Chris Belcher becomes the new superintendent July 1.

He's a man of many words.

"You asked for the story so you get the long version," Belcher said.

But his words bring hope.

"I'm ready to step up to the plate in a large system and run the show," Belcher said.

In just about four months Chris Belcher will leave his home in Kearny, Mo. and start a new life in Columbia.

"I was very happy in Kearny, I was comfortable, and when I came here I said I need to see if this is going to be comfortable for me," Belcher said.

The shoe must have fit because in February Belcher agreed to become Columbia's new superintendent, and he couldn't be more excited.

"You talk to any parent, they'll tell you how proud they are of the system, what their experience has been, the number of Merit Scholars in Columbia is phenomenal," Belcher said.

Belcher brings a fresh set of ideas and opinions with him.

"I'm going to try to begin to build a degree of trust. Relationships and trust allow decision making and change to occur on a much more agreeable fashion," Belcher said.

He may miss his family and friends in the big city but there is one thing Belcher won't miss.

"I am looking so forward to being in a community where in five minutes I can get to a musical or go hear a band or go to a coffee shop or a book store," Belcher said.

Belcher is aware of the issues the system has faced but he said he's in no place to judge.

"I don't know what decisions have been made in the past and I don't come in here and question those. I don't come in here and look backward, I'm going to look forward," Belcher said.

He might be a man of many words, but Belcher definitely has a way with them, including a large collection of one liners to get a point across.

"Change never comes when you want it to come, don't worry about who gets credit, let's just get it done, conflict is not always bad, a rising tide raises all ships, there's a little cloud here, but once you get past that cloud, it's a sunny day in Columbia Public Schools," Belcher said.

One of Belcher's favorite things is blues music. He has an iPod with more than 5,000 blues songs on it, and he listened to it so much, it's now dead.

Buying a new one is on his list of things to do.