 community colleges, and 11 technical colleges and schools? "I spend a lot of time in the Capitol, working to support the budget, getting legislation passed that helps our schools. Once policy decisions are made, I work with the colleges to implement the steps the board has determined to make." It's a job that is more difficult and challenging than it sounds, perhaps, partly due to the financial realities of the state budget, which have "held us at current levels, while costs continue to escalate."

But Robinson says the part he likes the best is working with the legislature. "Even when members disagree with me or come at issues from a totally different angle, I like people who are willing to involve themselves in public service, in trying to create solutions."

Robinson lives in Lawrence with his wife and two daughters. He says his job is interesting and meaningful because, "It is just so important for the state to invest in a strong post-secondary education for our students. The investment is actually in the economic future of Kansas."