"My mother was my high school business teacher, and my father was a successful businessman," Dunn says. "I witnessed their leadership within their respective industries, and I have followed in their footsteps."
Now a senior vice president at Citizens National Bank, Dunn traces his leadership traits back to high school, where he held office in his 4-H chapter and was president of his school's Future Business Leaders of America club. In college, he was vice president of Delta Tau Alpha, the national agriculture honor society.
After earning a master's degree at Southwest Baptist University and a graduate degree from the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wis., Dunn went to work for Empire Bank, serving as an area vice president managing banking facilities in Fair Grove, Strafford and Pleasant Hope.
"Along the way, I became president of the (Fair Grove) chamber of commerce, and my staff and I became actively involved in volunteer positions within the local schools," Dunn says.
"Most rewarding, however, was using my leadership skills to mentor my own employees and help them achieve their own career goals," he adds.
Dunn, a founding member of the Young Bankers Leadership Division of the Missouri Banker's Association, also works with his employees to maximize their career potential, and sometimes, that means his employees find opportunities elsewhere.
"Seeing my employees excel is exciting," he says.
Dunn also is proud of his work as a member of the Ozark Empire Fair Board of Directors; he's been a member since 2001.
One of the greatest challenges the board faced in 2008 was finding a new general manager for the fair. Dunn, then board vice president, was appointed chairman of the search committee.
Because 2007 was a challenging financial year for the fair, there was no room for making a bad selection, Dunn says.
"I compared each incoming application to successful past general managers and kept coming up short of these qualities," Dunn says. "However, my mental search repeatedly took me to one person: my father, Elvin Dunn."
The elder Dunn was hired.
"Although some may believe working with family is challenging, in this situation, working with my father is a privilege," says Dunn, who is now the board's president. "Most importantly, the Ozark Empire Fair is on track to have one of the most successful fairs in the history of the fairgrounds."
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
