Higher Education as Economic Engine: Drury’s Multi-Faceted Impact on Springfield (Sponsored Content)

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Dr. Dan Bumblauskas, Dean of the Breach School of Business Administration

When businesses evaluate the economic health of a region, they often look at traditional indicators like employment rates, new construction, and retail sales. But in Springfield, one of the most significant economic drivers operates from a different perspective entirely by preparing tomorrow’s workforce while solving today’s business challenges.

Drury University’s economic impact extends far beyond its campus boundaries, creating ripple effects throughout the regional business community through innovative partnerships, workforce development, and addressing critical sector needs that many overlook.

Filling the Nonprofit Gap
One area where Drury is making a particularly strategic investment is in the nonprofit sector. Brian Fogle, Executive in Residence at Drury, is spearheading the development of an undergraduate degree in nonprofit leadership, set to launch this fall.

“Nationally, the nonprofit sector employs about 13 million people, which is more than a lot of industry sectors that we think of that we prepare and have degrees for,” Fogle explains. “Now that nonprofits include hospitals and universities, the number is only growing.”

The economic significance becomes clearer when considering local data. “Drury conducted a survey a little over 10 years ago under former faculty member, Dan Prater,” Fogle notes, “showing 20 some odd percent was employed by the nonprofit sector locally. And again, we weren’t preparing people for that.”

This gap represents both a challenge and an opportunity for regional economic development. Fogle emphasizes the need to “professionalize the nonprofit sector more,” noting that while people enter the field with passion for causes, “they may not know how to manage a board or have proper development skills on how to ask for money and donations, or even how to manage a budget.”

Live Client Solutions Drive Business Innovation
While addressing workforce gaps, Drury simultaneously provides immediate value to regional businesses through student consulting projects. Dr. Dan Bumblauskas, Dean of the Breech School of Business Administration, oversees numerous partnerships that deliver tangible results for area companies.

Recent Six Sigma consulting projects demonstrate this impact. Working with Mercy Hospital, Drury students tackled the complex challenge of optimizing radiology operations expansion. “My students did a phenomenal job collecting all of the data points, speaking with all the key stakeholders and constituents, and coming up with essentially a floor plan or layout for the optimal design,” Bumblauskas explains.

The scope of these partnerships extends across sectors. Students have worked with the City of Springfield to streamline sunshine request processes, and with SRC Manufacturing on ceramic filter remanufacturing operations.

“There’s dozens of them,” Bumblauskas says of business partnerships, citing relationships with Bass Pro Shops, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Andy’s Frozen Custard, and major accounting firms. “These aren’t just internship placements,” Bumblauskas says. “They’re strategic consulting relationships that provide businesses with fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.”

Perhaps most importantly for long-term economic health, these non-profit and business partnerships create retention incentives for graduates through  hands-on experiences that often translate into full-time employment.

The Enlightened Self-Interest Model
For area businesses considering deeper partnerships with Drury, Fogle frames the opportunity in terms that resonate with business leaders: “I love the term Eisenhower had. He talked about enlightened self-interest. And I think businesses, if they can see that by engaging, they’re going to make our communities better, stronger, more vibrant, and we’ll benefit from that because we’ll be growing.”

The university’s economic engine operates on multiple levels—training specialized workforces for underserved sectors, providing immediate consulting value to businesses, and creating the community connections that keep talent local. For regional business leaders, the question isn’t whether higher education impacts the economy, but how to maximize that partnership for mutual benefit.

As Springfield continues to grow and diversify its economic base, Drury’s multi-faceted approach to community engagement offers a model for how educational institutions can serve as catalysts for sustained regional development.

This content is paid advertising by Drury University.