The next nonprofit, civic leaders get their master’s

An event Monday will mark completion of Drury University’s first class of the Nonprofit & Civic Leadership master’s program.

Drury introduced the degree program in 2015 for professionals seeking to enhance their skills, insight and leadership opportunities in the nonprofit and civic sectors, according to a news release.

Two years later, Drury will mark the milestone with the inaugural Capstone Poster Exhibition and Roundtable on the Future of Nonprofit and Civic Leadership at Reed Auditorium in the Trustee Science Center. University spokesman Mike Brothers said seven students will graduate in August, one completed the program in May and a ninth student is scheduled to finish in December.

“We’re extremely proud to present these graduates and their work to the community that has been so supportive of our program,” said Dan Prater, director of Drury’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership, in the release. Prater also is an instructor in the program.

The soon-to-be master’s graduates will start the night off at 5:30 with poster discussions of their capstone projects. A panel discussion will follow at 6, featuring business and community leaders involved with the MNCL program.

Scheduled panelists are:

• Amy Blansit, founder of The Drew Lewis Foundation at Fairbanks;

• Barbara Brown-Johnson, executive director of the Child advocacy Center;

• Phyllis Ferguson, Zone 1 City Councilwoman;

• Brian Fogle, president and CEO of Community Foundation of the Ozarks;

• Debi Meeds, president and CEO of United Way of the Ozarks; and

• Mark Struckhoff, executive director of the Council of Churches of the Ozarks.

Their discussion will explore the issues future civic and nonprofit leaders will need to address in order to improve the quality of life in the Ozarks.