Governor Parson Makes Numerous Appointments For Boards And Commissions

Governor Mike Parson’s office has announced a handful of appointments to various boards and commissions plus a couple county offices.

Jerald Andrews, of Bolivar, was appointed to the State Fair Commission; Rob Binney, of Lee’s Summit, to the Missouri Workforce Development Board; Andrew Hixon, of Chesterfield, to the Missouri Public Entity Risk Management Board of Trustees; Dennis Kallash, of Troy, to serve as the Lincoln County Surveyor; and C.D. Stewart, of Bloomfield, to serve as First District Commissioner of Stoddard County.

The Governor also appointed Dr. Bennett Boggs as New Commissioner of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

Read more below:

Governor Mike Parson announced three appointments to various boards and commissions and filled two county office vacancies. 

Jerald Andrews, of Bolivar, was appointed to the State Fair Commission.

Mr. Andrews currently serves as the President Emeritus of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Prior to that, he served for twenty-seven years as the President and CEO of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship. He was previously an administrator at Southwest Baptist University for several years. Mr. Andrews holds a Bachelor of Science in biology, chemistry, and psychology from Southwest Baptist University and a Master of Science in student personnel administration from the University of Central Missouri.

Rob Binney, of Lee’s Summit, was appointed to the Missouri Workforce Development Board.

Mr. Binney has served as Senior Vice President of Citizens Bank and Trust (soon to be Southern Bank) since 2017. He served as a member of the City Council in Lee’s Summit from 2012-2020 and as Mayor Pro Tempore from 2016-2018. Mr. Binney is a member of the executive committee of the Lee’s Summit Workforce Alliance, as well as the Advisory Board of Truman Heartland Community Foundation and the Lee’s Summit Education Foundation. Mr. Binney holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Andrew Hixson, of Chesterfield, was appointed to the Missouri Public Entity Risk Management Fund Board of Trustees.

Mr. Hixson has served as City administrator for the City of Pevely since 2021. Prior to his current role, he served as Director of Development and Assistant City Administrator for the City of Ballwin. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Emporia State and a Master of Public Administration from Wichita State University.

Dennis Kallash, of Troy, was appointed as the Lincoln County Surveyor.

Mr. Kallash has served as the owner of Fitch and Associates Engineers-Surveyors since 1983 and has held a Missouri Professional Surveyor license since 1982. He previously served as Pike County Surveyor and Montgomery County Surveyor. Mr. Kallash has been a member of the Missouri Association of County Surveyors, previously serving as president.

C.D. Stewart, of Bloomfield, was appointed as the First District Commissioner of Stoddard County.

Mr. Stewart has served as President of CCG Farms in Bloomfield since 1977 and as a partner and business manager of Stewart and Stewart since 1988. He also serves as the business manager of Stewco Farms. He has previously served on the Missouri Farm Bureau Board of Directors, Missouri Rice Committee, and Missouri Agri-Energy Board of Directors. Mr. Stewart holds a Bachelor of Science in agriculture from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

ALSO

Governor Parson announced that the Coordinating Board for Higher Education voted to select Dr. Bennett Boggs as the new Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD). The Commission voted on February 22, 2023, and Dr. Boggs has accepted the position.

“We welcome Dr. Boggs and his many years of higher education experience to the great State of Missouri,” Governor Parson said. “We look forward to having him as a member of our Cabinet and part of the team. Under his leadership, our team is optimistic in what we are sure to achieve together in advancing higher education and workforce development in Missouri.”

“We also want to give a special thanks to members of the Coordinating Board and Deputy Commissioner Leroy Wade for steadily guiding the Department throughout the search for a permanent Commissioner,” Governor Parson continued.

With over 30 years of higher education experience, Dr. Boggs joins the State of Missouri after most recently serving as the Deputy Executive Director and Chief of Staff for the Colorado Department of Higher Education, a position he had held since 2019.

Dr. Boggs’ career includes time with the National Conference of State Legislatures, Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, the Kentucky General Assembly, and several universities and colleges, among others.

“Beginning with the creation of the new department in 2019, the strategic plan of 2022, and Governor Parson‘s and the legislature’s investments in 2022 and 2023, it’s obvious Missouri is on the move in postsecondary and workforce alignment,” Dr. Boggs said. “I am grateful to the board for this opportunity and eager to help further move this work forward.”

Dr. Boggs replaces Zora Mulligan, who resigned July 1, 2022, for an opportunity with Missouri State University. Deputy Commissioner Leroy Wade has served as interim commissioner since her resignation.

Dr. Boggs is expected to begin as DHEWD Commissioner in April 2023. An exact start date has not yet been determined as the Coordinating Board finalizes the employment contract.