Todd Parnell, retired banker and former President of Drury University, has joined the Advisory Board of the Ozarks Studies Institute. Todd comes from a long-time Ozarks family, and he is a prolific author of fiction with Ozarks themes. He just published the third novel in his first trilogy about the Ozarks, Donny Brook. Current members of the OSI Advisory Board include:

1. Brooks Blevins, History Department, Missouri State University
2. Susan Croce Kelly, Managing Editor of OzarksWatch Magazine
3. Kaitlyn McConnell, Founder and Producer of OzarksAlive.com
4. Mike Obrien, retired columnist for the Springfield News-Leader
5. Todd Parnell, retired banker and former President of Drury University
6. Tom Peters, Dean of Library Services, Missouri State University
7. [new Associate Dean of Libraries], Director of the OSI and editor of OzarksWatch Magazine (probably starting in August)