Spence to speak at Ozarks Technical Community College commencement ceremony

Dr. Robert H. Spence, president of Evangel University and respected community leader, will present the commencement address at Ozarks Technical Community College’s annual ceremony, to be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus.

“We are honored to have Dr. Spence address our graduates this year,” says Dr. Hal Higdon, president of Ozarks Technical Community College.  “He is an outstanding example of commitment to education, to students, and to the community, and I look forward to his presentation at commencement.”

Dr. Spence is the longest-tenured college president in the state of Missouri and one of the longest in the nation.  During his 35 years at Evangel, the campus has been transformed with the addition of twelve new facilities, enrollment has grown and eight masters programs have been added.  Dr. Spence has served as President of the Board of Directors of Cox Health Systems, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of the Board of City Utilities of Springfield.  Presently, he is a member of the Springfield Airport Board of Directors and the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, and serves as Chairman of the Springfield Safety and Justice Committee and Chairman of the Maranatha Village Board of Directors.  

Dr. Spence is a member and former President of the Springfield Downtown Rotary Club and is listed in “Who’s Who in the Midwest.”  In 2004, he was honored for a “career of character” when the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce named him “Springfieldian of the Year.”