Missouri Military Academy Welcomes Two New Board of Trustees Members

Two alumni of Missouri Military Academy (MMA) have joined the MMA Board of Trustees. Chris Gentry of Hyannis, Nebraska, and Jim Obenshain of Oklahoma City are the newest trustees.

“These men have consistently demonstrated their leadership, dedication, generosity, and value to the Academy. They are outstanding role models for the MMA family,” says MMA President Brigadier General Richard V. Geraci, USA (Ret). “We expect to benefit from their life experience, expertise, and success.”

Gentry, a fifth-generation cattle rancher in western Nebraska, owns the A bar C Ranch and is president of Gentry Land Co. in Hyannis. He graduated from MMA in 1988 and holds an associate of applied science degree from Southeast Community College in Lincoln. A swimmer for the Colonels’ three-year undefeated swim team, he is in the MMA Athletic Hall of Fame. As a member of the MMA Alumni Association Board of Directors, he serves as a lead liaison to the MMA Parents Committee. His son Eric also attended MMA.

“MMA is extremely important to the education of boys throughout the world,” Gentry says. “I am a proud MMA brother and parent. As a brother, I wore the GI blacks that I proudly shined every day and walked the hallowed halls of many great brothers before me. I was held responsible for my failures and rewarded for my achievements. As a parent, I learned to trust an institution with my son, learning to let go but holding on, watching the Academy teach him skills as only they could. It is very important for me to see this legacy continue for many future brothers.”

Obenshain is a 1986 graduate of MMA, where he was active in track, wrestling, and band. He earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from the University of Arkansas and spent eight years in the Air Force Space Command, responsible for all missile warning training. He left the Air Force with the rank of captain and returned to civilian life, working around the world in commercial satellite operations, industrial sales, and the oil and gas industry. He retired in 2019 and now focuses his free time on his alma mater, where he recently served on the alumni association board of directors.

“MMA’s role for our young men is more important than ever,” Obenshain says. “We are building a foundation for good citizens, good fathers, and good spouses. I want to ensure MMA remains for another 130 years.”

The MMA Board of Trustees is comprised of professionals (business, banking, legal, retired military, medical), former parents, and alumni who believe in the Academy’s mission, formally meets four times per year, in addition to regular committee meetings and monthly executive committee meetings.

“I am delighted to welcome both Jim and Chris to the MMA Board of Trustees,” said Strib Koster, chair of the MMA board. “They both have a long history with the Academy, and the Board of Trustees will benefit greatly from their unique insights and perspectives as we continue to plot the course of MMA for decades to come.”