By Jeff Murphy,
July 26, 2017
WARRENSBURG, MO – University of Central Missouri President Charles Ambrose has an
opportunity to impact positive change in positioning the state for business and job
growth as a member of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board of Directors.
Ambrose was notified in July of his board appointment by Daniel P. Mehan, president
and chief executive officer for the Missouri Chamber. As such, he will be attending
the board’s next meeting Nov. 16-17 in St. Louis.
“The heart of any association is the board of directors,” Mehan said in a letter welcoming
Ambrose to the board. “The primary mission of the Missouri Chamber is to be the premier
advocate for Missouri employers in the General Assembly. We believe the support and
strength of our board enables us to achieve our mission.”
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry was founded in 1923, then called The
Missouri Association for a Greater Missouri. The organization has gone through name
changes over the years while continuing to provide a voice to legislators on behalf
of employers related to issues such as workers’ compensation reform, anti-trust law
reform, air and water pollution control, hazardous waste management, public employee
collective bargaining, taxation, labor relations, consumerism, increased regulation
of business by the state and more. In the last decade the Missouri Chamber has been
at the forefront in areas that include the adoption of innovative economic development
tools that will allow the state to better position itself for job creation. This is
consistent with “Missouri 2030 – An Agenda to Lead,” a 15-year strategic plan developed
by the Missouri Chamber Foundation to help position the state as a global economic
leader.
“It is a privilege to serve on the Missouri Chamber’s Board of Directors,” Ambrose
said. “Being part of this organization exemplifies UCM’s desire for campus leaders
to develop strong connections with business and industry. Supporting opportunities
for better job growth, economic activity and output for this state also is closely
connected to higher education as colleges and universities are responsible for providing
workforce training needed to achieve economic goals.”
Ambrose has served as UCM’s president since August 2010. In this role he has been
a strong proponent of opportunities to form partnerships with business and industry
that help make college more accessible and affordable for students, while also reducing
student debt load and accelerating degrees. Such efforts have included the trailblazing
Missouri Innovation Campus, a joint initiative of UCM, the Lee’s Summit R-7 School
District, Metropolitan Community College, and more than 40 business partners in the
Kansas City metropolitan area. It also has included Innovation Track opportunities
with public school districts that help reduce the time and cost of a college education
for students who pursue their higher education while still in high school.
