Missouri State University Economic Development Leader Allen Kunkel to Retire in June 2025
Allen Kunkel, associate vice president for economic development at Missouri State University, will retire in June 2025 after 19 years. He joined the university in 2007 and became director of the Jordan Valley Innovation Center (JVIC) in 2010, expanding it into a hub for applied research and technology commercialization.
Kunkel significantly contributed to the IDEA Commons innovation park and the efactory, the university's entrepreneurship outreach center. In 2022, JVIC was chosen as one of three locations for a NextFlex Node under America's Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute.
He also oversaw the establishment of a composite braider facility supported by the U.S. Air Force. Kunkel expressed optimism about the future of JVIC, efactory, and IDEA Commons, noting the capable staff poised for continued success.
