OTC commencement to feature Mo. Commissioner of Higher Education and Honor Society President

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.

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.

Also scheduled to speak during the commencement ceremony is Dana Johnston, president of the Ozarks Technical Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year college students.  Johnston’s husband was involved in a serious motorcycle accident last summer.  He died on April 19, 2012, and Johnston is dedicating her speech in her husband’s honor.