The wife of investment firm founder and major conservative campaign backer Rex Sinquefield has been appointed to a commission that will review the University of Missouri System.
House Speaker Todd Richardson (R-Poplar Bluff) appointed Jeanne Sinquefield as well as former MU System President Gary Forsee, Maryville University professor Pamela Washington, and Texas Tech Vice President for Strategic Research Initiatives Robert Duncan.
A statement from the House said Richardson, “looked for individuals who have a passion for seeing the University of Missouri system succeed, but who can also provide unbiased, objective feedback and criticism to help the system address some of the serious issues it has faced in recent years.”
“I am confident these are the right individuals to provide the kind of guidance and constructive criticism that university leadership can greatly benefit from as they look to create a stronger, more stable learning environment for all students,” said Richardson in the statement. “Combined with the appointments made by Senator Richard, I think we have the right team in place to take on the challenge of making our university system all that it can and should be.”
Richardson’s appointments round out the committee with those made by Senate President Ron Richard: Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging CEO and 2012 GOP gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence of St. Louis; Missouri Soybean Association District 4 director and Bredehoft Farms owner Neal Bredehoeft; partner at Williams, Dirks, Dameron law firm Michael Williams of Kansas City; and conservative talk show host Renee Hulshof, the wife of former congressman and 2008 GOP gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof.
The commission will meet in the coming months and submit to the General Assembly by December 31 a report with any recommended changes.
The commission was approved by the legislature and proposed by Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) as part of an effort to ease the attitudes of some lawmakers who wanted to make significant budget cuts to the University system in response to its handling of protests on the Columbia campus last fall over the racial climate at MU.
