Regent Hall Visits with Student Leaders

Goodwell, Okla. — Mr. Joe D. Hall is one of the nine appointed members of the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents, and on Monday, April 22, 2019 Mr. Hall visited the Oklahoma Panhandle State University campus and sat down with about 25 Panhandle State students, including representatives from all college departments on campus.

“Regent Hall has had a significant impact in my life and it was an honor to have him here on campus to share his wisdom and knowledge with our students. He is a great man and his passion for higher education is inspiring,” said Dr. Tim Faltyn.

After being welcomed by President Faltyn, Mr. Hall took a few moments to introduce himself to those in attendance and then quickly turned his focus to the students. Students introduced themselves, noting their home state and town, which ranged from Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and even as far as Australia and the Czech Republic. Hall used the diversity in the room as an opportunity to explain a bit more of his philosophy on higher education stating, “That’s what education is about at this level. Academics are a priority, but higher education becomes a broadening of your life. You may not realize what you are learning about yourself, your peers, and their cultures every day.”

Mr. Hall briefly discussed growing up in Elk City, Okla., his time as a student at Oklahoma State University, and his current family dynamics. He also took some time to talk about his business, Joe D. Hall General Contractors, LLC, which he founded in 1985 and is involved in construction/engineering and real estate development in western Oklahoma, including the Panhandle. The remainder of the one-hour session was treated as a question and answer discussion in which students asked questions on a wide variety of topics, including the specifics of Mr. Hall’s business, the purpose and powers of the State Board of Regents, and how he successfully manages his busy schedule. Mr. Hall answered all of the questions in a conscientious and thoughtful manner, and expressed his commitment multiple times in continuing to provide accessibility to higher education for students in outlying areas of Oklahoma.

Mr. Hall explained how his life experiences led him to the life he lives now, noting that he is a believer that you never know where life is going to take you, so you should embrace every moment in which you find yourself. He also stressed his view that money is not the source of all life’s happiness and that you must find purpose and meaning in the things that you do every day. Mr. Hall expressed the importance of higher education in today’s job market where good employees are a hot commodity, stating, “A college education proves that you have the discipline and the intelligence to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself. Because of this you will have unlimited opportunities as to where you can go.”

Mr. Hall concluded the session by emphasizing the importance of treating people right and handling your personal and business affairs fairly and honestly, noting that many things in life and business come full circle, and going on to say, “If you provide a good service you will not need to worry about profit.” His last remark was about being a lifelong learner and then pouring all of the knowledge that you accumulate into other people. He stated, “Oftentimes the person teaching a class will benefit more than the person they are teaching, because of the preparation they put in.” Everyone in attendance, both faculty and students, were very appreciative of Mr. Hall’s time and words of wisdom.