SPRINGFIELD, Mo., December 14, 2020 — Drury University is pleased to announce a number of promotions in campus leadership roles going into the new year.
Dr. Shannon Cuff will assume leadership of all Drury GO and graduate-level academic programs as the associate provost of adult, online and graduate education beginning in January. She succeeds Dr. Regina Waters, who is retiring. Cuff has extensive experience working with faculty and students in nontraditional and graduate programs. As dean of the School of Education and Child Development, she supported development and implementation of new academic programs and certificates in the day school, Drury GO and the College of Graduate Studies. Cuff earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Drury in 2000 and 2004, respectively, and a doctorate from the University of Missouri. Cuff has been a faculty member since 2017.
Sarah Nenninger was appointed executive director of Marketing and Communication in November. In this role, Nenninger is responsible for overseeing and executing all of the university’s marketing communication strategies. She took over the role on an interim basis following the retirement of Wendy Flanagan in May. Nenninger led the rebranding of Drury’s evening and online programs, now known as Drury GO; and has led the university’s extensive communication efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aaron Jones will assume the role of interim executive vice president of evening and online programs in January. He will continue in his role as executive vice president for university relations and general counsel. Jones will be responsible for operations, management, recruitment and enrollment, and growth strategies for Drury GO. The new role is a familiar one for Jones, who led Drury’s evening and online operations from 2012-17. A search for a permanent appointment for this position will begin in early 2021.
Dr. Natalie Precise will assume leadership of the School of Education and Child Development as interim dean beginning in January. Precise is a strong advocate for teacher education and has invested her career in preparing future educators through her work at Drury and in the community. She has served in numerous university leadership positions including faculty governance co-chair, Drury Fusion assessment co-coordinator, institutional review board chair, and faculty advising fellow. She has been active in the Missouri State Teacher Association. Precise received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Missouri State University and a doctorate from the University of Missouri. Precise has been a faculty member since 2013.
Additionally, earlier this year Drury announced two promotions to key leadership roles for campus operations:
Brandon Gammill was named vice president of facilities operations. Gammill has worked for Drury since 1997. He oversees all aspects of facilities operations on campus including the processes, staff and budgets of all maintenance, custodial, grounds, and HVAC teams. Gammill is also the university’s point person in charge of the $27 million C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly Enterprise Center construction project.
Val Serafimov was named vice president of technology services. Serafimov joined Drury’s technology services team in 2000. He became director of the department in 2009 and played a critical role in the conversion of Drury’s student information system and numerous other projects. He currently oversees all operations of the department including software, hardware, project management and budget.
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