Clifton M. Smart III

In recent years, Smart has served as the president of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri, on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, on the Mercy Health Springfield Communities Board of Directors, on the Board of Directors for the Hawthorn Foundation, and on the Board of Directors for Missouri Partnership. He has also served on boards and committees for the Missouri Department of Higher Education, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, CoxHealth, Arc of the Ozarks, Springfield Innovations, Inc., Isabel’s House, First Baptist Church and numerous other professional and community organizations.

Smart has lived in Springfield, Missouri for more than two decades. Before his presidency, Smart served as the university’s general counsel. Before coming to Missouri State University, Smart had a private legal practice in Springfield.

Smart and his wife, Gail, have two sons: Murray, who along with his wife, Amy, both graduated in 2012 from Southwest Baptist University and live in Rogers, Arkansas with their daughters Addy, Emery and Miriam and sons Parker and Leeland; and Jim, who recently graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School.