Dr. Bennett Boggs serves as the Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD), which oversees the state’s public workforce development system and guides the state’s higher education investments and policies. MDHEWD serves Missourians through 23 comprehensive job centers, supporting justice-involved individuals through Reentry Centers, managing $160 million in state student financial aid, and administering apprenticeships, achieving a ranking of 3rd in the nation in completed programs. MDHEWD also coordinates higher education funding, manages a longitudinal P20W data system, and oversees MERIC (the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center). Boggs has an extensive background in higher education, serving in leadership roles for state agencies in Kentucky and Colorado, as well as within both public and private higher education institutions. He has also worked with the state legislature in Kentucky and for the National Conference of State Legislatures, based in Denver. He is a passionate believer in the power of partnerships to strengthen services to learners and workers by aligning programs to employer needs, facilitating work-based learning experiences, and leveraging data tools to guide decision-making.