Gary Nodler (born August 10, 1950) is an American politician who served as a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
in the
Missouri State Senate
The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...
,
Gary Nodler
http://www.senate.mo.gov Retrieved 8 June 2011. where he chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee. He is a resident of Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...
, married to the former Joncee Edwards with one son, Justin and one granddaughter Rachel.
Biography
He was born in Champaign, Illinois
Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...
raised in Neosho, Missouri
Neosho (; originally or ) is the most populous city in Newton County, Missouri, Newton County, Missouri, United States, which it serves as the county seat. With a population of 12,590 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city i ...
, and attended Crowder College
Crowder College is a public community college in Neosho, Missouri. It serves the Community College District of Newton and McDonald counties in southwestern Missouri and other outlying areas. The school enrolled 4,398 in 2019.
Established in 1963 ...
and Missouri Southern State University
Missouri Southern State University (Missouri Southern, MSSU, or MoSo) is a public university in Joplin, Missouri. It was established in 1937 as Joplin Junior College. The university enrolled 4,346 students in Fall 2021.
History
Missouri Southern ...
, where he received his B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
in 1972. In 1985, he was selected as one of the Outstanding Young Men in America. In 2007 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Education degree from Missouri Western State University. He has served in the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and in the Missouri National Guard
The Missouri National Guard (MONG), commonly known as the Missouri Guard, is a component of the Army National Guard and Missouri State Department of the National Guard. It is composed of Army and Air National Guard units. The Department office is ...
. He is a member of the First Christian Church of Webb City and the American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
.
He served as Congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
Gene Taylor's district staff director from 1973 to 1988. While there he completed the Library of Congress's Congressional Staff Institute. Nodler built and operated the cable television system in Seneca, Missouri. He served on the Board of Directors of First state Bank in Monett, Missouri. He also served for three years as the Executive Director of the Monett Chamber of Commerce. He became a regional administrator of the Small Business Administration
The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and stren ...
in 1989, serving through 1992. He completed the OPM Federal Executive Training Program and was admitted to the Senior Executive Service of the United States. He was also a member of the Rural Economic Policy Working Group of the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
Economic Policy Council from 1991 to 1992. He served as staff for the Missouri Congressional delegation from 1997 through 2000. He served on Governor Bob Holden
Robert Lee Holden Jr. (born August 24, 1949) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 53rd Governor of Missouri from 2001 to 2005. Previously, he served as the State Treasurer of Missouri from 1993 to 2001 ...
's Commission on the Future of Higher Education. He was first elected to the Missouri State Senate in 2002. Nodler wrote Senate Bill 55 elevating Missouri Southern State College to university status and renaming it Missouri Southern State University. He also authored Senate Bill 389 which included the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative, providing capital improvements to Missouri higher education institutions, including $20 million to Missouri Southern State University for the school's new Health Sciences Building. He represented the Missouri Senate as a Member of the Missouri Investment Trust Board advising the State Treasurer. He also served as the Senate member of the Missouri Second Capitol Commission. He served as Assistant Majority Floor Leader and on the following committees:
Appropriations-Chairman,
Education-Chairman,
Pensions/ Veterans' Affairs and General Laws,
Joint Committee on Capital Improvements and Leases Oversight,
Joint Committee on Education,
Joint Committee on Government Accountability,
Joint Committee on Legislative Research and Oversight-Chairman,
Joint Committee on the Life Sciences.
After leaving the Senate, Nodler served 3 years on the Board of the Joplin Sports Authority and also served as a member of the Joplin School Board. In August 2018 he was appointed by Governor Mike Parson
Michael Lynn Parson (born September 17, 1955) is an American politician serving as the 57th governor of Missouri since 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Parson served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011 and in the ...
to the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education, In December 2022 he was elected chairman of the board. In late 2022 Nodler became an author publishing "Experiencing Life and the Universe". The book surprisingly is not about politics but metaphysics.
Awards
Awards Presented to Senator Nodler:
* Missouri Laborers' "Legislator of the Year" Award, 2003
* Missouri Southern State University Outstanding Alumnus, 2003
* Missouri Association for Career and Technical Education Legislative Recognition Award, 2005
* Missouri Community College Association Distinguished Legislator Award, 2005
* Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry "100% For Jobs" Award, 2005
* American Institute of Architects Appreciation Award, 2006 and 2008
* The Missouri Bar's Legislative Award, 2007
* Missouri Court Appointed Special Advocates Association Legislative Award, 2007
* Missouri Society of Professional Engineers Legislator of Year Award, 2007
* Missouri Chamber of Commerce & Industry Spirit of Enterprise Award, 2007
* LIFT Missouri, Legislators For Literacy Award, 2008
* Gateway Chapter of the Autism Society of America Certificate of Recognition, 2008
* St. Louis Business Journal Legislative Award, 2008
* Missouri Healthcare Association Senior Advocate of the Year, 2009
* St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association Lewis & Clark Statesman Award, 2009
* Judicial Conference of Missouri, Recognition for the Advancement of the Administration of Justice in Missouri, 2009
* Freeman Health Care, Freeman Fellow
* Missouri Association of Veterans Organizations Legislator of the Year, 2010
* Richard M. Webster Medallion for public Service, 2018
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nodler, Gary
1950 births
Living people
Politicians from Joplin, Missouri
Crowder College alumni
Missouri Southern State University alumni
Republican Party Missouri state senators