ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Don Downing of Webster Groves was elected to a one-year term as chair of the University of Missouri Board of Curators during the board’s meeting November 21-22 in St. Louis. Donald Cupps of Cassville was elected vice chair. The leadership terms for Downing and Cupps are effective January 1, 2014.
Downing, who served this year as the board’s vice chair, succeeds Wayne Goode of St. Louis, whose term as chair expires Dec. 31. Downing is currently the chair of the Finance committee, and is also a member of the Executive, Audit and Compensation and Human Resources committees. He was appointed to the Board of Curators in March 2009.
An attorney, Downing is currently an officer and shareholder with the firm of Gray, Ritter and Graham, P.C., in St. Louis. He previously served as managing partner of the St. Louis office of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP, and on the firm’s managing committee. From 1993 through 1996, Downing served as Chief Deputy Attorney General for the state of Missouri.
A native of Kennett, Downing received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1979, and his juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 1982. He was elected to the Missouri Law Review in 1980.
Cupps was appointed to the Board of Curators in January 2011. An attorney, he is the senior partner at Ellis, Cupps and Cole P.C., and serves as the attorney for the city of Cassville and the Barry County Industrial Development Authority. He received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1978, and his juris doctorate from the MU School of Law in 1981.
The Board of Curators is the governing body of the University of Missouri and consists of nine members who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Curators serve six-year terms with three terms expiring every two years.
For a high resolution photo of Downing, visit .
For a high resolution photo of Cupps, visit .
Reviewed 2013-11-22