Profile: Ara Clark, editor-in-chief, Missouri Conservationist
Exploring the world through a career in journalism
by Becky Legel, posted Nov. 26, 2007
As soon as she mentions her dogs, Oliver and Cricket, Ara Clark’s face lights up. Her muscles seem to loosen and she lets herself sink into a chair in MU’s Memorial Union.
“Dogs are a big interest of mine,” Clark said. “I have a lot of books on them.”
In fact, before she bought her first dog, she purchased three general books and five specific books about different breeds of dogs. She wanted to make sure she got a breed that would fit into her busy lifestyle, so she read through the books and chose the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Her bookshelf is also full of historical books about London in the 1700s, salt, rats, Scrabble, Bridge and biographies of important social figures like Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire. She likes to read about social aspects of different time periods to get a better understanding of history.
“I am, by nature, a very curious person,” Clark said. “I love to learn new things.”
Her love of research, history and knowledge helped bring her to where she is today. As editor-in-chief of the Missouri Conservationist, Clark plays an important role in the publication of the monthly magazine.
Because of the position she holds, Clark is exposed to many different people who each offer a unique perspective on hunting, fishing, wildlife and other issues affecting the Missouri Department of Conservation.
“It’s critical for me to maintain interest in my job,” Clark said. “I need that feeling of discovery to be constant.”
Although she spends most of her time in the office, a “pod” in the basement of the Missouri Department of Conservation offices in Jefferson City, Mo., she reaches out by talking to a variety of people every day.
“I’m not focused on one department more than another,” Clark said. “I have a more balanced outlook in the magazine because of it.”
Back in school, Clark went through the same problem of choosing a career path that most students do. For her freshman year of college, she went to Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., and was an undecided major. But she transferred to MU because of the reputation of the journalism school.
“I decided on journalism because I had always loved magazines and storytelling in general,” Clark said. “At the time I kept thinking I wanted to be involved in magazines, especially the visual side of storytelling.”
Her original aspirations were to work for a travel magazine because it would allow her to travel to different places, fueling her sense of curiosity.
After she graduated from MU in 1998, she worked for Vox magazine in Columbia and then she helped launch Missouri Life magazine as a designer and art director.
At Missouri Life, she showed her commitment to the craft.
“She would bring her pajamas and sleep on our couch when we were pulling all-nighters in those early issues, when we had to do it to finish an issue and meet a deadline," said Danita Allen Wood, editor-in-chief of Missouri Life magazine. "That is amazing dedication.”
Clark said she learned a lot from working at Missouri Life. She also enjoyed the experience of working at a travel magazine.
“Missouri Life was great because it connected the history, people and places that I care about,” Clark said. “As time went on, I decided I didn’t want to leave Missouri. I decided it was important to be close to people I cared about.”
The desire to stay in Missouri led her to a graphic designer position at the Missouri Department of Conservation in 2001. Her family had always held the Missouri Department of Conservation in high regard, but Clark said the real thing that drew her toward the department was the need to do meaningful work that could help the people in the state she loved.
“The Missouri Department of Conservation was directly connected to people in Missouri that I cared about,” Clark said.
Another factor in her decision was the simple reality that people had to pay for Missouri Life.
“The consumer end of that product wasn’t as fulfilling to me,” Clark said.
She became art director for the Missouri Conservationist in 2003, and she stepped up to be editor-in-chief in 2005.
Her everyday activities at the magazine are “a little bit of everything,” including staying in contact with writers, working on the schedule for new articles, editing and designing.
Nichole LeClair, managing editor of the Missouri Conservationist, added that her co-workers love it when Clark bakes.
“She makes a mean cupcake!” LeClair said. “However, in general, Ara is very casual and engaging.”
In terms of the work she does, “Ara Clark burns hot,” LeClair said. “She is analytical, creative, and rarely indecisive. Because she is aware of her own strengths and those of her staff, she delegates projects quickly and effectively.”
Clark describes putting together a magazine as “kind of like being in the Groundhog Day movie.”
“If you don’t come and keep the process moving constantly, it will all fall apart,” Clark said.
Clark says young journalists do not necessarily have to know what they want to do from the beginning.
"I didn't really know where I wanted to go,” Clark said. “I knew I had the whole world at my hands, but I didn't know where to start that search.”
Even when you do have a job, Clark admits, you still don’t have to know exactly what you want to do. She is always looking, always searching for new and different things.
Clark does a lot, but she is always striving to do more.
“You really have to fine-tune your craft,” Clark said. “It’s good to be confident, but keep a humility about it so you keep pushing yourself harder.”
