CEO Magazine

Everyone can make a difference in the lives of the people they know and care for. But some people are in a position where they can make a difference in the lives of thousands. Columbia is fortunate to be home to a diverse group of civic,…

A new day and a new terminal are coming for the tens of thousands of people who fly into or out of the Columbia Regional Airport each year. In November, the Columbia City Council unanimously gave its approval for the design/build method of…

During just the past year, numerous disasters, both natural and man-made, have contributed to the climate crisis. Just this past August, a wildfire razed much of the Amazon rainforest — destroying trees that help reduce the amount of…

James Owen is in the midst of a busy afternoon at the Columbia headquarters of Renew Missouri. Yesterday, he was in Springfield. Tomorrow, he’ll be in Kansas City. As he sits before his desktop computer, his iPhone watch begins to vibrate.…

There is something reassuring about Matt Moore’s presence. Maybe it’s the steady, calm tone of his voice. Maybe it’s his thoughtful demeanor or his old-style manner of making a guest feel at home. He’s formal, dressed in his ironed white…

Josh Hendershott has always been a lover of the outdoors. Hiking, fishing, hunting and camping are his escape when the stress of his career as a senior spine specialist for NuVasive gets to be too much. But, his love for being in nature…

In the past decade alone, Columbia has seen its population increase by almost 15,000 residents (to a total of nearly 125,000). Many of those residents were attracted by the city’s strong, and growing job market, good public schools, and the…

TOP LEFT Robert Jensen red stripe tie $135 and Robert Graham geometric shape socks, $28.50. TOP RIGHT Robert Graham geometric print tie $125 and Robert Graham stained glass socks $28.50. BOTTOM LEFT Lee Allison Co. purple…

In July, John Glascock was named Columbia’s city manager, which he has called his “dream job.” In November he was tapped as interim city manager after Mike Matthes resigned. While Glascock initially wasn’t interested in the city manager…

Construction activity traditionally swings into high gear each spring, as freezing temperatures ease up and the ground thaws. So, it’s a great time to check in with Columbia builders and developers about the state of the local industry.…

On the way to his third-floor office, Gary Ward steps with an even, determined pace across the star-patterned floor tiles of Jesse Hall. It’s 8 a.m., and he has just finished his morning workout. His day started three hours earlier as he…

John Ott is giving a new life to a Columbia building that housed an old funeral home. Located on the corner of Ninth and Walnut streets, Parker Funeral Home is being transformed into an events center with seating for 450 people and standing…

If eating healthfully is your primary goal, granola bars might not be the best choice. Most store-bought granola bars and so-called protein snack bars are sugar-loaded candy bars disguised as healthy snacks. Nevertheless, almost all my…

After searching through the entire store for T-shirts for Clara, her physical and fearless toddler, KOMU morning news anchor Megan Judy was frustrated: All of the shirts for girls featured princesses, unicorns and glitter, none of which…

The CEO and the president of one of the Midwest’s fastest growing ecommerce sites are sitting next to each other on a large couch in their south Columbia home. Business titles don’t fit Sam and Jesse Bodine well. After 13 years of marriage,…

Located in a chocolate-colored building on the corner of S. Fifth and Cherry Street, Flat Branch Home Loans blends inconspicuously into its surroundings. Anyone driving by would think they spotted just another local business in a restored…

Sitting on the sticky, white paper covering the exam table, about 200 patients are told they need brain surgery each year at University of Missouri Health Care. Whether it is benign or cancerous, brain tumors can be life-altering for the…

At face value, Columbia, Missouri, has the standard makeup of a true college town with education serving as its economic backbone. Contributing to this narrative are several factors, including a major public university belonging to one of…

One could argue that family-owned businesses, in tandem with the University of Missouri, built the foundation for the Columbia we know today. And according to eight leaders of local family-owned companies, their essential goal is to nurture…

Think of a business in the community that has had such a long-standing impact that it seems to have helped build local culture by its presence. Chances are, it’s what’s known as a legacy business. According to Dr. Rhonda Reger, M.…