Appointment of Jim Hagale is effective immediately
William Woods University (WWU) today announced the appointment of Jim Hagale, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Bass Pro Shops, to the William Woods Board of Trustees. The appointment of Hagale was voted on unanimously by the university’s current governing board and is effective immediately.
From 2003 through 2019, Hagale served as President and Chief Operating Officer for one of the biggest names in outdoor retail in the U.S., Bass Pro Shops. Among his top accomplishments during his leadership tenure at Bass Pro Shops was working with the City of Memphis, Tennessee to transform the Pyramid into a Bass Pro Shops store and hotel, and presiding over the growth of 15 stores to 170 stores, including the corporation’s 2017 purchase of Cabela’s, a major American retailer specializing in hunting, fishing, boating and camping. Previously, Hagale served as Executive Vice-President at Bass Pro Shops, responsible for merchandising, distribution, finance, human resources and information technology.
A native of Springfield, Missouri, Hagale began his 32-year career in manufacturing when he founded Hagale Industries in 1969. A producer of men’s and women’s apparel nationally to major branded catalogers and retailers including Land’s End, L.L. Bean, J. Crew, Nordstrom and Brooks Brothers among others, Hagale Industries received numerous awards including Manufacturer of the Year and Exporter of the Year by the State of Missouri. Jim Hagale was also inducted into the Greater Ozarks Business Hall of Fame and received the W. Curtis Strube Ethics in Business Award.
Hagale’s post-retirement life has included development of a state-of-the-art equestrian facility and business, Hagale Family Arabians, in Rogersville, Missouri. The facility is home to national champion Arabian show horses and breeding stallions. Jim Hagale is married to Mary Martha Hagale, and together they have six children, including two sets of twins, 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
