Senior Director of Development, University of Missouri School of Journalism – Age: 38

Kimberly Lakin Mize may have chosen to complete high school and college in Columbia, but she was always ready for a run at big-city life. Upon graduating from Stephens College in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Mize moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked at the Smithsonian Institution for three years. Shortly thereafter she moved to Colorado Springs to work as director of development for the Gallmann Memorial Foundation, an environmental education foundation based in Kenya.
In June 1995, Mize moved back to Missouri and joined Browning-Ferris Industries of Kansas City. A year later she became the events and promotions manager for the Kansas City Zoological Gardens and then worked as membership programs manager for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art from 1998 to 2000. In February 2000 Mize moved back to D.C. for less than a year to serve as the director of the President’s Council for National Public Radio before coming back to Columbia to be the University of Missouri’s director of development for regional programs and then senior director of development for the School of Journalism, her current position.
A member of the Columbia Independent School’s Board of Trustees, Mize also serves on the Mayor’s Task Force for Nuisance Party and Property, the Columbia Office of Cultural Affairs Poster Party Committee, the University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology’s museum associates board and the Daniel Boone Regional Library art committee.
In her spare time Mize enjoys spending time with her husband, Geoffrey, and her parents, Dean and Betty Lakin. She also partakes in baking layer cakes and reading The New York Times cover to cover.
“As Columbia’s geography and infrastructure continue to expand, so too should its support of the arts,” said Mize. “Great cities are historically judged by their commitment to fostering arts and culture for all citizens. I support the arts in Columbia, both financially and as a volunteer, and I hope to inspire this passion in all Columbia residents.”