Parnell named director of Drury entrepreneurship center

Parnell was revealed as the center’s inaugural director at a morning news conference at SRC Holdings Corp., 3055 E. Division St.

Parnell was president of Truman Bank in Clayton from 1995 to 1996 and, in 1996, was a founding investor in Springfield-based The Bank, where he served as president and CEO. In 2004, The Bank merged with Signature Bank to form The Signature Bank, where Parnell served as president and chief operating officer until 2005.

Parnell also serves on a number of boards, including Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Springfield-Branson National Airport and Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

“I accepted this position because I believe that anyone can become an entrepreneur,” Parnell said in a news release. “I know because I’ve been there. I’m inspired by this truth and humbled by the opportunity to help other entrepreneurs on such a grand scale.”

The Edward Jones center, expected to open in the fall, is a result of a $500,000 gift from Edward Jones and a $1.5 million gift from one of its principals, John Beuerlein, and his wife, Crystal.

The center will teach students and executives entrepreneurial and leadership skills and guide them in cultivating innovative ideas, starting businesses and managing new enterprises within existing businesses.