The Board of Regents at Northwest Missouri State University has selected Dr. Clarence Green to serve as the institution’s interim president, effective July 1. 

“Clarence has a long history of distinguished service at the University,” John Moore, the chair of the Board of Regents, said. “He has deep roots in the community and great relationships with students, faculty, staff and alumni. He’ll work closely with those constituencies to keep the University moving forward.”

Green has served as vice president of culture at Northwest since April 2019 and has oversight of the Office of Human Resources, the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, and the University Police Department, for which he also serves as chief. While he leads Northwest teams responsible for strategic planning and crisis management, he also has served on implementation teams for student success, inclusive excellence and behavioral intervention, in addition to leading efforts to establish a multidisciplinary team focused on intervention strategies for students in crisis.

He previously served at Northwest as interim vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, and as the interim vice president of human resources.

Green, who has been employed at Northwest since 1996, has served in law enforcement for more than 25 years. He served on the United States Attorney General Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee and is a Malcom Baldrige fellow. He has led presentations and trainings on topics of leadership, diversity and inclusion, ethics, crisis management, threat assessment, community policing and balanced scorecards. 

He serves in Maryville Ten Squared Men, the local NAACP Chapter and numerous law enforcement organizations. In 2016, he was named among Ingram’s Magazine’s Top 50 Missourians You Should Know.  

He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in higher education leadership, both from Northwest, as well as a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

“I look forward to serving Northwest as its interim president during this time of transition,” Green said. “Northwest is in a position of strength to continue its successful path due to its great students, faculty, staff and alumni.”

Moore added that the Board expects Green to leverage the University’s current mission and strategic framework, which will not change. Northwest will continue its focus on student success, Moore said. 

“If you know Clarence, you know that he won’t just mark his time in this position; he will put all of his energy into working with his teammates to advance the University,” Moore said.

Further, Moore said he has spoken with members of the Northwest Leadership Team and all of them stated their continued commitment to the University.

“We have a very strong senior team, and they will provide great support to one another and Dr. Green in the upcoming year, just as they have in the past,” Moore said.

The Board of Regents is responsible for sound resource management of the University and determining general, educational and financial policies. The Board plans to work with the Northwest community to launch its search for Northwest’s next president when the fall semester begins, Moore said.

About Northwest

With an enrollment of about 7,800 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location and through Northwest Online.

The University places emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers. Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communication agency.

Northwest’s graduation rate is in the 90th percentile among its peers, and 96 percent of Northwest bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners secure employment or continue their education within six months of graduation. Zippia, a career website, names Northwest the best college in Missouri for getting a job.

Furthermore, Northwest’s vibrant and diverse learning community offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $6,800 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. 

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/facts/.