Thomas R. Voss

Thomas R. Voss, retired president and CEO of Ameren Corp. and executive chairman of Smart Wires, will receive the doctor of engineering, honoris causa during commencement ceremonies at Missouri S&T on Saturday, May 12.

Over 1,300 graduate and undergraduate degrees will be awarded at two commencement ceremonies, held at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the Gale Bullman Building on the Missouri S&T campus.

Voss was elected to serve as executive chairman of Smart Wires in 2014 after retiring as chairman, president and CEO of Ameren Corp., a Fortune 500 company. He began his career with Union Electric (now Ameren Missouri) in 1969 as an engineer, after earning a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T.

During his 45-year career with Ameren, he held numerous positions including distribution operating manager, vice president for AmerenCIPS, senior vice president for energy delivery and customer services, senior vice president for generation, executive vice president, and chief operating officer before landing the role as chairman, president and chief executive officer in 2009.

While employed, Voss joined the U.S. Air Force serving on active duty 1969-73. As a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School, he became a commissioned officer. He held various engineering positions at the Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center in Newark, Ohio, including liaison project manager between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the USAF on an inertial guidance gyro improvement program. He also managed an engineering laboratory during his service.

Voss is a registered professional engineer in Missouri and Illinois. He has been a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers for more than 45 years. In 2011, he was selected by the National Society of Professional Engineers for national recognition as the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. He has also earned a U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal.

Voss received an Award of Professional Distinction in electrical engineering from S&T. He completed the Public Utility Executive Program at the University of Michigan Business School, the Westinghouse Advanced School in Power Systems Engineering accredited by Penn State University and Nuclear Reactor Training at MIT. Voss serves on the S&T Board of Trustees and the Engineering and Computing Advisory Board.

Voss was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to a six-month term on the University of Missouri System Board of Curators in June 2016. In 2017 he was appointed to the Transformational Advisory Council by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

Voss serves on several St. Louis-area civic and arts organizations and currently serves as chairman of Grand Center Inc., chairman of the Chamber Music Society, and as a director for the MUNY and St. Louis Ballet. He has been a champion of safety and diversity both within and outside Ameren Corp.

Voss married Carol June Kuehn in 1970. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.