Mo. Commissioner of Higher Education to speak at OTC commencement ceremony

Dr. David R. Russell, Missouri’s Commissioner of Higher Education, will present the commencement address at Ozarks Technical Community College’s annual ceremony, to be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus.  In addition to all graduates and their families, the public is invited to attend the ceremony.

“Dr. Russell’s experience in higher education makes him an ideal speaker for commencement, an event designed to honor the success of our students,” says Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College.  “We look forward to hearing what he will share with our graduates as they begin the next chapter of their lives.”

David R. Russell became commissioner of higher education for Missouri in July 2010, following a 19-year career with the University of Missouri System, where he served as senior associate vice president and chief of staff.  Prior to his tenure at the University of Missouri System, Russell served in the United States Army as a commissioned officer, retiring in 1991 as a lieutenant colonel after a 22-year career, including assignments in infantry, personnel management and public affairs.

Russell holds a B.S. in education from Henderson State University, an M.A. in communications from The American University and a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia.