The Board of Regents serves as the governing body for Northwest Missouri State University. The nine members, including a non-voting student regent, are appointed by the governor and approved by the Missouri Senate. The Board holds the Northwest vision in highest regard.
Mel Tjeerdsma
nwcoacht1@gmail.com
Chair of the Board (R)
Residence: Maryville, Missouri
Term Expires: Jan. 1, 2025
Mel Tjeerdsma earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Southern (S.D.) State College in 1967 and a master’s degree from Northwest in 1977. Tjeerdsma served as Northwest’s director of athletics from the spring of 2013 until retiring from that role in April 2018. He was the head football coach at Northwest from 1994 to 2010 and led the Bearcats to a 183-43 record, capturing three NCAA Division II national championships and 12 MIAA titles. A member of several halls of fame, Tjeerdsma was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Stephen Coppinger
stevec@impactllc.biz
Vice Chair of the Board (I)
Residence: Kansas City, Missouri
Term Expires: Jan. 1, 2027
Stephen Coppinger earned a bachelor’s degree in business management at Northwest in 1998 and is president of Impact Interiors, which he founded in 2013. At Northwest, Coppinger was a four-year starter and team captain of the Bearcats' 1998 NCAA Division II National Championship football team.
Shanda Durbin
sdurbin@herzog.com
Regent (I)
Residence: St. Joseph, Missouri
Term Expires: Jan. 1, 2023
Shanda Durbin earned a bachelor’s degree in corporate recreation and wellness at Northwest in 2010 and is vice president of human resources at Herzog Contracting Corporation, where she has been employed since 2010.
Jason Klindt
jason.klindt@gmail.com
Regent (R)
Residence: Kearney, Missouri
Term Expires: Jan. 1, 2023
Jason Klindt earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations at Northwest in 1999 and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University in 2002. He is senior manager of customer intelligence at Evergy, where he has been employed since 2014. His professional experience also includes 10 years as a communications director in the U.S. Congress.
John Moore
jfmoorekc@aol.com
Regent (I)
Residence: Raymore, Missouri
Term Expires: Jan. 1, 2023
John Moore earned his bachelor’s degree in finance at Northwest in 1978 and has remained an active volunteer and supporter of the University, including as a former member of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors. He retired in 2014 as chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, capping a successful 33-year-career with the Federal Reserve System.
Deborah Roach
danroach@grantcity.net
Regent (D)
Residence: Grant City, Missouri
Term Expires: Jan. 1, 2025
Deborah Roach has more than 20 years of postal experience in northwest Missouri communities and currently serves as postmaster at Sheridan. She is vice president of the Missouri Chapter of the United Postmasters and Managers of America and wasl Missouri Postmaster of the Year in 2013. Roach has served as Grant City mayor since 1998, after seven years of service as an alderman. She also serves on the boards of the Missouri Community Betterment Program, the Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation Group and the Missouri State Solid Waste Board.
Roxanna Swaney
rswaney05@sbcglobal.net
Regent (R)
Residence: Liberty, Missouri
Term Expires: Jan. 1, 2024
A 1984 graduate of Northwest, Roxanna Swaney serves as a project management consultant to small businesses and non-profits. Previously, she worked for almost two decades with Sprint/CenturyLink, serving in multiple positions within the company. She is a past president of the ArtsTech Board, the Institute for Supply Management-Kansas City and the Clay County Parks and Recreation Board.
Vacant
Non-voting Student Representative
Residence: n/a
Term Expires: n/a
Diane Hargrave
dianeh@hhvp.net
Secretary to the Board of Regents
Custodian of Records (Open Records Requests/Missouri Sunshine Law)
