Kevin Eichner, Chair

Founder and CEO - Eichner Performance Strategies, LLC

Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College

 

Kevin C. Eichner is a seasoned executive and higher education leader with a career spanning finance, consulting, and academia. A Harvard M.B.A. and Ottawa University graduate, he has held major leadership roles including Founder of Collaborative Strategies, CEO of GenAmerican/MetLife, co‑founder and CEO of Enterprise Bank & Trust, and Chancellor of Ottawa University, where he now serves as Chancellor Emeritus and Life Trustee. He currently leads Eichner Performance Strategies, LLC as Founder and CEO. Kevin has served on numerous boards and executive committees, including Enterprise Financial Services Corp, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. He divides his time between Missouri and Arizona with his wife, Marylin, and enjoys golf, boating, and time with their three sons and six grandchildren.

Education:
  • B.A. in Social Change, magna cum laude, Ottawa University, 1973
  • M.B.A., Marketing and Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business School, 1977

Jim Faletti

Retired CEO - Strategic Insights

Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College, Board of Trustees - Missouri University of Sciecne and Technology, Founding Member, Academy of Engineering Management

 

Jim Faletti is a retired HR executive, management consultant, and founder of Strategic Insights, Ltd., where he provided human resources guidance to organizations ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations. Over his career, he held senior HR leadership roles at International Harvester, ITT Corporation, MCI’s Midwest division, and Ameritech, and later served as Senior Vice President of Technical Services for VideoCart, overseeing nationwide implementation of high‑tech retail systems. Jim also founded HR Insights Ltd. to deliver practical HR tools and services to underserved small‑business markets. He has served on multiple civic and professional boards and continues to contribute to Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he earned both his B.S. and M.S. in Engineering Management and was inducted as a founding member of the Academy of Engineering Management. Jim lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife, Maureen.

Education:
  • B.S. in Engineering Management, Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • M.S. in Engineering Management, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Peter Hofherr, Ph.D.

CEO - St. James Winery

Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College, Missouri's Wine and Grape Board - Chairman, Missouri Humanities Council

 

Dr. Peter Hofherr is the Chairman and CEO of St. James Winery, Missouri’s largest winery and one of the top ten producers in the Eastern United States, where he has held leadership roles for more than 25 years. A native Missourian, he oversees operations that include 150 acres of vineyards and distribution across 25 states and Washington, D.C., with the winery consistently ranked among the most awarded in the region and named the 14th most awarded winery in the world in 2014. Dr. Hofherr holds a B.S. in Microbiology from Auburn University, an M.B.A. in Finance from Georgia State University, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Missouri, and is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. His career includes work in financial advisory consulting with Coopers & Lybrand and service as Missouri’s Director of Agriculture and Chief of Staff under Governor Bob Holden. In addition to his industry leadership, he serves on numerous state and national boards, including chairing Missouri’s Wine and Grape Board, and has been recognized as Agricultural Leader of the Year by Ag Leaders of Tomorrow and as one of Ingram’s Magazine’s Top 50 Missourians You Should Know.

Education:
  • B.S. in Microbiology, Auburn University
  • M.B.A. (Finance), Georgia State University
  • Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Missouri
  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Marcella Manjarrez

Director - Clayco

Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College

 

Marcela Manjarrez is the CEO of M Strategic Communications and a seasoned advisor with more than 25 years of experience in strategic communications, reputation management, and executive counsel for CEOs, C‑suite leaders, and central banks. She previously served as Chief Communications Officer for Centene Corporation, a Fortune 24 healthcare enterprise, and spent 15 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, rising to Vice President of Public Affairs. Marcela serves on the boards of Enterprise Financial Services Corp and Clayco, and sits on the advisory board for Washington University’s Center for Finance and Accounting Research. A Harvard Business School–certified Corporate Director and member of Extraordinary Women on Boards, she is also the bestselling author of The CEO’s Competitive Advantage (Forbes Books, 2024). She holds degrees in Economics from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and Washington University and has been recognized among the 101 Most Influential Latino Leaders and St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Businesswomen.

Education:
  • B.A. in Economics, University of Missouri–St. Louis
  • Master’s in Economics, Washington University in St. Louis
  • Harvard Business School–Certified Corporate Director

Rick Moeckel

Executive Vice President - Clayco

Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College

 

Rick Moeckel is an Executive Vice President and Partner at Clayco, where he brings more than 25 years of experience in strategy, innovation, and operational leadership to one of the nation’s most forward‑thinking design‑build firms. Since joining Clayco straight out of Missouri Western State University, he has risen into a key enterprise‑wide leadership role, overseeing operations and guiding Project Engineers and Senior Project Engineers across the country. Rick has led some of Clayco’s most complex institutional projects, earning a reputation for aligning bold vision with precision execution while championing Clayco’s integrated, collaborative delivery model and “Beyond These Walls” mission. His community impact includes leading volunteer contractor efforts following the St. Louis tornado as part of “STL RECOVERS,” and serving on the boards of Pedal the Cause and Bethlehem Christian Academy, as well as contributing to CCDI and advising The Covering House on major facility development. Rick holds a degree in Construction Engineering from Missouri Western State University and enjoys life with his wife, April, and their four children.

Education:
  • B.S. in Construction Engineering, Missouri Western State University (2000)

Ben Rassieur

Retired CEO - Paulo Products Group

Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College, Chair, Audit & risk Committee - Commerce Bancshares Inc.

 
Ben Rassieur has served as President of Paulo Products Company since 1987, leading heat-treating, brazing, and metal finishing operations across five facilities in Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee. He began his career at Paulo in 1977 as a Production Engineer, developing advanced heat treating and finishing techniques, and later drove major expansion as a Sales Engineer, President of Service Enterprises Corporation, and Director of Corporate Planning, where he established engineering and management development programs and led multiple acquisitions. In addition to his leadership at Paulo, Ben serves as a Director of Commerce Bancshares Inc., where he chairs the Audit & Risk Committee, and has held prominent roles with ASM International, the Metal Treating Institute, and the Young Presidents’ Organization. A committed community leader, he has served on numerous educational and nonprofit boards, including Concordance Academy, John Burroughs School, and Aim High St. Louis. He earned his A.B. in Economics, cum laude, from Amherst College.

Education:
  • B.A. in Economics, cum laude, Amherst College (1976)

Michael Fox

Managing Director - Accenture

Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College, Board of Trustees - Missouri University of Sciecne and Technology, Founding Member, Academy of Engineering Management

 

Mike Fox is a senior global executive with more than three decades at Accenture, where he began his career after earning a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 1990. He currently leads Accenture’s Mining and Building Materials industry group, partnering with major global mining companies to improve operational efficiency and advance environmentally conscious production of essential minerals. Throughout his career, Mike has led several global industry practices—including Agribusiness and Alcoholic Beverages—and has worked with many of the world’s largest and most influential companies, including Anheuser‑Busch/AB‑InBev, ADM, Bunge, Cargill, Caterpillar, Freeport‑McMoRan, Henkel, Molson Coors, PepsiCo, and Rio Tinto. His work has taken him around the world, with extended assignments in Chennai, Düsseldorf, Jakarta, Melbourne, and Tokyo. Mike remains actively involved with his alma mater through service on the advisory board for the Business & Information Technology Department. He and his wife, Anne, reside near Denver, Colorado, and have four children.

Education:
  • B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology (1990)

Mike Ruchensky

Retired CIO - KNX Holdings

Senior Strategic Advisor - Tekletics, Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College

 
Mike Ruchensky retired in 2024 as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Knight‑Swift Holdings, concluding a more than 20‑year career with Swift Transportation and later Knight‑Swift following their 2017 merger. He originally joined Swift in 2003 as Vice President and CIO and went on to oversee all technology functions for the nation’s largest full‑truckload carrier, guiding major systems integrations, enterprise technology strategy, and digital transformation initiatives. Prior to his tenure in the transportation industry, Mike held a variety of technology leadership roles at AlliedSignal, Sara Lee, and J‑Del. In retirement, he continues to lend his expertise as a Senior Strategic Advisor for Tekletics, focusing on strategy, technology, and AI‑driven decision‑making. Mike holds a B.A. in Accounting from the Angell Snyder School of Business at Ottawa University and an M.B.A. from Baker University. He enjoys spending time with his wife and family, traveling, and playing a little golf.

Education:
  • B.A. in Accounting, Ottawa University
  • M.B.A., Baker University

Larry Hofstetter

President - Schaeffer Manufacturing Company

President of Schaeffer Mfg. Company, Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College

 

Larry Hofstetter is an accomplished executive with nearly four decades of leadership experience across the manufacturing, energy, and education sectors, recognized for building high‑trust organizations, strengthening safety cultures, and transforming supply chains into fully integrated value chains. He currently serves as President of Schaeffer Manufacturing Company, a specialized lubricants producer, and previously held senior roles at Cenovus Energy, including Director, Business Venture Manager, and Refinery Consultant. Larry’s career also includes leadership positions at Gateway Academy as Executive Director, at Premcor Refining Company as Director of Market Fundamentals, and more than a decade at Shell Oil Company in engineering, planning, and crude oil management roles. His board service includes Bick Holdings, Inc., where he was Chairman for seven years, The Fulton School, where he served as President, and Burger Specialty Foods. Larry earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering, cum laude, from Missouri University of Science and Technology and began his academic journey on a baseball scholarship at Jefferson College.

Education:
  • B.S. in Chemical Engineering, cum laude, Missouri University of Science & Technology (1986)
  • Attended Jefferson College on an athletic baseball scholarship (1979–1980)

Karla Callahan, Ph.D.

Wanderer Capital, Executive in Residence, Co-Founder, Start-Up Company in “stealth-mode”

Dean's Board of Advisors - Kummer College Board of Directors - Center for Alumni Relations and Advancement

 

Dr. Karla Callahan is a technology‑driven executive, entrepreneur, and educator with deep expertise in innovation, scalability, and engineering‑focused business leadership. Her career spans executive and engineering roles at Texas Instruments, Cypress Semiconductor, American Microsystems, United Silicon Structures, and Vizyontech Imaging, along with founding and leading three start‑up companies and advising many others. Dr. Callahan also served as Dean’s Executive Professor in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, where she taught in Information Technology & Data Analytics, contributed to Executive MBA programs, worked with international Fulbright scholars, and mentored student start‑ups, earning multiple Outstanding Teaching Awards. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science & Technology—where her doctoral dissertation won national recognition—and a B.S. in Chemistry from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, which honored her with its Distinguished Alumni Award. Dr. Callahan also holds the designation of Eminent Engineer from Tau Beta Pi and serves on the board of the Center for Alumni Relations and Advancement at her undergraduate alma mater.

Education:
  • B.S. in Chemistry, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
  • M.S. in Engineering Management, Missouri University of Science & Technology
  • Ph.D. in Engineering Management, Missouri University of Science & Technology (2004) — Dissertation of the Year (national competition)