Missouri State University President Clifton M. Smart III was elected president of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri (COPHE) at the Council’s June 2 meeting in Springfield.
Other officers elected include Thomas F. George, chancellor of UMSL, vice chair, and Troy D. Paino, president of Truman, treasurer. Smart recently completed a two-year term as vice chair.
“Tom, Troy and I are humbled that the other presidents elected us to serve as officers of COPHE,” said Smart. “It is important that we coordinate our advocacy efforts and provide as much assistance as we can in charting the course for higher education in Missouri. We look forward to partnering with our community colleges, the legislature, the Governor and others as we continue to move education at all levels forward in Missouri.”
Smart was named interim president of Missouri State University on June 27, 2011, and served in that role until he was named the 11th president of Missouri State on Oct. 16, 2012, after a nationwide search. He served as the university’s general counsel from December 2007 until being named interim president.
Smart joined The Strong Law Firm in 1992. He was a shareholder in the firm from 1995-2007 and vice president since 1998. In his 15 years with the firm, his practice consisted primarily of representing individuals and entities in catastrophic injury, medical malpractice and commercial cases.
Smart was selected to the panel of three applicants submitted to the governor for the vacant Missouri Supreme Court positions in 2002 and 2004. In February 2009, he was elected for a five-year term as one of the two lawyer members of the 31st Circuit Judicial Commission.
#
About COPHE
COPHE is a nonprofit association comprised of the presidents and chancellors of Missouri’s 13 public four-year universities, and the president of the University of Missouri system. The primary mission of COPHE is to support and advance the mission of Missouri’s public four-year universities, while increasing the understanding and appreciation of public higher education by state leaders and the public at-large.