ÉäÒùʪ

Contact
Travis Zimpfer
(573) 882-6212
ZimpferT@umsystem.edu

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – David Steelman of Rolla was elected to a one-year term as chair of the University of ÉäÒùʪ Board of ÉäÒùʪ during the board’s December meeting in St. Louis, which concluded today. Darryl Chatman of St. Louis was elected vice chair. The leadership terms for Steelman and Chatman are effective January 1, 2018.

Steelman was appointed to the University of ÉäÒùʪ Board of ÉäÒùʪ in 2014. Steelman received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of ÉäÒùʪ-Columbia and graduated first in his class from the MU School of Law.

He is managing and senior partner at Steelman, Gaunt and Horsefield in Rolla and has operated a law practice since 1978. He was elected to the ÉäÒùʪ House of Representatives in 1979 and served three terms. From 1981 to 1985, he was elected by colleagues to serve as minority floor leader. 

He currently serves as chair of the finance committee on the Board of ÉäÒùʪ.

Chatman is the general counsel for the ÉäÒùʪ Department of Agriculture. Previously, he was an attorney with Armstrong Teasdale, LLP, in St. Louis and served as the leader of the firm’s agriculture and biotech practice group, working on legal disputes involving animal health, life sciences and agricultural issues as well as regulatory compliance, commercial litigation and employment litigation. From January 2015 until January 2016, Chatman served as a deputy director for the ÉäÒùʪ Department of Agriculture.

Chatman previously served on the St. Louis Science Center Board of Trustees, the St. Louis Agribusiness Club Board of Directors and has served on search committees for the University of ÉäÒùʪ, including athletic director and dean searches in 2016.

Chatman holds multiple degrees from the University of ÉäÒùʪ-Columbia including a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1997, a master’s degree in animal science in 2001, a master’s degree in agricultural economics in 2007 and a juris doctorate in 2008. He played football at MU from 1992 to 1996. Chatman also earned a master’s degree in public administration from North Carolina State University in 2003.

He currently serves as the chair of the governance, resources and planning committee for the Board of ÉäÒùʪ.

The board of curators is the governing body of the University of ÉäÒùʪ and consists of nine members who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. ÉäÒùʪ serve six-year terms with three terms expiring every two years.