Steve Danner

First Vice Chair

Steve Danner joined the board in 2018 following the university’s establishment of the Show-Me Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) Program. Danner served as Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard from January 2009, when he was appointed to the position by Governor Jay Nixon to his retirement on August 1, 2019. A licensed attorney, Danner will serve of counsel to the law firm Shaffer, Lombardo, Shurin, Kansas City, Missouri.

Having achieved the rank of Major General, Danner’s accomplished military career included serving as a combat engineer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Commander of the 140th Regiment, Assistant Adjutant General, and Command Judge Advocate in Balad, Iraq. Danner is the recipient of the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal (with two Bronze Service Stars), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal, among others.

In addition to his military career, Danner also served three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives and one term in the Missouri State Senate. A corporate/business law attorney by trade, he was also the co-owner of a management and construction company that developed, built, operated, and/or owned more than 30 resorts, motels, commercial developments and residential subdivisions in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

A native of Macon County, Missouri, Steve Danner is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (BA, History); the University of Missouri-Columbia (JD, Law); and the U.S. Army War College (MS, Strategic Studies).

Danner has four children and seven grandchildren and is married to Katie (Steele) Danner.