Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Contact: Spence Jackson, (573)751-0290
Blunt Names Larry Schepker to Serve as State Budget Director
JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri Governor Matt Blunt announced today that he has chosen Larry Schepker to serve as the director of the Division of Budget and Planning within the Office of Administration.
The Division of Budget and Planning assists the governor and the commissioner of administration in the fiscal management of the executive branch of state government. The division analyzes budget policy issues and provides fiscal information to the governor's office, the Legislature and congressional delegation as well as local, state and federal agencies.
Schepker, 57, is a Jefferson City native who since 1990 has served as president of the Missouri Colleges Fund, Inc., a statewide organization that supervises the development activities of a consortium of 13 independent colleges in Missouri. Schepker was the fund's primary liaison with major corporations, private foundations and businesses across the state to secure funding for students who seek to attend member schools.
Schepker previously worked as the director of financial development for the Jefferson City Catholic Diocese, as deputy director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture as a supervisor in the division of budget and planning. In 1980, Schepker served as the transition budget director for former Gov. Kit Bond. Schepker was involved in key budget decisions and long-range planning in each of these positions.
Schepker earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics from Lincoln University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Schepker was also involved in the last major reorganization of Missouri state government in 1974. Blunt has called for a similar restructuring and recently announced that he has selected Warren Erdman of Kansas City and Stephen Bradford of Cape Girardeau to chair a special committee charged with reviewing the operations of every state agency and making recommendations for improvement.
Blunt also has selected Henry Herschel to serve as chief counsel and Tom Sadowski to serve as the director of the division of Accounting in the Office of Administration.
Herschel, 52, has worked as the general counsel to the Missouri Senate since December 2002. He also worked in private practice in Jefferson City and served in the Missouri Attorney General's office from 1980 to 1994.
Sadowski, 52, previously worked as the director of accounting for the University of Missouri-Columbia and in the Missouri State Auditor's office. Schepker, Herschel and Sadowski will report to OA Commissioner Mike Keathley.