Gov. Parson, retired Sen. Blunt react to Clif Smart's plans to retire from Missouri State

Gov. Mike Parson said there has been "no stronger advocate for Missouri State University and the southwest region" than Clif Smart.

Smart went public Wednesday with his plans to retire this summer but he has been privately telling key people in recent days.

"Clif’s leadership has truly transformed MSU into not only a higher education powerhouse but a hub for workforce training and economic development," Parson said in a statement to the News-Leader.

"We’re proud of the partnership that has developed between MSU and the Governor’s Office, and while we wish him well in retirement, we know Clif will never stop fighting to ensure the next generations can achieve their American Dream."

He added: "Congratulations to Clif on an exceptional career and crafting a legacy that will endure for generations to come.”

Retired U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, who helped secure millions in federal funds to renovate and expand the MSU science building recently renamed in his honor, said the university president role is challenging but Smart made a hard job look easy.

"He anticipates problems in advance and most of them don't occur because of that. He maintains great channels of communications with the campus community, including students," Blunt said in an interview with the News-Leader. "He really particularly understands where we live and how to explain things and approach things in a way that Missourians generally and Southwest Missourians specifically will respond to in a positive way."

Blunt said Smart is a "great example of guy who is not looking for another job" and is "totally happy with the job he has and totally committed to making the most of it."

With Smart at the helm, Blunt said Missouri State forged relationships with alumni, elected officials and employers that resulted in improved facilities, increased scholarships and expanded programs in critical areas.

"He was great at pulling people into his vision of what Missouri State University could be whether it was in science, athletics, the arts or health care workforce preparation," he said.

Rob Fulp, regional managing director of commercial lending for Great Southern Bank, said Smart has "raised the bar higher than any other president in the history" of Missouri State, noting his outreach to students and accessibility to the public.

"He truly cares about others," he said.

"Approaching the end of an era"

Springfield Mayor Ken McClure was vice president for administrative and information services at the university when Smart was hired as general counsel.

"He is very thorough. He checks everything out. He is very decisive and once he makes a decision he is prepared to go and implement that," he said.

McClure said Smart stepped into the role and provided "solid, pragmatic, energetic" leadership at an uncertain time and quickly reprioritized projects — such as building a new welcome center for campus — that had been relegated to the back burner.

He said later Smart worked closely with top city, county, health care and education officials to present a unified front and plan during the pandemic.

"We were in lock-step at each point during that very difficult period," he said.

More: Timeline: MSU president Clif Smart's career, highlights since 2011 and community service

McClure said Smart has become a dear friend and trusted confidant. "I could not have asked for a better person to provide counsel and advice. He's a good listener and he is sound in his recommendations."

He said no one wins when there is "town and gown" friction between large universities and the cities where they are located but Springfield and Missouri State have sidestepped that problem.

McClure said by working together, the community benefits. He cited the planned "daylighting" of Jordan Creek near downtown and property owned by Missouri State.

"We are approaching the end of an era with his leadership," McClure said. "It has just been an unprecedented period of growth and expansion reinforced by the existing values of the university."

Bradley Cooper, a sophomore majoring in socio-political communication and public relations, said Smart's efforts to connect with students extend beyond "talking points." Smart was invited to attend a SAAB student meeting Tuesday evening and Cooper was also there.

"He didn't just come and deliver a speech at the beginning and slip out," said Cooper, student member of the MSU board. "He stayed throughout the whole entire program. It is just small details like that really show in a big way his commitment to students at the university."

Cooper said Smart has worked to enhance students' experiences on campus and their options after graduation.

"Clif, throughout his whole tenure, has not been just committed to engaging with students on campus but going a step further and enhancing their futures with bold new partnerships and innovative programs," he said.

Cooper added: "His legacy will be growing Missouri State into what I believe is a destination campus."

"He has been a strategic partner"

Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College, said he is excited for Clif and Gail Smart to take this next step.

"It is a loss for Missouri State and for Springfield, in particular," Higdon said. "He has been a strategic partner. You could not ask for better."

Higdon said as the university launches its national search, he hopes the next leader will have "equal character, equal drive and equal ability — and that is going to be a tall order."

Drawing from decades of experience, Higdon said there is tension in many communities between the two-year and four-year institutions. Instead, Higdon and Smart worked together.

"University people often think there is a caste system and the community college is junior," he said. "And with Clif not being from the academic realm, he didn't come in with that attitude and didn't allow his people to possess that attitude. It allowed us to build partnerships."

Higdon said the results have been far-reaching from joint creation of the Foreign Language Institute to the recently announced Alliance for Healthcare Education — both of which also involve other partners.

"For OTC, it has meant a better path for our students," Higdon said. "The vast majority of our students now transfer to Missouri State. When he took over as president (in 2011) the vast majority did not transfer to Missouri State. The numbers speak for themselves."

Brian Fogle, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, said under Smart's leadership Missouri State achieved "remarkable fiscal stability" despite significant challenges facing higher education.

"Clif has kept Missouri State very affordable and has grown enrollment in an environment where most public universities, probably the majority of them, are losing enrollment," said Fogle, who previously served on the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. "He's done that through great leadership, through great vision, through seeing those headwinds and addressing them before they became too drastic."

Fogle, who has also announced plans to retire, said it is hard to know when to step down. He said Smart will leave the university in "such a great situation," which will make the job more attractive to quality candidates.

He said the next president will have "big shoes" to fill.

"I still remember him crowd-surfing up the stadium at the football game and wearing his Kiss boots. He related very well to the student body," said Fogle, referencing a fun video Smart made before Kiss performed on the campus. "It is a great legacy that he is going to leave."

"He just wanted to do the best job"

Greg Burris, president and CEO of United Way of the Ozarks, said Smart served as chair of the nonprofit's board last year when critical decisions were made to reconfigure the organization.

"He's a natural leader. Some people just have it, whatever 'it' is," said Burris, who previously worked for the city and for Missouri State.

He said Smart is approachable, in part because of his social media presence. He recalled one day at lunch, students kept stopping to ask for a selfie with the president.

"They wanted to send it to their parents," Burris said. "That spoke a lot about not only the impact he's had on the university as a whole but on individual students and their families."

More: End of an era: Missouri State University president Clif Smart to retire from 'job I love'

Burris said Smart understands "how to connect the dots" in the community and he is refreshingly direct. He added that after Smart joined the United Way board, meetings were restructured to be more efficient.

"He can be very outspoken when it comes to making sure we are not wasting time," he said.

Springfield Superintendent Grenita Lathan congratulated Smart Wednesday and called him a "tireless advocate" for Missouri State, Springfield, the region and public education.

"Clif has demonstrated an incredible commitment to collaboration and innovation, while always remaining focused on ensuring that every student can access those opportunities," Lathan said. "I deeply appreciate the many ways he has opened doors for not only SPS, but K-12 districts throughout the area."

Lathan said it means more K-12 students visit the campus "to experience college first-hand, inspiring them to dream and to reach for their full potential."

"His lasting legacy can be found in so many new opportunities now available to students — from the AgAcademy at Darr Agricultural Center and a GoCAPS classroom at the eFactory, to the Future Educators program and the newly-formed Alliance for Healthcare Education," she said.

"Clif has enabled the expansion of dual-enrollment opportunities, providing scholarships for students qualifying for free or reduced lunch."

Lathan added while Smart will be missed "he has prepared MSU for this transition incredibly well, which is a real tribute to his vision and leadership."

Jim Baker, who spent nearly three decades at Missouri State before retiring, said Smart sought ideas and input from a wide range of people.

"I always felt extremely comfortable disagreeing with him. He was happy to get other viewpoints," Baker said. "He is a very confident person and he wasn't concerned about someone making him look bad or anything like that. He just wanted to do the best job he could."

Baker said one of Smart's greatest contributions to the future of Missouri State is hiring talented, consistent leaders who were focused on being team players.

He said Smart's lack of experience in higher education leadership wasn't a deterrent, primarily because he tapped people who did have that background.

Baker said when the governing board was looking for an interim president in 2011, he suggested Smart.

"He was extraordinarily intelligent. He's very connected to the community. In my view, he would never want to take the job as a stepping stone to do something else. He was already very successful," Baker recalled. "I just thought he'd be a good person for the job and that has proven out over the years."

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Parson, Blunt, others react to Clif Smart's plans to retire from MSU