Poplar Bluff lawyer appointed to higher education board

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon has named a lawyer from Southeast Missouri to the state Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

Douglas Kennedy of Poplar Bluff, Mo., was appointed for a term that would run through June 2015, if he is confirmed by the Senate.

The board coordinates Missouri's system of public colleges and universities, approves academic programs and oversees state loans and scholarships. But each institution also is governed by its own board that is responsible for student admissions, tuition and faculty decisions.

According to the governor's website, Kennedy's appointment still leaves the nine-member state board with three vacant positions.