^[1]More than 500 alumni and supporters attend 37th annual UM Legislative Day

On Thursday, February 24th, more than 500 alumni, and friends of the University of Missouri System attended the 37th Annual UM Legislative Day at the state capitol. The day’s agenda included breakfasts and lunches with legislators, a rally, and informative displays from MU Extension, UMKC, Missouri S&T, UMSL and MU.

During Legislative Day, the volunteers shared what the University of Missouri means to them and distributed legislative district geographic maps to Freshmen legislators that were courtesy of the Alliance of Alumni Associations and Extension. During the rally, Governor Jay Nixon, Interim President Steve Owens, and Allumni Alliance Chair Ken Meyer spoke in support of the day’s events and activities.

Governor Jay Nixon is thanked for his support of the University of Missouri System by Interim President Steve Owens (left) and Alumni Alliance Chair Ken Meyer (center) after his UM Legislative Day rally speech.

From left to right: UMKC Chancellor Leo Morton, UM Board of Curators Chairman Warren Erdman, Senator Jolie Justus (D-Kansas City), and Interim President Steve Owens.

Governor Jay Nixon speaks to UM Legislative Day participants and supporters.

UMSL holds legislative events

Members of the Chancellor’s Council and administrators at the University of Missouri–St. Louis met with more than a dozen state legislators from the St. Louis area Feb. 20 to discuss priorities for the 2011 legislative session.

Chancellor Tom George laid out several priorities including support for UMs operating budget request, the last third of an equity adjustment for UMSL totaling $10.8 million, and continuing need for $28 million for the renovation of Benton-Stadler, for which funding was originally appropriated in the Lewis and Clark Initiative. Legislators attending also heard from other Chancellor’s Council members and Senator Tim Green (D-St. Louis), who along with his six siblings, graduated from UMSL.

Calling himself “a grateful graduate,” Warner Baxter, president and chief executive officer of Ameren and a Chancellor’s Council member spoke of UMSL’s impact on the St. Louis region. “With more than 58,000 alumni living and working in the region, this university truly educates St. Louis,” he said.

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From left to right, state representatives Clem Smith (D-St. Louis) and Bert Atkins (D-Florissant) talk with UMSL Chancellor Tom George at a meeting Feb. 20 of state legislators and members of UMSL’s Chancellor’s Council.

In another legislative event, UMSL Chancellor Tom George and members of the Chancellor’s Council Advocacy committee met with UMSL College of Optometry graduate and current Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley (R-Perryville) to discuss legislative priorities for UMSL and the UM System. Speaker Tilley shared his thoughts on the best way to approach the members of the legislature this session.

From left to right: UMSL Chancellor Tom George; House Speaker Steve Tilley (’98 OD); Warner Baxter, (’83 BSBA) President and CEO Ameren Missouri; Martin Leifeld, UMSL Vice Chancellor of Advancement; Former Missouri State Senator Joan Bray; Frank Hamsher, Public Affairs Consultant; and Robert D. Millstone, President, The Millstone Company.

Longtime Mizzou sports announcer, John Kadlec honored by Missouri Senate

John Kadlec, sports commentator at MU for the last 40 years on the Tiger Network was honored by the Missouri Senate with a resolution on February 22nd. Kadlec was an all-conference lineman in 1950, and was the first to be pictured on the MU media guide that same year. He served as an assistant football coach at Mizzou under Don Faurot, Frank Broyles, Dan Devine, and Al Onofrio, and has been a Tiger administrator since 1986.

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, left; John Kadlec, center; and Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia), right.

Senator Roy Blunt visits the Missouri Plant Science Center

On February 23, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) toured the Missouri Plant Science Center (MPSC) in Mexico that is scheduled to open this Spring. The MPSC is a new 25,000 square-foot facility that combines cutting-edge plant science research and manufacturing capabilities of soybeans and other plant-based materials. The MPSC is a joint venture of the City of Mexico, University of Missouri System, and the Missouri Technology Corporation.

From left to right: County Commissioner Steve Hobbs; Andrew Birney; Jason Hall, Executive Director of Missouri Technology Corporation; Mike Nichols, UM Vice President Research and Economic Development; U.S. Senator Roy Blunt; Joe Bannister, Chair of the Missouri Plant Science Center; Hank Belina, Arco Construction