Bios
 Founder/CEO of Pure Marketing and Media, Arable Entertainment and Insight. Active in strategic management and planning, new business development, and key account service. Involved in community, with board seat for United Way, Boys and Girls Club, University Club, Good Hope Educational Initiative, and The Center. |
 Brian S. Brooks came to the Missouri School of Journalism in 1974 after working in Vietnam as an information officer (for which he received a bronze star) and as a reporter, copy editor and night city editor at the Memphis (Tenn.) Press-Scimitar. He served as news editor and then as editor of the Columbia Missourian before becoming director of the Journalism Network in 1989. Along with faculty member Phill Brooks, he was responsible for bringing a $15 million grant from IBM Corporation to the School of Journalism from 1989 to 1997. While on sabbatical from 1997 to 1999, Brooks was editor of The Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military newspaper in Europe. He directed that newspaper's coverage of the Bosnia mission, the U.S. entry into Kosovo and the bombing of Belgrade. For this work, he was awarded the Department of Defense Civilian Distinguished Service Medal. For more than 30 years, Brooks has served as deputy director or director of the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing internship program at Missouri.Students from schools nationwide are trained at the summer workshop for careers as newspaper copy editors. He is the author or co-author of four major journalism textbooks, including Journalism in the Information Age (Allyn & Bacon Inc., 1997). Brooks was chairman of the school's editorial department from 1999 until January 2003, when he became associate dean for undergraduate studies and administration. That same year he was named Outstanding Faculty Member on campus by the MU Greek system. Brooks holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. |
 Mike Brooks comes to REDI with more than 30 years of economic development experience. In his last position as head of the Indiana Health Industry Forum, Mike was dedicated to creating an environment for Indiana as a premier location for the creation and growth of health industry enterprises. Brooks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Purdue University and completed a six-year program (plus two years at the “post graduate” level) with the Institute for Organizational Management. |
 Dr. Gerald Brouder is in his fifteenth year as the 16th President of Columbia College, having come from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He spent 17 years at MU where he held a variety of positions including interim chancellor, deputy chancellor, provost, and various other administrative positions on campus and at the Medical Center. He earned four degrees, including the Ph.D., from the University of Texas-Austin, a master of science degree from Northern Illinois University, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and an associate of arts degree from Mayfair College in Chicago. All of his degrees are in nursing. Among his highest priorities for the College include growing its endowment, continually enhancing the quality of curricula, diversification of programs, facilities improvements and transformational planning. Dr. Brouder is very active within the Columbia community. Having been re-appointed by Governor Blunt, he is serving his fourth four-year term as one of the five Missouri Commissioners on the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. Dr. Brouder was honored as Citizen of the Year by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce in 1998. He has also been active in several local and statewide athletic organizations. He previously served as steering committee chairman of the Show-Me State Games and chaired a task force on the State of Missouri Sports Commission. |
 Brian Foster joined MU as the Chief Academic Officer in August of 2005. Prior to that, he served as Provost at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. His previous academic appointments include Dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and Graduate Dean at Arizona State University, where he also served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology. The first in his family to pursue a college education, Dr. Foster began his studies at Northern Illinois University where he earned his degree in History. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan. His studies and research focused on the social anthropology of Southeast Asian cultures, primarily Thailand. He is fluent in Thai and German. Foster has served as President of the Western Association of Graduate Schools, member of the Board of Directors of the Council of Graduate Schools, Chair of the GRE Board, member of the TOEFL Policy Council, and a member of the Executive Committees of two NASULGC Councils: the Council of Research and Graduate Education and the Council on Academic Affairs. He was Chair of the Executive Committee of the Council on Academic Affairs, NASULGC, and currently serves as an ad hoc member of that committee. Dr. Foster and his wife Lerke Foster are parents to Catherine, who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan and practices medicine in Dearborn and Tom Foster, who is a graduate of the MU School of Journalism and currently works in New York City as a magazine editor. Provost Foster works closely with constituents both on and off campus focusing on MU's contributions to the economic development of Missouri and access to higher education for all Missourians. |
 Mr. Gann teaches and coaches in all aspects of technology-based business. During his tenure there, he has helped his portfolio of clients increase sales by more than $62 million, helped his clients gain financing in excess of $16.5 million and create more than 150 jobs. Mr. Gann comes from an entrepreneurial background, having owned and operated his own successful businesses in custom manufacturing, publishing, real estate management and property development. Additionally, he has held a number of elective and volunteer leadership positions in public service. His degrees include a B.S. from Central Missouri State University and an MBA from William Woods University. Additionally, he has received specialized training in business credit, entrepreneurial development, and technology marketing from a number of thought-leading sources. Mr. Gann is nationally certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional (NDC), and as a Technology Business Counselor (ASBDC). Mr. Gann also holds a certificate in Technology Marketing from the California Institute of Technology, and is certified in curricula promulgated by the Ewing Marion Kaufmann Foundation. |
 Dr. Halliday pursues his career-long interest in innovation-based economic development as CEO of the Missouri Innovation Center and the recently opened MU Life Science Business Incubator at Monsanto Place. He also teaches technology entrepreneurship at the graduate level in the Trulaske College of Business where he holds an adjunct faculty position. Dr. Halliday has 32 years experience in the Life Science industry. He spent four years with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Cali, Colombia, six years with the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, 10 years with Battelle - where he was Vice President of Pharmaceutical Business Development, and 11 years with Analytical Bio-Chemistry Laboratories in Columbia, Missouri as its President & CEO. Dr. Halliday served on the Board on Science and Technology in International Development of the National Academy of Sciences, was appointed by Ronald Reagan to the Presidential Agricultural Task Force to Zaire, and by Secretary Ron Brown to the Board on Science and Technology Cooperation between the United States and Northern Ireland. Dr. Halliday earned his undergraduate degree in science from Queens University, Belfast and his PhD from the University of Western Australia. |
 Jack Miller is the founder and president of True Media, an international media strategy and communications company. Since its founding in 2005, True Media has pioneered new ways of blending traditional media, public relations, interactive and social media, to create effective communication strategies that cut through the clutter of today’s highly saturated media world. Using key consumer insight in conjunction with powerful research, True Media’s strategists in the United States and Canada create media plans that approach a target audience from all communication angles with the best possible returns on investment. Prior to launching True Media, Miller was a partner and vice president at Premier Marketing before serving as market manager at Cumulus Broadcasting. He currently resides in Columbia with his wife and two children. |
 Olga Missiri comes to RJI from Stephens College in Columbia, MO where she started and managed operations of Mid-Missouri's only Apple Authorized Training Center. An Apple Certified Trainer in Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro, Missiri has more than ten years of professional experience with the national and international media industry in Europe and the U.S. Missiri taught International Communication, Internet Production and Journalism, TV Studio and Field Production as well as Digital Media courses at Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland and later at Stephens College.She has worked as a journalism, broadcast production and web design trainer and consultant for television stations in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Among other things, Missiri supervised the Internews School of Journalism in Moscow, Russia and worked for CNN as a field producer. |
 Dale Musser is an assistant professor and director of the Information Technology (IT) program in the Computer Science Department at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Musser was previously a faculty member in Network Learning Systems in the School of Information Science & Learning Technologies at the University of Missouri and a manager of entertainment and educational software development at IBM in Atlanta. His research and development work has been supported by grants from the National Science Founation and the Department of Education. He was a co-founder of the Center for Technology Innovations in Education at the University of Missouri. |
 Michael F. Nichols, Ph.D. became the vice president for research and economic development for the University of Missouri System in November 2007. Nichols brings more than 25 years of experience in research, product development, and small business startup and operation to the position, which has a statewide focus. Nichols joined the research faculty at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1978, leaving nine years later to create a technology based startup. He returned to the University in 2002 as state director of the Small Business Innovation Research, and Small Business Technology Transfer Assistance Centers (SBIR/STTR). Most recently he directed the Office of Technology Management and Industry Relations at MU. Nichols received his bachelor's and master's degrees from California Polytechnic State University, and his doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia. An adjunct associate professor, his research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The editor of two books, he is a member of several professional societies, a journal reviewer, and a consultant. |
 Keith Politte earned his BA with honors from Boston University and his JD from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. He also has extensive course work in internet design and development from San Francisco State University’s Multimedia Studies Program. |
 Jim is President and founder of Newsy.com and has helped lead several successful Internet start-ups and established online companies. Jim was a founding VP of Ask Jeeves (Ask.com) where he was responsible for all search queries and helped lead the company to the 14th most popular site on the Internet and through a successful initial public offering. Prior to Ask Jeeves, Jim was the GM of News and Information Programming at AOL (News, Sports, Health, Research and International) leading the content, business and partnership operations for one of AOL’s major business units. He also served as director of strategic partnerships at NBC for MSNBC.com, leading the design and direction of the MSNC.com web site and the coordination of the newsrooms of NBC News in New York and MSNBC’s newsroom on Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, WA. Jim began his online career as GM of New Media at Multimedia, Inc. Prior to graduate school, Jim represented and distributed motion pictures including Academy Award-winning movies, foreign films and U.S. independent cinema. Jim earned his MA in journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia and his BFA from New York University’s Film School. |
 Editor and Publisher, Columbia Daily Tribune. Graduate of the University of Missouri. |
 Mary Wilkerson is vice president of marketing at Boone County National Bank, a $1.3 billion dollar community bank in Columbia, Missouri,. She joined the bank in 1992 after serving as director of public relations for Stephens College. Prior to moving to Columbia, Wilkerson was a public relations manager in Chicago for Smith, Bucklin & Associates, the nation’s largest non-profit association management company, and began her career at Luhrs Marketing Research, a small consumer research firm. She is a Certified Financial Marketing Professional and graduated from the American Bankers Association School of Bank Marketing and Management in 2000. She is a member of the University of Missouri Trulaske College of Business Marketing Advisory Board. In 2005 she was awarded the University of Missouri College of Business Award of Excellence, its highest honor for a non-graduate. She is also a member of the American Marketing Association and Public Relations Society of America. Wilkerson graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and theater. |
 Steve Wyatt is the Associate Dean for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and, Statewide Business Development Program Director for University of Missouri College of Engineering and University Extension. Steve provides leadership for the Missouri Small Business Development Centers, Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Missouri Federal and State Technical program, Career Options, Missouri Market Development, Missouri Film Commission, and various environmental programs. Last year the programs served more than 20,000 participants and had nearly a half-billion dollars in economic impact. Steve began his involvement with the University as a Missouri Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) counselor in 1987. He became the Associate Director for the Missouri SBDC in 1989. As Associate Statewide Director, he provided leadership for the internal operations of the SBDC, provided legal assistance to University Extension and directed the Missouri Procurement Assistance Center. In 2001, Steve became the Statewide Business Development Program Director. Most recently, he was named Associate Dean in the College of Engineering and Extension Professor. Since 2002, Steve has served on the Director’s Council for the national eXtension Initiative and Foundation. In 2006, the Provost selected him to chair the Existing Business Economic Development Task Force for the University. Steve received his BS degree in business administration from the Liberty University, VA in 1986, his MBA from the University of Missouri in 1989, and his JD from the University of Missouri in 1990. He is a member of the Missouri Bar and practices Law on a part-time basis. |