Burrell passes Foundation Board presidency to Barry with eye on continued success

July 28, 2022

As the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors sets goals for the next fiscal year and beyond, Dr. Bob Burrell passed the gavel this summer to Leisha Beckemeyer Barry, having completed a period that was one of the most successful in the University’s history.

The Northwest Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, develops and stewards philanthropic resources for the benefit of Northwest Missouri State University and its students. Board members traditionally serve two consecutive three-year terms, and leaders are elected to serve two years in their respective roles. The Board meets three times per year on the Northwest campus.

“The Foundation has risen to the occasion and serves the needs of the University,” Burrell said. “I think we’re a very important player in its long-term success, and we expect to remain to be an influential force on behalf of Northwest.”

Burrell, who joined the Board in 2014 and is active with the Colorado chapter of the Northwest Alumni Association, presided over the 36-member volunteer board during the last two years. Barry, a board member since 2017 and vice president the last two years, transitioned to her term as president during the Board’s July session while Burrell becomes immediate past president. Ted Place, a 1999 alumnus, is beginning his term as president-elect.

After graduating in 1970 from Northwest, where he was a member of the Phi Sigma Epsilon fraternity, Burrell enjoyed a career in higher education and student affairs work at the University of Florida, Southern Methodist University and the University of Denver. He then became executive vice president of Cardtronics Ltd., a Denver-based startup company that today operates ATMs in North America and Europe, and retired in 2012. 

He was actively involved with Northwest’s efforts to gather support and raise funds for the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse, which opened in 2018. Inspired by the giving of others to the project, Burrell and his wife, Seal, committed $100,000 to the project, making them members of the Founding 50. A native of Mount Ayr, Iowa, he also supported Knacktive’s recent partnership with the Ringgold County Development Corporation. He has given to the Pay It Forward Fund in addition to providing a $15,000 gift for the Northwest Scholarship Dream Team and maintaining membership in The 1905 Society.

Burrell guided the Foundation Board to the successful completion last year of the Forever Green campaign, which surpassed its goal by raising more than $55 million for institutional initiatives. Subsequently, the Foundation Board set its sights on keeping alumni and friends of the University engaged, despite the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Burrell and Barry did so by organizing business meetings and social activities through virtual platforms.

“For over a year, Leisha and I tried to manage the Foundation Board remotely,” he said.
“One of the biggest things that we tried to do in the last year – besides raise money, obviously – was keep the members connected and invested and, with Leisha’s help, I think we did a really good job of that.”

Barry earned her bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Northwest in 1984 and later completed a master’s degree in business administration and management at Rockhurst University in 1990. She retired as a vice president in 2015 from Cerner Corporation, a leading healthcare technology company based in Kansas City, Missouri.

She has since served on many philanthropic boards, including as the interim director for the Liberty Public Schools Foundation and as president of the Liberty Hospital Foundation. She and her husband, Ken, supported the construction of Northwest’s Agricultural Learning Center with a $25,000 gift to became members of its Homesteader society, in addition to providing a five-figure gift toward the renovation of the Bearcat football locker room. They also have supported the University’s Pay It Forward Fund and are members of The 1905 Society.

As a Northwest student, she was a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha. Her sorority affiliation became the connection point and inspiration for Barry to join the Northwest Foundation Board as she saw alumnae investing their time in advancing the University.

“It has certainly been a rewarding experience, getting to work with a lot of great people as well as reconnecting with Northwest,” Barry said.

As she transitions to the role of Foundation Board president, Barry is aware of the need to continue building and strengthening bonds with alumni and donors that will help Northwest continue to prosper. The Foundation Board also will play a role in the University’s process of seeking its next president while supporting Interim President Dr. Clarence Green during the upcoming academic year. 

“We’re at a critical time with the University,” she said. “We’re looking forward to working with Dr. Green over the next year and certainly looking forward to what the future holds with a new president coming on board, too. But really it’s about bringing us back to the mission of the Foundation.”

For more information about the Northwest Foundation, including ways to give recommending future Board members, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/foundation/ or contact the Northwest Foundation at 660.562.1248 or visit www.nwmissouri.edu/GiveOnline.