LA GRANDE — After five years as chair of the Eastern Oregon University Board of Trustees, and following decades of public service, David Nelson will retire next week.

Nelson, 79, was appointed to be a founding member of EOU’s independent governing board when it was established in 2015. He said he’s proud of what the fledgling board has achieved in such a short time.

“We were in a very difficult situation when the board came on — no reserve funds, essentially on probation from the state commission, looking for a president,” he said. “Now in five years, we’ve got new full-time deans, pay and benefits have improved across campus, and there are new programs coming on.”

He also said the best thing the EOU Board of Trustees did was hire Tom I nsko as president in 2015. He credited Insko with doing much to strengthen Eastern’s financial position. Nelson said EOU and Oregon State University are now in better financial condition than any of the other state universities in Oregon.

Nelson said he is stepping down because of his age and health. He had back surgery and a hip replacement in the past two years, he said, and health issues have taken a toll.

“My energy is not good,” Nelson said. “It is time for someone with time and energy to come in and move us forward.”

After his 16 years in the Oregon Legislature ended in 2012, the Pendleton resident came to the university’s role equipped with experience in building consensus and presiding in public meetings. His familiarity with the Oregon Capitol and far-reaching connections with Eastern Oregon communities added to Nelson’s natural affinity for leadership.

“It’s all about developing relationships, listening, being transparent and looking for common ground,” he said. “You have to be able to respond to human emotions and strong feelings.”

Nelson leaves with the respect of his fellow board members.

“Whether he is participating in a one-on-one friendly discussion or chairing a meeting of the EOU Trustee Board, David is respectful, caring and attentive,” Trustee Richard Chaves said. “He has the ability to work through sensitive discussions and situations, bringing them gracefully to resolution. I am honored to know David and call him friend.”

Former EOU interim president Dixie Lund, also a member of the board of trustees, said she has learned by listening to and observing Nelson’s style of leadership.

“He’s also become a very good friend, who I will greatly miss when he steps down from the board. He makes sure that all opinions are voiced, but is also perceptive when a speaker tends to monopolize, ‘get into the weeds,’ or speak on a personal agenda, rather than on what’s best for the university,” she said. “He was the best choice for our first board chair, and I hope he leaves with a great sense of pride and accomplishment.”

Retired Hermiston School District Superintendent Jerry Pratton, another member of the board of trustees, has a long history of working with Nelson.

“David and I have known each other and worked together on many things regarding education since I was a superintendent and he was in the Legislature,” he said. “I have such great admiration for him and how he preserves the dignity of people while moving to a sometimes tough solution. David Nelson is like the North Star to sailors — he is always there, always a guidepost to the right direction, always can be counted on, and is a very bright spot in an often vast and dark world.”

“In the Legislature,” Nelson said, “you’re never quite sure if you’re successful, but in the university you see things grow and change every year. Serving on the board was a worthwhile endeavor, on par with serving in the Legislature. Thank you to the community for allowing me to serve and giving me this great opportunity.”

Nelson has a law degree from the University of Montana, and spent years as a rural lawyer. He said each trustee brought an impressive set of life and career experiences, as well as formal education.

“We’re a very well-rounded board. We didn’t always agree, but I think we came together to make good decisions,” he said. “When you’ve got a 15-person board and different perspectives, the chair’s job is to bring everybody together.”

Nelson sees the benefits in more local representation in the university’s governing board. He said programs like the Rural Engagement and Vitality (REV) Center are key to unlocking EOU’s potential to serve the entire region.

“In an economic downturn, the people who keep their jobs are those with a higher education,” Nelson said. “It’s a competitive world now, even for higher education — our funding is based on outcomes. We should be recognizing higher education as the key component to a person’s successful, happy life.”

Nelson said the university’s long history of delivering courses remotely and its nimbleness as a smaller institution to adapt to changing requirements are key components moving forward.

“We’re well-positioned to anticipate some really major changes,” he said. “We’ve got an excellent faculty in place, who have adjusted to this COVID environment and online instruction.”

Trustees will elect a new board chair to lead them through the fall term at the board’s sixth annual retreat on Monday, Aug. 10.

Nelson will spend this fall working on a novel about his time as prosecutor in Montana’s Pondera County, where he practiced law from 1967-81.

“I’ve written almost 50,000 words,” he said. “Now I have to go back and revise it.”