Missouri University of Science and Technology’s Board of Trustees welcomed two new members during its fall meeting held Sept. 19 in the university’s Welcome Center.

The board comprises Missouri S&T alumni and friends who draw on their accomplishments, experience and interests to help guide the university. It operates under a three-part mission that entails counseling and advising the chancellor on enhancing the university’s stature, interpreting the university’s goals and programs to its various constituents, and identifying and securing financial support.

“The skills, insight and expertise that Rusty Keeley and Breck Washam bring to the board and to the university are exactly what we need to continue bringing Missouri S&T’s bold vision for the future to fruition,” says board president Steve Wunning, a retired Caterpillar executive who earned a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1973 and was honored with a Professional Degree in metallurgical engineering in 2004. “I know I speak for the entire board when I say we are extremely grateful to both Rusty and Breck for their dedication to Missouri S&T as we rise to have an even greater impact locally and regionally, across our country and around the world.”

About the new Board of Trustees members

Lawrence P. “Rusty” Keeley Jr. is CEO of Keeley Companies, a family-owned enterprise that encompasses Keeley Construction, Keeley Properties, Keeley Restoration Services and Keeley Capital. Guided by Keeley’s belief that “if you get the people right, the results will follow,” Keeley Companies specializes in offering innovative solutions in construction, development, and strategic investment. It has achieved 20% growth year-over-year and a 90% retention rate with numerous Fortune 500 companies. In addition to volunteering for and serving on the boards of several nonprofit charitable organizations, many of which serve St. Louis area communities, Keeley stays engaged with Missouri S&T in many ways. He hosted the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering St. Louis Alumni Town Hall and Happy Hour, and he makes the trip to the S&T campus to speak with students about the advantages of launching their engineering careers at the enterprise he oversees. Keeley earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering management from Missouri S&T in 1992. In 2023 he received the university’s Award of Professional Distinction.

Breck Washam is senior vice president and Midwest Region general manager for Burns & McDonnell, an employee-owned builder of critical infrastructure with more than 75 offices around the world. Recognized as a down-to-earth leader and a lifelong learner, Washam joined Burns & McDonnell in 1990 as a mechanical engineer and has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his more than 30-year tenure. Under Washam’s leadership, Burns & McDonnell has been consistently recognized in St. Louis as a top workplace, a healthiest employer, a leading philanthropic firm and one of the largest engineering firms. Washam is active with organizations in the engineering profession and the construction marketplace, as well as community-based organizations that serve the St. Louis area and beyond. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1990. He has served as area director for the Miner Alumni Association and is chair of the Order of the Golden Shillelagh, an organization of S&T alumni who support the university through their leadership, service and philanthropic partnership. He was inducted into the Missouri S&T Academy of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2014.

“Each and every member of Missouri S&T’s Board of Trustees plays an important role in stewarding our university,” says Missouri S&T Chancellor Mo Dehghani. “I appreciate and am inspired by their own career success and their dedication to our institution.”

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to The Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.