CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI - Key Persons
Annette Kendall, an associate teaching professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), is a leadership educator and researcher specializing in innovation within the life sciences. Her work examines how knowledge networks and power dynamics shape innovation trajectories, with a focus on developing inclusive leadership practices.
Kendall enjoys engaging with students as they begin their leadership journey.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Mizzou 101
Ashley Dodson, CPA, is coordinator of Mizzou 101, a course focused on facilitating the transition of first-year students into Mizzou. She enjoys helping students learn and grow.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Novak Leadership Institute
Brandon Butcher, Missouri BJ '07, MA '08, is Associate Director of the Novak Leadership Institute and member of the Strategic Communication faculty at the Missouri School of Journalism. Butcher directs student programs, strategic partnerships, professional education, and marketing communications for the institute and co-developed the NLI courses and curriculum. Butcher joined the MU strategic communication faculty in 2012 and brings over 10 years of experience in the advertising and strategic communication industry with roles spanning creative, strategy and brand management. Butcher has served a wide range of clients including QuikTrip, Zales, Southern Methodist University, Children's Health, Columbia Public Schools, Special Olympics Missouri, USAID, Universal Research Solutions, Veterans United, and over 25 NCAA college athletic programs. Butcher also has extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, and has directed mentorship, leadership, and service programs for teens and college students in both domestic and international settings.
Job Titles:
- General Manager of the Columbia Missourian
Bryan Chester, MEd, is general manager of the Columbia Missourian. He has been in this role since 2013 and has helped shape the newspaper's digital-first business model, grow digital ad revenue, and diversify digital revenue streams.
Chester enjoys working with students to develop their leadership potential.
Job Titles:
- Director of Outreach, Novak Leadership Institute
Catey Heller Terry (B.A. Skidmore College, MA, Missouri School of Journalism) is the outreach director for the Novak Leadership Institute. She is a communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in New York City, St. Louis, and Columbia, MO. Terry served as a press secretary for a state senator in New York City before moving back to the Midwest. In Columbia, she worked at the Missouri School of Journalism, first for the Multicultural Management Program and later as director of development. She also served as senior director at Washington University in St. Louis in the development communications office and at Stephens College where she was in charge of grants and research. Most recently, Catey served as Executive Director for Advancement Creative Services and Donor Relations at Mizzou prior to joining the Novak Leadership team.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Civic Leaders Internship Program
Chad Follis, Ed.D., is director of the Civic Leaders Internship Program (CLIP), which operates state government and nonprofit internship programs that provide personalized experiences for MU undergraduates.
Christopher "Todd" Fuller, MA, is an adjunct instructor at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Leadership Programs in Student Affairs
Dekarte Lynch, assistant director of leadership programs in Student Affairs, believes leadership education is important because it provides a foundation for how students approach life.
Eleanor V. Farnen (BJ, BA, MA, Ph.D. candidate, University of Missouri) is founder and president of Strategists LLC, a media and marketing consulting firm based in Columbia, Missouri. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in the Missouri School of Journalism since 1998, including mass communication theory and quantitative research methods. Farnen began her career as chief of public affairs for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, assisting in the development of regulations governing air, land and water resources and conservation initiatives. She is a former sales and marketing executive for Honeywell International's Automotive Sector and served as vice president and group manager for Ketchum Communications in Washington, D.C., in charge of corporate and environmental accounts. As a consultant, her clients have included Verizon Wireless, Walmart, Hasbro, Southwest Greens, and former and sitting governors and U.S. senators. She was inducted into MU's Rollins Society in 2004 and is currently advisor and past president of the board of directors of the Odyssey Chamber Music Festival and The Plowman International Chamber Music Competition and president of the board of Friends of MU Libraries.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor of Journalism Professions
Elizabeth Stephens is associate professor and Missouri Community Newspaper Management Chair at the Missouri School of Journalism and executive editor for the Columbia Missourian.
Stephens enjoys the opportunity to help students better understand how leadership can set them up for success in their future careers.
Gregory S. Sullivan, Ph.D., is a teaching professor and director of Positive Coaching and Athletic Leadership in the College of Education & Human Development. His areas of expertise are motivation, servant leadership, positive psychology, and leader and follower well-being.
Job Titles:
- Founder of Elevating Others
J. Scot Heathman, M.A., founder of Elevating Others, is an executive coach, public speaker, and leadership development expert with more than 25 years of experience leading cross-functional teams. A retired Air Force colonel, Heathman is a highly decorated combat veteran whose last military assignment was serving as installation commander of Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Heathman has master's degrees in organizational leadership (Gonzaga University), operational art and science (U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies), and national security and strategic studies (U.S. Naval War College).
Jeannette H. Porter (Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) began her career in strategic communications managing native advertising sales. Following her B.A. in Economics from Swarthmore College, she spent 10 years in fund development and community relations at The Boys Choir of Harlem; became a director of communications at PENCIL; moved to rural journalism at The Amelia Bulletin Monitor in Virginia; and, following a master's degree in multimedia journalism (Virginia Commonwealth University), found her cause in health communication. Her current research examines African American communication about mental health and mental illness with a goal of increasing mental health help-seeking. Dr. Porter has contributed to articles in Games for Health Journal, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Telemedicine and E-Health and in the SAGE Encyclopedia of Political Behavior.
Job Titles:
- University of Missouri Extension Professor
Jo Britt-Rankin is a University of Missouri Extension professor focused on nutrition, health, and family.
Britt-Rankin believes the key to student success is the "Missouri method" by which students can take part in hands-on activities to refine their newly acquired communication and leadership skills before implementing them in a professional setting.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean of Students
Julie Drury, Ph.D., assistant dean of students, oversees the Office of Student Accountability and Support and manages the conduct process for University of Missouri students. She has worked at Mizzou for 19 years in the Division of Student Affairs, starting in Fraternity and Sorority Life and then transitioning to the Office of Student Conduct, now Student Accountability and Support.
Drury completed her doctorate in education in May of 2023 with a focus in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. She has taught the Chancellor's Leadership Class since the Fall 2024 semester. She enjoys getting to know first-year students in the classroom setting and helping them set a strong foundation for their time at Mizzou.
Job Titles:
- Research Director for the Novak Leadership Institute
- Research Director, Novak Leadership Institute
Justin F. Willett, Ph.D., MHA, is research director for the Novak Leadership Institute. His research examines how leadership communication and workplace respect influence employee outcomes such as engagement and well-being. Willett teaches Strategic Communication Leadership (JOUR 4242/7242) at the undergraduate and graduate levels, while mentoring students in their academic and professional development.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Journalism
Kathryn "Kat" Lucchesi, associate professor of Journalism, is a multimedia storyteller and digital strategist who teaches news content creation and social media and audience strategy. She has led communication teams for college athletic programs and private industry.
Lucchesi enjoy connecting with others on leadership values. In her own words: "Emotional Intelligence is something that should be discussed and talked about early and often."
Job Titles:
- Professor at the Missouri School of Journalism
- Professor of Journalism Professions, Missouri School of Journalism
Laura Johnston, professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, teaches writing and cross-platform editing courses and serves as Opinion editor for the Columbia Missourian.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Novak Leadership Institute
- Professor of Strategic Communication
Margaret Duffy is professor of Strategic Communication and Executive Director of the Novak Leadership Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism. An author and consultant, Duffy conducts research and advises media organizations around the world. Her diverse consulting clients include Estee Lauder and the U. S. Army and she has obtained grants from the Pew and Knight Foundations. An award-winning scholar, Duffy's research focuses on organizational communication, visual communication, narrative, digital media, news, and persuasion ethics. She is a former marketing executive and serves on the board of the Institute for Advertising Ethics.
Martha Steffens, B.A., the chair in business and financial journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, teaches business and financial journalism, economics for journalists, and entrepreneurial journalism. Before joining the Missouri School of Journalism faculty in 2002, Steffens had a 30-year career in the news industry and trained hundreds of journalists around the world in independent media, financial reporting, and other topics. She was a top news executive for more than a decade, was named a Distinguished Alumni of Indiana University, and has held leadership positions on international boards (SABEW and the International Press Institute).
Steffens believes using David Novak's concept of taking people with you helps students recognize their own strengths as well as the strengths of others.
Matt Schmidt, MBA, MEd, is assistant director of alumni and corporate relations for the University of Missouri Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business.
Schmidt enjoys the opportunity to help students discover their leadership potential so they can connect with others better.
Michelle Mazza Froese, Ph.D., interim dean of students, believes the Chancellor's Leadership Class prepares first-year students by helping them learn important communication and leadership skills that will serve them during their college journeys and beyond.
Job Titles:
- Miriam Butler, DNP, NP - C, FNP - BC, CNE
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication at the Missouri School of Journalism
Monique Luisi, Ph.D, is an assistant professor of Strategic Communication at the Missouri School of Journalism. Her areas of expertise include audience research, health communication, social media, and strategic communication. Luisi has more than 10 years of teaching experience at the university level, and for each course she teaches, her goal is to create communities that are collaborative and dynamic.
Luisi's goal is to connect leadership with diverse perspectives and opportunities, particularly with disabilities, gender, and race.
In her own words: "Good leadership requires skills and flexibility. It involves discernment, networking, and compassion. Being able to communicate, delegate, and listen are also important. Sometimes leadership requires silence. It's a dynamic process, and I think everyone has the potential to be a leader by enhancing their best traits."
Nick Blay, PhD, assistant teaching professor of biology, is a behavioral ecologist who studies natural and life history of organisms that are often overlooked or viewed as insignificant to promote an understanding of the importance of maintaining biodiversity.
Blay believes leadership education is central to science.
Smith was a reporter and editor at two newspapers before joining The Kansas City Star in 1979, where he worked for 30 years. Smith rose to several senior news positions before moving to the business side as director of strategic development.
Job Titles:
- Business Administrator
- Program Coordinator, Novak Leadership Institute
Randy Williamson is an adept business administrator with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. An analytically minded coordinator, he thrives in fast-paced environments, leveraging skills in teamwork, problem-solving, organization, adaptability, and communication.
In his role as program coordinator, Randy is responsible for crucial operational functions, including budgeting, purchasing, vendor relations, and record retention. He also plays a key role in supporting students, facilitating communications, advising instructors, and coordinating class projects. His experience extends to managing fiscal and HR functions, generating and analyzing reports, and working directly with university leadership, faculty, and staff.
Before joining the institute, Randy served as the Business Manager for the Biological Sciences and Chemistry departments at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has also held roles as a Trust Specialist at Midwest Special Needs Trust, where he assisted clients with special needs trusts, and as investment and operational support in Wealth Management at Landmark Bank, where he facilitated trust department activities. Randy's diverse background also includes production and marketing experience in media-related fields, such as print, radio, and television. Randy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
Ron Kelley, associate professor emeritus at the Missouri School of Journalism, believes leadership education is important for students because it helps them understand team dynamics, build self-confidence, and learn how to set and achieve goals by learning how to work with people and lead them.