Trent Ball Named On Black Impact Magazine's 26 Of 2026 Men Of Impact List

Trent Ball serves as the inaugural Senior Strategy Director for Completion at the Missouri College and Career Attainment Network (MOCAN). MOCAN transforms lives by creating more equitable, statewide postsecondary education outcomes. At MOCAN, we do this by increasing postsecondary access, affordability, and completion for students living in low-income communities, particularly those who are Black, Hispanic, and rural students.

As Senior Strategy Director, Mr. Ball leads MOCAN’s post-secondary attainment and completion strategy. Prior to joining MOCAN, Trent retired from Southeast Missouri State University and holds the title Associate Provost Emeritus. During his tenure at Southeast, he provided leadership and management of the Academic Support Centers, including Educational Access Programs, Learning Assistance Programs, and the TRIO Programs (McNair Scholars and Student Support Services). Earlier in his career he also supervised the university’s Upward Bound and GEAR UP programs along with other areas within the traditional student affairs campus model.

Mr. Ball is the Past Board Chair for the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), Past President of The Educational Opportunity Association (EOA) and Past President of MO-KAN-NE - all TRIO and educational opportunity and access promoting professional organizations. He has also served as President of the Missouri Association for Blacks in Higher Education (MABHE) and serves on numerous boards and councils. His professional goal has always been to increase educational equity and opportunity by developing and supporting a generation of post-secondary education leaders who look like, and share lived experiences with, the students we must intentionally serve and support. Ball has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Culver-Stockton College, a Master of Arts in Psychological Counseling and Therapy and completed coursework in the Master of Public Administration program at Southeast Missouri State University to augment his administrative and policy development skills.