Vicki Russell

Vicki worked for Tribune Publishing Company in various capacities from 1977 until she retired in late 2016. The Fulton Sun (12 years) and then the associate publisher (21 years) and publisher (five years) of the Columbia Daily Tribune. Aside from decades of management experience, Vicki was the driving force behind numerous new initiatives and publications at both newspapers. She served on the Tribune’s corporate board of directors for more than 20 years.

She has been quite active in professional, business and civic organizations. Her newspaper industry roles include: Current chair of the Missouri Press Foundation Board of Directors, past chair of the Missouri Press Service Board of Directors, past president and long-time member of the Missouri Press Association, and founding committee member and first board chair of the Missouri Society of Newspaper Editors.

Vicki serves on the corporate board of The Callaway Bank and on the Boone County Community Trust Board of Directors. She is a past board chair of the Fulton Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. She is also a past board chair of Regional Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) and has chaired the boards of many civic, arts and charitable organizations.

Her leadership was recognized in 2016 by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network with the Athena Award and by the Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation as the Community Leader of the Year. She was also inducted into the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame.

She was chair of the Stephens Board of Trustees from July 2015 through June 2018, has served on the board for more than 12 years, and has helped with various fundraising campaigns since 1995.

Vicki received a B.J. (1972) from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where she also attended graduate school and worked as a graduate teaching assistant.

Her late husband, Henry J. (Hank) Waters III, was a Stephens trustee for many terms.