Who makes up the MSU Board of Governors?

The Missouri State University Board of Governors has held four closed meetings in the last two weeks as its newly hired president, Richard "Biff" Williams, faces a lawsuit in Utah. The latest was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. today.

Springfield Business Journal compiled a list of the MSU board members based on information available at MissouriState.edu. Members are appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Missouri Senate, to serve six-year terms. Some current members are serving out the remainder of past members’ terms. At least one voting member, but not more than two, are appointed from each congressional district in Missouri, and a nonvoting member in the form of a current MSU student also sits on the board.

The board's website lists eight voting members and one nonvoting member. One seat, representing the First District of Missouri, is vacant.

The board members are as follows:

• Lynn Parman, board chair, represents the Sixth District and is serving a term that started Jan. 2, 2020, and continues through Jan. 1, 2025. Parman works as the chief operating officer of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and her career experience includes roles as vice president of business development for McCownGordon Construction and as president and CEO of the American Royal Association.
• Tim Francka, board vice chair, is representing the Fourth District for a term that runs Feb. 23, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2029. Francka is administrative director of long-term care for Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation in Bolivar. He's also the Missouri delegate for the American Health Care Association, among other roles.
• Travis Freeman is representing the Second District with a term running Sept. 1, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2029. Freeman works as a certified financial planner and partner with Moneta in St. Louis, and he has 20 years of financial services industry experience. He previously was a trustee on the MSU Foundation.
• Ann Kampeter represents the Third District with a term running Jan. 3, 2022, to Jan. 1, 2028. A parish secretary at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Jefferson City for 15 years, Kampeter is additionally an MSU Foundation board member.
• Anson Elliott has a term running Jan. 3, 2022, through Jan. 1, 2027, representing the Fourth District. A native of the Missouri city of Houston, Elliott is agriculture senior adviser for Convoy of Hope and previously led MSU's William H. Darr College of Agriculture.
• Christopher Waters represents the Fifth District, and his term is for Jan. 2, 2020, to Jan. 1, 2025. He works as a financial adviser for the Hennings Waters Group Private Wealth Management at Baird & Co. in Kansas City and has more than 30 years of financial services industry experience.
• Jeff Schrag is representing the Seventh District with a term that runs Feb. 23, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2025. Known locally as the founder of Mother's Brewing Co., Schrag recently announced his candidacy for Springfield mayor.
• Melissa Gourley is representing the Eighth District and has a term that runs Sept. 1, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2029. A veterinarian at Whetstone Veterinary Service in Mountain Grove, Gourley is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association. Her experience with MSU includes serving as a member of its West Plains campus development board.
• Susan Hardy, the board's nonvoting student member, has a term that runs Aug. 23, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2025. Hardy, who is from Nixa, is a senior at MSU pursuing a bachelor's in history with minors in anthropology and classics. She's involved with the MSU Student Government Association, among other organizations.

The board's website lists 19 meetings to date this year, including the most recent closed meetings. The board's committees include an executive committee, programs and planning, finance and facilities, and risk management and audit.