Two new members join MSU board

Two new members have joined the Missouri State University Board of Governors upon appointment by Gov. Mike Parson.

Travis Freeman, of Chesterfield, and Dr. Melissa Gourley, of Mountain Grove, are scheduled to be part of their first MSU board meeting on Sept. 20, according to a news release.

“I thank the governor for these two excellent appointments,” MSU President Clif Smart said in the release. “I’m confident their addition to the board will generate fresh perspectives and a renewed sense of direction that will help the university continue to thrive and provide exceptional education for our students.”

Freeman is a certified financial planner and partner with Moneta in St. Louis. He previously served as a trustee for the MSU Foundation and established the Travis & Marina Freeman Family Endowed Scholarship for first-generation students at MSU.

Gourley, a veterinarian at Whetstone Veterinary Service in Mountain Grove, has served as a member of MSU's West Plains Development Board and the Federal Appropriations Committee for Mountain Grove High School, according to the release.

Both are alumni of MSU. Freeman succeeds Amy Counts as the 2nd District representative, while Gourley replaces Carol Silvey as the 8th District representative, with terms running Sept. 1 through Jan. 1, 2029.

They join the board during a time of transition for the university.

Smart recently announced his planned retirement from the university in summer 2024. MSU plans to conduct a national search for Smart's successor, and an in-house search committee is expected to be named by month's end, according to past reporting.