Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development

The Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE) selected new officers during its Dec. 6 meeting.

Hollie Elliott of Fair Grove, Allen Brooks of Poplar Bluff, and Judge Anne-Marie Clarke of St. Louis were selected to serve as officers for the 2024 calendar year. Elliott will serve as chair, Brooks as vice chair, and Clarke as secretary. Coordinating board officers are selected by the board annually.

Elliott, the executive director of the Dallas County Economic Development Group, was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in February 2021. She served as the board’s vice chair in 2023.

An active member of the Missouri community, she currently serves on numerous boards, including the Women’s Business Center, City of Buffalo Rotary, Dallas County Community Foundation, and University of Missouri Dallas Extension, among others.

Elliott succeeds former state senator Gary Nodler, of Joplin, who served as chair for the past year.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as the board’s new chair,” Elliot said. “I look forward to collaborating with dedicated leaders across the state to advance our shared vision of making our higher education system the best in the nation. I also appreciate the department’s hard-working staff and know that, with their help, we can work together to build a more prosperous Missouri.”

Other topics of discussion at the meeting included progress updates on board-led strategic goals for the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD), updates on potential legislation expected during the 2024 legislative session, and changes to key personnel within MDHEWD.

Find more information about the coordinating board, including the Dec. 6 board book, at https://dhewd.mo.gov/cbhe/.