Gov. Mike Parson was already on the stage Thursday when Ozarks Technical Community College Chancellor Hal Higdon realized he had not yet made the big announcement.
“I was supposed to do something first but I think it’s better this way,” Higdon said. “Because I want him standing up here.”
Parson was the last person slated to speak before the groundbreaking for what was to be known as the Center for Workforce and Student Success.
Higdon said the yet-to-be-constructed building facing Chestnut Expressway, just east of Sherman Avenue, will be called — by unanimous agreement of the Ozarks Tech Board of Trustees — the Michael L. Parson Student Union.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” Parson responded.
Higdon said it was in recognition of the support Parson provided during his six years as governor and state funding allocated to the college’s projects during that time.
“We’re going to look at this as the golden era of infrastructure funding for workforce development in higher education, both two-year and four-year, and it is going to pay dividends long after all of us are gone,” Higdon said.