Michele Chambers ’98
Michele Chambers ’98 has been named Assistant Director and Financial Officer of the Missouri Western State University Foundation.
After spending the majority of her career with for-profit organizations, Chambers knew she wanted to experience something new, yet familiar. “I liked the idea of working for a nonprofit organization where the goal is focused on improving the quality of life … it’s more personal,” Chambers said.
Chambers’s goal for her first year in her new position is to understand the processes and history of activities of the Foundation. She wants to familiarize herself with the Foundation’s day-to-day operations and its interactions with the institution and community. “Regardless of whether an organization is a for-profit or a not-for-profit, the target is a favorable result at the end of the day’s operations,” Chambers said.
Returning to St. Joseph and Missouri Western is like coming home for Chambers. She and her family first moved to St. Joseph in 1987, when her mom received a job opportunity as a professor at Missouri Western. Chambers left St. Joseph for a job opportunity herself in 2009 and is grateful for the chance to return to the area. Missouri Western has been a part of her life since her family first arrived in St. Joseph, and she has a lot of good memories on the campus and in the classrooms over the years. She believes that working in the Foundation will allow her to ensure others have the same opportunity that she did.
“I have had a number of successes in my career that have come through diligence and hard work, but I would not have had those opportunities without the degrees that I earned at Missouri Western opening those doors initially,” said Chambers. She graduated from Missouri Western in 1998 with degrees in marketing and accounting.
Chambers’s husband, Scott, is also a St. Joseph native. They have been married 15 years. She has a daughter, Ashley, age 24; and a son, Xavier, age 13. She also has two grandchildren, Brayden, age 4; and Raelynn, age 4 months. During her previous time in the community, she volunteered actively with the local Girl Scouts, St. Joseph Figure Skating Club and Junior Achievement.
Chambers began her duties in October 2020.