McTeer prepares for chancellorship
By Emily Guevara
The Battalion
October 19, 2004
Robert D. McTeer is not your typical economist.
Recognized for his management skills for his service to the Federal Reserve, McTeer's ability to relate to people sets him apart, said Erle Nye, vice chairman of the Texas A&M Board of Regents.
"He is a unique person in that he is both very much of an intellectual ... but also very approachable," Nye said.
The board announced Wednesday that McTeer, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, stands as the sole finalist for the position of chancellor of the A&M University System.
"I think he can provide great leadership and extend the public perception of the System," Nye said.
Bernard Weinstein, director of the Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas in Denton, has served on several panels with McTeer.
"He's a very good communicator," Weinstein said. "He can take complex issues and explain them in a very comprehensible way and many economists cannot."
Weinstein said one of McTeer's assets, in addition to his communication skills, is that he has connections in the business community.
"One of the chancellor's duties ... is to communicate with the rest of the world what the university is doing and to raise money," Weinstein said. "Bob McTeer is not only personal, but also very well connected in the business community."
McTeer, who received B.B.A. and doctoral degrees in economics from the University of Georgia, has taught at several universities and banking schools, in addition to his 36 years with the Federal Reserve.
Bob Wright, director of communications for the A&M University System, detailed the chancellor's job description.
"It is an incredibly huge and very complex job," Wright said. "It involves managing a $2.3 billion budget. He also oversees, of course, our nine universities, which serve about 100,000 students, and then, of course, our seven state agencies and the health science center."
McTeer cannot legally be offered the position until Nov. 4, after the 21 days for public comment passes, Wright said.
"Anytime on or after Nov. 4 they (the board) can then meet and elect him as the chancellor," Wright said.
Nye said McTeer is currently studying up on the A&M System and contacting officials.
"He has called all the presidents and heads of the agencies to express his desire to get to know them better," Nye said.
Wright said the board put together a subcommittee of regents to work with McTeer on an employment and compensation package.
Reprinted with permission of The Battalion, the Texas A&M University Campus Newspaper