Southeast Missouri State University has made it official—Dr. Brad Hodson will be the 19th President of the over 150-year-old higher education institution.
After two open forums on campus on Wed. Feb. 12 in the Glenn Auditorium and two consecutive Board of Governor meetings, The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors announced the appointment of Dr. Brad Hodson, executive vice president at Missouri Southern State University, as the 19th president of Southeast Missouri State University. He will officially begin his role on July 1, 2025.
In a press conference on Thurs. Feb. 13, Board of Governors President, Jim Limbaugh, talked about some of the challenges the incoming University President is facing, including a series of upcoming high-level leadership hiring decisions.
"He's coming into a situation where he's going to have to hire some folks on his senior team", said Limbaugh. "He's been in 30 years, in higher ed, so he has had experience in hiring folks, but now he's going to be in a new role".
The recurring theme was that Dr. Hodson is strong in relationship building. Limbaugh emphasized the top priorities of the Board and what they expect to see from the new president.
"One of the things that he's been very successful with is creating external relationships for the benefit of economic development, and that is a huge component of the role moving forward. That's creation— creating relationships in the business sector. And you don't do that through emails. You do it through face-to-face interaction. Because what's it help do?— build the relationship and build the trust. And it requires time and energy, and effort", said Limbaugh, speaking about Dr. Hodson's leadership style.
You can listen to the entire press conference announcing Dr. Brad Hodson as Southeast Missouri State University's 19th President, here.
In a printed statement, Board of Governors President Jim Limbaugh talked about the decision.
“The Board is excited to make this announcement and strongly believes in Dr. Hodson’s ability to lead SEMO,” said Limbaugh.
“The University presidency is a complex job, it is ever-changing, and it is drastically different than what it was even just a few years ago. From the outset, the Board has been clear about its criteria for the next president: someone with knowledge of, and could establish a strong presence in, Jefferson City; someone that would place an emphasis on enrollment; someone with experience in philanthropy and fundraising; someone with a strong financial acumen; and someone that could build relationships both internal and external to the University—these were the characteristics that the Board felt were critical for the next president of the University. Dr. Hodson meets and exceeds these criteria".
"With 30 years of higher education experience", said Limbaugh, "[Hodson] has a clear understanding of the fiscal and enrollment challenges facing higher education in general and regional comprehensive institutions in particular. He has significant experience raising external resources, working with the Legislature, supervising critical campus units, engaging with students, making important hiring decisions, and so many other strengths necessary to succeed in the role.”
Dr. Hodson's appointment ends the national search, which began in the fall of 2024.
The Presidential Search Advisory Committee made a unanimous recommendation to the Board of Governors following what they called 'a rigorous application review and interview process', inviting Hodson as the sole finalist to campus Feb. 12.
“It truly speaks to the caliber of Dr. Hodson’s candidacy that out of all of the applicants reviewed and interviewed, that the Presidential Search Advisory Committee--comprised of representatives from faculty, staff, students, Foundation, alumni, and the external community-- felt strongly enough to ask Dr. Hodson to campus as the sole finalist,” said Limbaugh.
Limbaugh continued his praise for Hodson.
“After watching him share his vision for SEMO with our University community, we are confident he is the right candidate to advance the University’s mission and drive further progress.”
“My wife Sue and I were warmly welcomed yesterday by everyone we met on campus and in the community,” said Dr. Brad Hodson. “I’m grateful to the Board of Governors for this exciting opportunity and look forward to joining Redhawk Nation this summer.”
Hodson has served as executive vice president of his alma mater Missouri Southern State University since 2015 where he has experience with budget strategy and development including overseeing the university’s endowment.
In this role, he led the Admissions team to the largest enrollment in MSSU history in 2016 and the four largest first-time/full-time classes in university history in 2015-2018. He was actively engaged in working with elected officials and developing legislative priorities that resulted in a core $2 million increase for the university as well as funding for critical deferred maintenance and a $30 million health science innovation center. Hodson also led an increase to annual gift revenue of more than 1500% over eight years.
Prior to Missouri Southern, Hodson served as the vice president for Advancement at Pittsburg State University. There, he oversaw fundraising, alumni and constituent relations, public relations and marketing, career services, public broadcasting, economic development, and applied research efforts. He also served as head of the university’s Foundation where he led a successful $120 million comprehensive fundraising campaign.
Throughout his career, Hodson has also held positions at Eastern Michigan University and the University of Central Missouri. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Missouri Southern State University in economics and finance. He received an MBA in management from Pittsburg State University and a Ph.D. in higher education leadership from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Hodson and his wife, Sue, have four children.
“As we have gotten to know Dr. Hodson, the Board has no doubt that he is the right person to lead this transformative milestone in SEMO’s history. We are eager to work with him to build on the University’s many successes and strengthen its future for the students and the region we serve,” said Limbaugh.
“SEMO is a University with tremendous momentum and a very bright future. I am excited for the opportunity to lead its next chapter,” said Hodson.
