Josh Cotter is president of Community Foundation of West Plains Inc.
Josh Cotter's deep connections with the rural Ozarks give him a unique perspective on its needs and strengths — and the importance of building resources close to home.
He's spent time in classrooms as a teacher; in spaces where he's helped develop a local workforce; and now, as president of the Community Foundation of West Plains Inc., an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
"The track record of the CFO — all of it really impressed me,'' Cotter says, who was introduced to the CFO years ago via the start of a scholarship fund. "I was like, 'This is an amazing organization; I need to be involved in this."
Cotter's early years were spent in Ozark County, where he attended school in Gainesville. His family later moved closer to West Plains, where he graduated from high school and began a college journey that culminated in a doctoral degree. These moments paralleled his professional life, as Cotter taught students at those same schools.
The experience also led to his current role as director of Southern Missouri Technical Institute, which offers certifications in trades — like auto body and nursing — to high school and adult students in West Plains. "You get to see them working in the community, whether it's as a nurse or a welder or a lineman or a surge tech,'' Cotter says of the center's graduates. "You get to see the impact that that has, and it's just phenomenal."
That effort also links to service through the CFWP, where he began as a board member.
"It's really exciting and it's fun to be a part of," he says of the CFWP. "That kind of ties back to how I feel about my job: It matters. It means something and your time's being spent doing something valuable and helping people that need it or want it."
Who inspires you? Send your suggestions of individuals moving the needle in your community to Kaitlyn McConnell, the CFO's writer in residence, at kmcconnell@cfozarks.org.
