By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Northwest Missouri State University has chosen an official and academic with Troy University of Alabama to be its next president.
Tory Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, Lance Tatum, will begin leading Northwest Missouri in June.
The Northwest Missouri Board of Regents has entered a three-year contract with Tatum.
“Initially it was the mission of Northwest that attracted me,” Tatum said in a written statement released by NWMSU. “As we spent the day interacting with various groups, I was reminded of the John Maxwell quote, ‘People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.’ The attitude Jill and I felt was the deep sense of pride in this University. By the end of our visit, we were convinced Northwest was a place we wanted to be.”
Regents voted unanimously to hire Tatum, who was among four finalists who visited the Maryville campus in February for a series of interviews with stakeholder groups and public forums.
Tatum has served in his current role at Troy University since January 2019 while holding the rank of professor in its Sorrell College of Business—School of Hospitality, Sport and Tourism Management.
Tatum joined Troy University as a faculty member in 1998. Tatum served as vice chancellor for its campus in Montgomery, Alabama; vice chancellor for its Global Campus; dean of the College of Education; and chairperson of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion as well as a Faculty Athletics Representative.
Tatum earned a Ph.D. in sport management at Florida State University. He has a Master of Science in Education degree in foundations of education and a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education, both from Troy University.