In honor of Sen. Karla Eslinger’s support of Missouri State University, the Board of Governors voted to name her the recipient of the 2022 Government Excellence Award.  

Eslinger will be presented with the award at a fall 2022 commencement ceremony on Dec. 16. 

About Eslinger

Eslinger represented District 155 in the Missouri House of Representatives and was elected to the Senate in 2020. There, she advocates for the university and led Senate support for multiple million-dollar construction projects for the Pace Industrial Science Center and the ASCEND program on the West Plains campus. 

“We are grateful for Senator Eslinger’s continued support of the university and education,” said Missouri State President Clif Smart. “Her passion for education and Missouri is evident in all her work and has made our state better.” 

Eslinger is a lifelong educator and has more than 30 years of educational experience. She earned a master’s degree in education administration and a specialist degree in superintendency and educational system administration from Missouri State University. 

Along with her degrees, she has held several roles in public education, including elementary teacher, principal and superintendent. 

About the Government Excellence Award

The Government Excellence Award is awarded to government officials who exemplify leadership, support the university and have outstanding achievements. 

The university president and administrative council recommend award 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.