Drury University adds six new trustees

The Drury University Board of Trustees added six members to its ranks May 22. The newest trustees for the private Springfield university and Drury alums hail from California to Pennsylvania and bring business experience to the table in areas such as architecture, finance and retail.

Locally, Thompson Auto Sales principal dealer George Thompson joins the board, along with Mark Walker, chairman and CEO of Springfield-based TransLand Inc.

Trustees James Bone and John Twitty are rotating off the board, according to a news release. The new board now includes 37 active members with seven additional emeritus members and two life members.

“Drury is fortunate to have a board of trustees who care deeply for the mission of the university and about boldly taking Drury into a new era in higher education,” said Drury President David Manuel, in the release. “We value the board’s leadership and expertise and this new group of trustees complements the existing board in every way.”

The new trustees are:

• Kris Anderson, of Frontenac, previously served as a trustee from 1993-97 and earned degrees in economics and political science from Drury in 1977. He is a retired construction executive who spent 33 years with St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Cos., and currently has a consulting business, Anderson Associates II; 
• Curtis Dinan, of Tulsa, Okla., is an advisory board member for the Breech School of Business and earned degrees in accounting and business administration from Drury in 1989. He is senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of One Gas;
• Steve Seibert, of Pittsburgh, received his bachelor’s in architecture from Drury in 1988 and is active in the Drury Alumni Association. Seibert currently is vice president and assistant general counsel with the Williams Co. Inc;
• Ron Staab, of Columbus, Ohio, earned a business administration degree from Drury in 1984. Staab spent 30 years in the retail world, including with Arhaus Furniture, Frito-Lay and L Brands. He is now an executive professor of production operations and marketing at Capital University;
• Thompson earned degrees in business administration and economics from Drury in 1970. He returns to the Board of Trustees, having previously served from 2004-14; and
• Walker, of San Jose, Calif., graduated with a degree in business administration and economics from Drury in 1979. He was named TransLand Inc. chairman and CEO in 2013.

As the university’s governing body, trustees address financial and enrollment issues at the school, including declining enrollment trends and a 1.5 percent budget shortfall during the 2014-15 academic year. Drury also had a $2.3 million shortfall during the 2013-14 academic year, with 35 positions eliminated. 

In January, Manuel told Springfield Business Journal the school was outlining a new three-year strategic plan, helping set the stage for the university’s 150th anniversary in 2023.