It all started with a seed
Rachel Moten, posted Oct. 24, 2006

Gary Myers, a 1971 MU agricultural journalism graduate, was selected as the most recent CAFNR Executive-in-Residence. Myers is the former owner and president of Morgan&Myers, along with president of GaryMyers+Associates. Myers is the 29th Robert O. Reich Family Executive-in-Residence.

“It’s very great to be back on campus. The campus continues to change, [and that’s why] I love coming back,” said Myers.

The program was established in February of 1997 by faculty and staff. When the guest executive is on campus, meetings, and get-togethers happen in the classroom, during meals, and at receptions. The visiting executive explains his or her views about business, leadership, and tips on how one might succeed in the world.

Another component of the Reich Executive-in-Residence program is updating the guest about what is happening with our college, what is being planned for the future, and how teaching, research, and extension programs are having positive impacts.

“He is heavily involved internationally,” said Bill Allen, assistant professor and coordinator of the Agricultural Journalism program.

Myers did not start as president of his own company or have these qualities at the beginning of his career, but he had to work his way up the ladder to success. “I always want to be known as the fair guy, and I [like] to treat associates with respect and see things from their perspective,” said Myers.

It all began with moving from an urban city to a rural town. Myers’ family moved from Independence, MO. to Maryville, MO when he was young. He was introduced to FFA and the strong journalism program that Maryville High School had. Myers went on to pursue his education at MU and became an FFA state officer.

“My father wanted me to get out of the city because the farm would teach good wholesome values and going to MU would help me get a good education as oppose to being just counted as a number,” Myers said.

“I realized what was offered here and others showed me what opportunities were down here, so I finally decided to lock into my mind this was somewhere I would be going,” Myers said. “Back then it was $500 per semester, so tuition wasn’t a huge deal.”

Public relations and agricultural journalism are what his job entails. “My dream was always to be a writer for a farm publication, and public relations came along when I was a senior at MU,” Myers said. “In a public relations department, employers write news releases, annual reports, create websites, blogs and brochures, plan events, and do media relations.”

“If you’re considering a job in PR, and you don’t like to write, don’t go there,” Myers said. “You need to be a good writer and good communicator.” Myers manages two companies of his own which has caused him to face challenges of being an entrepreneur.

“Management of your time is tough and managing a lot of balls in the air at the same time for a PR position,” Myers said. “It is a demand of yourself in the profession.”

Myers learned that working with talented people and sharing their success adds satisfaction. “It’s interesting and psychologically rewarding to be your own boss and to be in charge of your own destiny,” Myers said. “Being in charge of a business is a big responsibility especially if you have a big payroll.”

He learned early how important it was of hiring ‘super’ people. Myers said, “Be a good talent scout and only hire the best talent you can get. Train them and it makes all the difference in the world.”

Myers’ said that his father still ponders on the idea of how his son ended up where he is today. “My father only knew agriculture was a good career and knew raising a family on a farm was good,” but he did not know that because of this, his son would manage his own company in the future.

It’s funny, “how little decisions that are made in your life can have an impact down the road that you didn’t expect.”

When asked what advice he would like to leave young, innovated agricultural journalists, he said:

• Get a job you really enjoy, and if not the first time, make it so that you can change to find something that you do enjoy.
• Do not take the first thing that comes along.
• Have a job that you can test the water, learn, and enjoy.
• For the PR profession you “have to love to write because it’s paramount.”
• Technical skills are first. Leadership and teamwork go hand in hand because nothing happens in business that’s isolation. Look at jobs as a broad context of impact on the organization.
• Do the Missourian and come away with reams of stories that are knowledgeable.

Myers plans to continue his teaching profession at the University of Wisconsin in White Water, and do his consulting business.

Myers enjoyed visiting campus again and sharing information with the Ag students. Many students benefited from Myers’ visit because it is always “helpful to receive world advice from someone who has had a successful career in the field,” said Stephanie Chipman, career services director for CAFNR.

Journalism and business majors have to “ask questions of one of the pre-eminent public relations professionals in America,” Allen said. “He brought with him a gold mine of incredible front-line experience, and he shared it in many ways with these students."