Anchor Intro:  When the third quarterly meeting of WKU’s Board of Regents was called to order last month, a new chairman was at the helm.

In this week’s View from the Hill, Amy Bingham introduces us to the Bowling Green businessman who is guiding Western’s governing body.

Jim Meyer was appointed to Western’s Board of Regents in 2006.  Forty years after receiving both his Bachelor and Masters degrees from WKU…Meyer has come full circle. 

Jim Meyer has taken on a larger role on Western’s Board of Regents.

“It’s a great honor to serve on the board and kind of give back to Western…it’s been a great school and good to me.”
The new board chairman who was born in Madisonville and raised in Evansville…first came to WKU as a freshman in 1962….he’s seen lots of changes since then.

“I’ve watched Western grow from a college to a University to a full fledged masters program and now a doctoral program.”

Being a regent isn’t the first WKU team Meyer has been a part of….he played football at WKU under coach Nick Denes from ’62 to ’66.

After teaching school and coaching for ten years..Meyer segued into banking.  He opened Meyer Mortgage Company in 1987.

He says the tough economy is one of the biggest challenges he faces as a regent.

“That’s been the toughest part not being able to fill some jobs not being able to give raises to faculty, that’s been a tough thing.”

Meyer and the rest of the board recently toured the WKU farm…witnessing some of Western’s growth first hand.

I was amazed at the faculty, staff and students and all that they do with so little money.”

Meyer says WKU’s progress since Dr. Gary Ransdell took over the presidency has been phenomenal and he thinks the sky is the limit for the future.

But he says his role in the process is something no one saw coming.

Had some of my teammates and friends in ’62 said ole’ Jim is gonna be chairman of the board, I don’t think it would have been predicted at that time.”

Meyer’s term on the board expires in 2012.  He’ll be chairman for at least the next year.

With this week’s View from the Hill, I’m Amy Bingham.