Nathaniel Anderson, Chair of EIU's Board of Trustees, Announces Resignation
Mar-07-2005
Nathaniel Anderson, chair and the last remaining charter member of Eastern Illinois University 's Board of Trustees, publicly announced his resignation today.
His formal letter of resignation to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office was mailed last week. The resignation took effect Friday, March 4.
"It's been a great ride for me," he said, "but it's come time for me to pursue some other interests."
Anderson's initial appointment to the university's self-governing board - made by then-Governor Jim Edgar -- became effective in January 1996. Previously, Eastern and Illinois' other public universities were governed collectively by one Board of Governors.
Anderson's second term on the board officially ended Jan. 17, 2005, but, as is customary, he was continuing to serve until the governor made an official appointment or reappointment.
"His departure will certainly be a loss to the university," said EIU President Lou Hencken. "Dr. Anderson has led us well for many years, and we will miss that leadership. He has served the EIU community faithfully and energetically since his appointment to the original board nearly 10 years ago."
Fellow trustee Julie Nimmons concurred.
"It has been a pleasure working with Dr. Anderson," she said. "Nate brought tremendous experience to the Board of Trustees, and I learned a great deal from him. He always had the best interests of the Eastern Illinois University community in mind when making decisions. I'm sure I speak for all board members in expressing great respect for Nate, and appreciation for his work during his time on the board."
For Anderson, that appointment seemed a natural way in which to continue serving the alma mater he loved so well. He welcomed the opportunity to represent Eastern as a member of its inaugural board, to work toward the betterment of the university and to keep the institution moving forward, he said.
He also welcomed the wisdom, experience and vision of his fellow trustees, including the late Carl Koerner and Mack Hollowell. "They encouraged both phone calls and visits to their home," Anderson said. "I always thought the board had an excellent camaraderie."
Anderson's nine years as a trustee - including the last five years as the board's chair - have been interesting, to say the least. "Good volunteer work," he said. "But it's taxing. I've had to make quite a few business trips both to the university and to Springfield for lobbying and to meet with legislators.
"And that's separate from the visits to campus for other miscellaneous events, such as commencement. But I've always tried to remain accessible and available, and represent the university anyway I could."
Anderson praised Eastern's administration for easing the load. "As a board, we must have confidence in the university administration. And we have good people. It makes the work of the board much easier," he said.
Calling the university "a living organism all in itself," Anderson said he appreciated the opportunity to be a part of it all. "I've been there as we named presidents and as we implemented the university's strategic plan. I've seen the growth of the university, and am pleased to say that we've always kept the welfare of our students as our top priority."
His tenure as a trustee was primarily positive, Anderson said. However, he mourned along with the rest of the campus when Eastern's historic Blair Hall was partially destroyed by fire last spring.
"And I wish we had more funds," he said. "Our staff is responsible for keeping Eastern's standards high, and we can't compensate them as well as we'd like."
As a 1973 graduate of Eastern, where he was a member of the Panther football team and an AP All-American selection, Anderson 's ties to the university go back many years. He earned both his bachelor's degree in recreation and a master's degree in education from Eastern, later receiving his specialist in education degree from Southeast Missouri State University (1991) and his doctorate in educational administration from Illinois State University (1998).
He served on Eastern's Alumni Association's board of directors and in leadership for the Big 12 Athletic Conference. He is a member of the university's Panther Club, and had a scholarship established in his name through Eastern's Office of Minority Affairs.
During the past 30 years, Anderson said, he has spent approximately 25 years employed in educational administration, primarily in "large unit districts." He is currently employed at the University of Illinois-Springfield, teaching educational leadership courses at the graduate level. Most previously, he served as superintendent of the East St. Louis school district, with a student population of 10,000-plus students and a budget of $90 million.
