Five Questions: John Black

John Black joined City Utilities on Dec. 1 after spending 12 years as Missouri State University general counsel. In his CU position – for which he earns $175,000 a year, up from $126,000 at MSU – Black and two other attorneys provide general legal advice to various departments. Prior to working for MSU, Black was an attorney with Ellis, Ellis, Hammons & Johnson PC.

Q: Why did you leave Missouri State?

A: There are several reasons. The university is a great institution and a great place to invest a career as well. But the main reason is that I had helped the school for 12 years – and was privileged to have that opportunity – it got to the point where most of the things that happened there I had seen once or twice.

Q: And why join City Utilities?

A: When I was in private practice before joining the university, I was fortunate to do some work for the utility and was impressed with the organization back then. My background is in engineering – I have engineering degrees from the University of Missouri-Rolla – so a technically related organization is an area where I have natural interest. The other great thing about City Utilities, like the university, is that it’s an organization dedicated to the public good.

Q: What were some of the most notable issues you worked on at Missouri State?

A: The public affairs mission, of course, will stand out as a hallmark during that period of time, and the name change. But other things happened during that time – we acquired the TV station, (Ozarks Public Television). That was a big boost for some of the things the university is trying to do. And the graduate programs were significantly expanded during that time. As the lawyer for the institution, you don’t have a lot to do with those things, but you do have a small part in all of them.

Q: What was your first professional job?

A: A lot of people don’t realize that Missouri has for 150 years been the largest lead-zinc-copper mining operation in the United States, over in the Lead Belt in the southeast part of the state. My first graduate degree was in chemical engineering out of Rolla, so my first job was to work in processing in the metals industry in that part of the state – as a process engineer (for The Doe Run Co.). After staying with that company for about four years, I went back to law school and got my law degree from University of Missouri-Columbia.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: Just like the rest of us, I like to do whatever my wife tells me to do. My wife, Cynthia, has a private law practice in Marshfield, where we live. She has a very active practice and a lot of community involvement in Marshfield. We have one child still in the Marshfield schools, and my oldest daughter is married and has given us a grandchild. We have six girls between us, so keeping track of the kids – and now our grandchild – gives us plenty to do.

Interview by Jeremy Elwood.[[In-content Ad]]