Ken McClure was elected Mayor in April 2017 and re-elected in April 2019, April 2021 and April 2023. He was first elected to City Council to serve as General Council Seat D in April 2015 and elected as Mayor Pro Tem by his fellow councilmembers.
Mayor McClure is a member of the Missouri Municipal League and serves on its board of directors. His previous committee assignments included serving as the chair of the Finance and Administration Committee and as a member of the Community Involvement Committee. He retired from Missouri State University in July 2015, having served as vice president for administrative and information services (emeritus). In this position, he was responsible for Facilities Management, Safety and Transportation, Environmental Management, Support Services, Campus Planning, Design and Construction, Human Resources, Information Technology and University Staff Ambassadors.
Mayor McClure’s previous experience includes serving as chief of staff and transition director for Gov. Matt Blunt and associate general manager-Administration for City Utilities of Springfield. He was appointed by Gov. John Ashcroft as a member, and later as chairman, of the Missouri Public Service Commission. Mayor McClure is a former deputy director-Administration of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, as well as a budget analyst and staff director for the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee.
He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves and was honorably discharged with the rank of captain in 1980.
Mayor McClure received his bachelor’s degree in history from Missouri State University and his master’s degree in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia. In 2020, he was awarded the Excellence in Government award by Missouri State University. He has served on numerous boards and commissions including the Board of Public Utilities, Jordan Valley Advisory Committee, Springfield Good Government Committee, Missouri State Capitol Commission, Personnel Advisory Board, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and United Way of the Ozarks, just to name a few.
Mayor McClure has two grown daughters, two grandsons and two granddaughters.