TSPA News
Gov. Blunt Appoints TSPA Alum Larry Schepker as OA Commissioner
Posted: 3/5/2008JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Matt Blunt today appointed Larry Schepker, who is currently the State Budget Director, as Commissioner of the Office of Administration.
"Larry Schepker has done an outstanding job as State Budget Director and will be an excellent administrator and leader of the Office of Administration," Gov. Blunt said. "When I asked Larry Schepker to serve as Budget Director in 2005, we were facing an inherited $1.1 billion deficit and the previous administration had cut and withheld education funding. I told him we were going to fix the state's broke budget without raising taxes, stop the education cuts of the past and craft responsible budgets that resulted in a smaller, more efficient state government. Larry Schepker answered my call and we achieved each of these goals including turning a $1.1 billion deficit into three surpluses in a row without raising taxes."
Gov. Blunt said Larry Schepker has been one of the keys behind the state's current strong financial position after the governor inherited a devastated state economy in January 2005 that was $1.1 billion in the red. Gov. Blunt noted that with the help of Schepker's leadership on the state budget Missouri is experiencing growth while many states are projecting budget shortfalls for this year and next.
"As Commissioner of Administration Larry will continue to focus on eliminating waste and abuse in Missouri state government," Gov. Blunt said. "We have succeeded in making state government run more efficiently, and with Larry Schepker's leadership we will continue to find new ways to improve services for taxpayers while protecting their pocketbooks."
Gov. Blunt also praised the work of Rich Aubuchon and said he would continue serving as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Counsel of the Office of Administration under Schepker.
"Rich Aubuchon has done a great job as Deputy Commissioner and he will continue to serve Missourians in this important position," Gov. Blunt said.
The Office of Administration is the state's service and administrative control agency. It combines and coordinates the central management functions of state government. The divisions within the Office of Administration are: Accounting; Budget and Planning; Design and Construction; Information Services; General Services; Personnel; Facilities Management; and Purchasing and Materials Management.
Gov. Blunt appointed Larry Schepker as director of the Division of Budget and Planning February 9, 2005. Previously Schepker had served since 1990 as president of the Missouri Colleges Fund, Inc., a statewide organization that supervises the development activities of 13 independent colleges in Missouri. Previously Schepker worked as the director of financial development for the Jefferson City Catholic Diocese, as deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and 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 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.