JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, was elected vice-chair of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) on Nov. 16, during the commission’s semi-annual meeting held in Milwaukee. One of four regional higher education compacts in the United States, MHEC (www.mhec.org) is a nonprofit regional organization that assists the 12 states who are members in advancing higher education through interstate cooperation and resource sharing.

The compact seeks to fufill its interstate mission through programs that expand postsecondary opportunity and success; promote innovative approaches to improving institutional and system productivity; improve affordability to students and states; and enhance connectivity between higher education and the workplace. Member states are: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

“Senator Pearce’s legislative experience as well as his chairing of the Missouri Senate Education Committee will be very important in helping to lead MHEC forward on several new initiatives for interstate collaboration,” said Larry Isaak, MHEC president.

Senator Pearce was initially appointed as commissioner in 2003, when he was a state representative. He was reappointed in 2010, 2011 and 2013. His current term runs through July 1, 2015. Prior to being elected chair, he previously served as the Compact’s treasurer from 2013 to 2014.

In addition to Sen. Pearce, current Missouri commissioners are: Kenneth W. Dobbins, President, Southeast Missouri State University; John M. McGuire, Leadership Coach, Achieving the Dream; Mark W. Smith, Assoc. Vice Chancellor/Director of Career Planning & Placement; Washington University in St. Louis; Mike Thomson, State Representative, Missouri General Assembly; and MHEC Commissioner Alternate: David R. Russell, Commissioner of Higher Education, Missouri Department of Higher Education.