Often times when people come to the end of a road they've traveled for some time, they get tired and they slow down. Southeast Missouri State University President Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins is not one of those people.

"There are some projects you don't want hanging out for the new president," Dobbins said. "Since I've been here 24 years, I do have a few relationships that are part of how these things are going to get done."

Dobbins served as Southeast's vice president and chief financial officer for eight years, and then as president for the past 16.

"I was fortunate in that those eight years as CFO there was some continuity," Dobbins said. "But I still don't believe that I knew everything that I needed to know and you learn, obviously, from experiences. So now I think I know what the president does, earlier I knew, but I think that I've learned a lot in those 16 years as president. I think I'm a better president now than I was the first year, so you always learn from your experiences."

In this past year, Dobbins has been involved with the university's accreditation processes, a new food service contract, discussion on diversity education, hiring two new basketball coaches, the LGBT Resource Center and opening the River Campus Center residence hall, just to name a few.

"Well, I'm going to tell you the one that is near and dear to me and my wife," Dobbins said. "It was opening the River Campus Center, which then the [Board of Regents] very graciously named after Jeanine and me. I mean, what more could you say, that's the one that we opened up in August, and in February it was dedicated. I appreciate so much the board and them doing that, and I also appreciate the River Campus, obviously. It's one of the pillars of Southeast Missouri State, and in the branding study that's one of them that we will be focusing on is the River Campus. So that's really near and dear to my heart, and that'd be my most favorite."

The new food service contract that Dobbins helped put in place will expand Subway, and bring a Panda Express to campus next year. Rick Ray was hired in April as the men's basketball coach to replace Dickey Nutt, who was fired in March. Ray is the first African-American head coach in the university's 108-year history. Rekha Patterson was also hired in April as the women's basketball coach to replace Ty Margenthaler, who resigned in March. Patterson is the first female head coach for the team at the Division I level.

The Ken and Jeanine Dobbins River Campus Center may be Dobbins' favorite project, but it's certainly not the only major infrastructural project Southeast has seen during his time.

"During my presidency we've had over $400 million worth of capital projects," Dobbins said. "Including four residence halls, River Campus, Academic Hall renovation, Magill. The campus really looks very nice, and that's what I hear all the time."

Dobbins has also been involved with the universities rebranding initiative.

"Down to color patterns and business cards, he's a very hands on kind of guy," Bruce Skinner, assistant vice president for student success and auxiliary services, said.

The success of Southeast is much attributed to Dobbins being hands on, even in one year that is evident.

"I can't think of a specific year where I thought, 'That was his down year,'" Skinner said. "But I would describe it as going out with a bang."