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RYAN DEBOEF

Ryan DeBoef headshot.jpg

Jane Doe

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BIO
Ryan served as Chief of Staff at Missouri State University from 2014 to 2022. In this role Ryan partnered with President Clif Smart to manage system-wide operations, and he developed significant experience administering budgets, operations, projects, events, and people.

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Ryan also led Missouri State University’s state and federal government relations efforts. He has substantial experience developing legislative priorities and materials, advocating directly with legislators, and managing contract lobbying teams.

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Ryan led efforts to pass and defend against passage of numerous pieces of policy legislation each year in the Missouri General Assembly.  Ryan headed efforts to implement controversial changes to the statutory limitations on degree programs at Missouri’s colleges and universities and leveraged regulatory changes through an executive agency to streamline statewide higher education operations.  Ryan has handled policy bills and negotiations ranging from firearm restrictions to financial aid, from commercial insurance to procurement requirements, and more.

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Ryan also led efforts to secure appropriations for MSU.  Under Ryan’s leadership MSU’s annual operating appropriation grew by 30 percent and the university received more than $130 million in capital appropriations. Ryan led the advocacy teams responsible for obtaining the largest operating appropriation increase (2019) and the largest capital appropriation package (2022) in the university’s 117-year history.

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Ryan was named to the most recent list of the Missouri Times “Top 100 People in Politics.” Ryan was also named to the Springfield Business Journal “Men of the Year” list in 2020 and “40 Under 40” list in 2015.

Ryan is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and completed the Leadership Missouri program in 2021. He served two terms on the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Foundation Board of Directors and chaired the Government Relations Committee and Legislative Policy Committee with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

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A lawyer by trade, Ryan previously served as Legal Counsel at Missouri State University, worked in the private practice of law with the Husch Blackwell law firm, and completed a federal judicial clerkship with U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr. Ryan finished first in his class at the University of Missouri School of Law in 2005.

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Ryan has a residence in Jefferson City and is in the capitol every day during legislative session, but he maintains his primary residence in Springfield with his wife Juli.  They have two school-aged sons—Liam and Waylan—and two adult daughters—Lauren and Hanna.

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EDUCATION:

Bachelor of Science, Summa Cum Laude

Public Administration and Government

Evangel University, 2001

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Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude

University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005

Honors include Order of the Coif and Law Review

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PUBLICATIONS:

2020 Men of the Year: Ryan DeBoef | Springfield Business Journal (sbj.net)

2019 100 List: Navigators - The Missouri Times

2015 40 Under 40 Honoree: Ryan DeBoef | Springfield Business Journal (sbj.net)

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