Drury hires MSSU dean to lead biz school

Provided by Drury University

Jeffrey Zimmerman has led the business school at MSSU for five years.

Drury University hired a five-year dean at Missouri Southern State University to lead its Breech School of Business.

Jeffrey Zimmerman is scheduled to start July 1 as dean of the Springfield college's business school, according to a news release. He succeeds Clif Petty, who led the business college for three years before his May retirement, said Jasmine Bailey, Drury's director of university communications and media relations.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next dean of the Breech School of Business Administration,” Zimmerman said in the release. “The Breech School is known for excellent academic programs, strong students and a faculty and staff devoted to teaching and research excellence."

At MSSU in Joplin, he leads the Plaster College of Business. The Drury release indicates Zimmerman has nearly 20 years of experience as a business dean.

To the position at Drury, he brings experience in administrative and strategic planning, including curriculum design, program development and fundraising.

"Zimmerman is an innovative educator with extensive business school administrative experience who is committed to developing strong business programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels,” Drury Provost Beth Harville said in the release.

The Breech School of Business, started in 1957, is one of the departments slated to be housed in Drury's new $27 million C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly Enterprise Center. School officials recently announced supply chain issues have pushed completion into 2023 from a planned fall 2022 debut, according to past reporting.