Drury keeps Parnell as president

Parnell served as president on an interim basis since June 1, after previous President John Sellars resigned and took a position as president of Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa.

Parnell is a Drury alumnus and had been a Drury Breech School of Business Advisory Board member since 2003. He also is a former Drury Board of Trustees member and currently is executive director of the school’s Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

“Drury’s search committee unanimously chose Todd,” said Rick Lester, board member and chair of the presidential search committee, in a news release. “Todd’s commitment to academic excellence, his integrity, his collaborative management style, his exceptional communications skills and his vision for Drury made him the best candidate.”

Earlier in his career, Parnell primarily worked in the banking industry. He was president of Truman Bank in Clayton and later was the founding CEO of The Bank, which later merged with The Signature Bank, now part of BancorpSouth.

Parnell also has served on the boards for Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Community Foundation of the Ozarks, and he serves on the Missouri Clean Water Commission and is a trustee of the State Historical Society of Missouri.