During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clay Goddard provided calm, professional leadership by coordinating safety measures to protect the community.

Missouri State will honor the former director of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department with the Government Excellence Award at a fall 2021 commencement ceremony.

About Clay Goddard

Goddard spent his professional career in public service with the City of Springfield and the Springfield-Greene County Health Department. He retired as director of health in February 2021.

As the director of health, Goddard led the charge to protect Springfield and Greene County amidst a number of public health concerns over the years. During COVID-19, that included coordinating appropriate policies on masking, vaccination, facility occupancy and public gatherings.

“Public health leaders throughout the state of Missouri looked to Springfield as a model for proactively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Missouri State President Clif Smart. “Clay is an exemplary leader, transparent communicator and friend. He was a reassuring voice during a time when many of us felt unmoored since our reality was upended so completely.”

Goddard is continuing his public service as the director of public health transformation at the Missouri Foundation for Health. His focus is on building Missouri’s statewide public health system to be a model for the rest of the country.

Goddard graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1994 and a master’s degree in public administration in 1996.

About the Governmental Excellence Award

The university president and administrative council recommend recipients. Executive committees of the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and Student Government Association support the nomination prior to going before the Board of Governors for approval.