The Columbia Public Schools Foundation (CPSF) is pleased to announce its 2023 officers.

The 2023 CPSF Board of Directors officers are David Townsend, president; Lynn Barnett, vice president; Sally Silvers, secretary; Gale “Hap” Hairston, treasurer; and Cindy Mustard, past president.

Townsend will serve a two-year term as CPSF president. He is the president and CEO of Agents National Title Insurance. A Columbia native, Townsend graduated from Hickman High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and education from Drury University and a juris doctor degree from the University of Missouri.

Townsend joined the CPSF board in 2017 as a way to continue the legacy of his mother, Shirley Townsend, who was heavily involved with CPS. “CPSF is a vehicle by which we as a community can support and augment the educational opportunities of CPS students,” he said. “It is also a way to give the excellent staff of our public schools additional resources to work with students and help them achieve their educational goals.”

 The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is a private foundation established in 1996 by community volunteers dedicated to the enrichment of public education through community giving. The Foundation has funded projects in every school, allocating more than $1.6 million to enhance education in the Columbia Public Schools. CPSF has supported teachers and students for more than 26 years.