2025 Most Influential Women: Natalie McNish

Natalie McNish serves two very different roles as director of internal audit and risk management at Missouri State University and as mayor of the city of Marshfield. McNish says every role she has accepted has involved hard work, initiative and a commitment to improving processes along the way. It has also involved helping others to succeed.

“My philosophy for building the success of others is simple: Identify people’s passions and connect them to their work when possible,” she says. “Supply the necessary knowledge and resources, then trust them to succeed while offering support as needed. Step back and let them excel.”

McNish knows a lot of people have a visceral reaction to the title of auditor. “As an auditor, my purpose is to help others achieve their goals,” she says. “Management must do the work, but my team and I try to provide the guidance, criteria, sometimes ideas and perhaps the catalyst for change needed to achieve results.”

Her team never leaves an audit by closing a door.

“Instead, we always ensure they know we will be a part of their team and their resource toolbox if they need us,” she says. “But we step back and let them steer their ship over the horizon.”

McNish says she feels like the goal has been accomplished not when the audit report is released but when the implementation is completed and the results are favorable.

She adds that as mayor, she utilizes the same philosophy, but unlike in her auditing work, she gets to roll up her sleeves and help implement any changes that are needed.

“I try to spend time with the crews in their work environment so I can understand the challenges and successes more acutely,” she says. “I also require all newly elected officials to do the same.”

When three new aldermen were elected in the city a year after her first term began, McNish says she developed a plan to help them learn from leaders of the operations they would be making decisions about.

“We walked the sewer treatment plant, inspected road conditions, sat in parks and discussed how to read the financial statements,” she says. “This training has been very beneficial to both the officials and our employees.”

As mayor, McNish built a team of community members to develop a new way to commemorate the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The result, which began on the 20th anniversary of the attacks and is now an annual event, was Marshfield Remembers.

In the event, a field of flags represents the lives lost on that day, and two banks of search lights illuminate the night sky for 102 minutes before falling with the playing of taps.

“It is a reverent, come-as-you-are event where all citizens can reflect and pass along their stories to the next generation,” she says.