July 12, 2011
Gov. Nixon makes five board and commission appointments
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Jay Nixon today announced his appointments to five boards and commissions. The appointees will be subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate, with the exception of the appointment of Jackson County Circuit Judge Dale Youngs to the Coordinating Board for Early Childhood. The appointees, along with their boards and hometowns, are:
- Clay County Board of Election Commissioners (Thelma Crawford - Kansas City)
- Coordinating Board for Early Childhood (Dr. Shirley Patterson - Columbia; Judge James Dale Youngs - Kansas City)
- Crime Laboratory Review Commission (Timothy R. Cisar - Lake Ozark)
- Missouri Quality Home Care Council (Jennifer Gundy - Walker)
- State Committee of Dietitians (LaGreta Hudson - Columbia)
Clay County Board of Election Commissioners
The Governor has appointed Thelma Crawford (D), of Kansas City, to the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners. The board sets policy and makes rules and regulations within the statutes for the conduct of all public elections within the jurisdiction.
Crawford is the President of S&T Consulting, LLC. From 1994 to 2002, she was a business development project manager for the Department of Economic Development, and from 2002 to 2010, a business representative for the Division of Workforce Development. Crawford currently serves as the Chair of the Northland Chamber of Commerce. The Governor has appointed her for a term ending June 15, 2015.
Coordinating Board for Early Childhood
The Governor has appointed Shirley Patterson, of Columbia, and Judge James Dale Youngs, of Kansas City, to the Coordinating Board for Early Childhood. The Missouri Coordinating Board for Early Childhood is the state's public/private entity for coordinating a cohesive system of early childhood programs and services that will result in the healthy development of, and high quality education for, all Missouri children from birth through age five.
Dr. Patterson holds Ph.D. in Special Education-Learning Disabilities from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Patterson is a retired instructor who taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia from 1969 to 2007. In 2005, she also taught a seminar series at Columbia College titled "Children At-Risk and/or Children with Special Needs." She has been appointed for a term ending at the pleasure of the Governor.
Judge Youngs is currently a Circuit Judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit, in Jackson County. He formerly served in private practice and as a Missouri assistant attorney general. He received his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, where he was a member of the school's national moot court team and a recipient of the American College of Trial Lawyers Medal for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. He has been appointed for a term ending at the pleasure of the Governor.
Crime Laboratory Review Commission
The Governor has appointed Timothy R. Cisar, of Lake Ozark, to the Crime Laboratory Review Commission. The commission reviews the operations of crime laboratories in the state of Missouri that receive state-administered funding.
A graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Law, Cisar was the president of the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers from 2004-2005. He has operated a private practice since 1983. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending April 1, 2013.
Missouri Quality Home Care Council
The Governor has appointed Jennifer Gundy, of Walker, to the Missouri Quality Home Care Council. The Missouri Quality Home Care Council was created to ensure the availability and improve the quality of home care services by recruiting, training and stabilizing the personal care attendant workforce.
Gundy holds a bachelors degree in Psychology from Missouri Southern State University and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas. Gundy is the executive director of On My Own, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to furthering the cause of independent living throughout the community. The Governor has appointed her for a term ending March 1, 2014.
State Committee of Dietitians
The Governor has appointed LaGreta Hudson (D), of Columbia, to the State Committee of Dietitians. The committee ensures the health, safety and welfare of Missouri citizens by licensing and regulating qualified/competent dietitians.
A registered dietitian, Hudson has been an instructor and clinical dietitian for the University of Missouri since 2003. She is an independent contractor for Longitude Health, Inc. and a clinical dietitian at Jefferson City Medical Group: Weight Treatment Center. The Governor has appointed her for a term ending June 11, 2013.