*Missouri Governor Michael L. Parson*

Office of Communications

_____________________________________________________________________________________

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

August 16, 2019

**Governor Parson Makes Seven Appointments to Boards and Commissions**

*(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)* Today, Governor Mike Parson announced seven appointments to various boards and commissions.

*Larry Ferrell*, of Cape Girardeau, was appointed to the *Public Defender Commission.*

Mr. Ferrell currently practices both criminal and civil law with Johnson, Schneider, & Ferrell, LLC. In January 2018, he retired from the United States Department of Justice. Mr. Ferrell is the former Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, serving 26 years as Chief of the Criminal Division for the Southeastern Division. Additionally, he was selected by the Department of Justice to serve as a member of the newly created Regime Crimes Liaison Office. Mr. Ferrell was also selected to serve as the United States Justice Attache to Iraq. As the Justice Attache, he was the Senior Department of Justice Official in the country of Iraq and acted as the direct representative of the Attorney General of the United States. Mr. Ferrell received a Bachelor of Arts from Missouri State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

*Gary Fuhr*, of Imperial, was appointed to the* Public Defender Commission.*

Mr. Fuhr previously served as a State Representative for the 97th District from 2011-2012. During his time as a State Representative, he served on the following committees: ViceChair of Appropriations forPublic Safety and Corrections;Crime Prevention and Public Safety; Judiciary; Urban Issues; and the Interim Committee on Criminal Justice. Mr. Fuhr has 22 years of experience serving in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), including Lead Hostage Negotiator for the St. Louis Division and five years as a Supervisory Special Agent. Mr. Fuhr holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Maryville University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

*Garrick Hamilton*, of St. Louis, was appointed to the *Missouri Housing Development Commission*.

Mr. Hamilton serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Koman Group. Prior to joining the Koman Group, he served as an attorney with the Land Use and Financing Group of Husch & Eppenberger, LLC (now Husch Blackwell LLP). Mr. Hamilton recently formed a small law firm, Schott & Hamilton, LLC, that provides general counsel services to other real estate professionals. Currently, Mr. Hamilton is a senior board member of the Missouri Growth Association, Treasurer of the Downtown St. Louis Community Improvement District, and Assistant Treasurer of the Central Institute for the Deaf. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Truman State University in Kirksville and a Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law.

*Tracey Lewis*, of Kansas City, was appointed to the *Missouri Housing Development Commission*.

Mr. Lewis is a Senior Vice President at the Commerce Trust Company. Previously, he served as a Vice President at Waddell & Reed Asset Management. Mr. Lewis currently serves as the Investment Committee Chair for both Truman Medical Center and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. He is also a board member of the Oppenstein Brothers Foundation, the Shumaker Family Foundation, SchoolSmart Kansas City, and the Vision Impact Power Fund. Mr. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Communications from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and a Master of Business Administration from Cornell Universitys Johnson Graduate School of Management.

*Mel Tjeerdsma*, of Maryville, was appointed to the *Northwest Missouri State University Board of Regents*.

Mr. Tjeerdsma recently retired from Northwest Missouri State University where he served five years as Director of Athletics and previously served as Head Football Coach, leading the team to three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II National Championship wins. He has over 50 years of experience in Athletic Administration at the high school and collegiate levels. Mr. Tjeerdsma is a four-time American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coach of the Year recipient, a two-time American Football Quarterly NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year recipient, a NCAA Division II Football Hall of Fame inductee, and a Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee. He is also a member of the AFCA and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Football Coaches Association. Mr. Tjeerdsma holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Southern State College and a Master of Science in Physical Education from Northwest Missouri State University.

*Robin Wenneker*, of Columbia, was appointed to the *Coordinating Board for Higher Education*.

Ms. Wenneker is the Managing Partner of CPW Partnership, a family-owned property management company. She is a former President of the Univeristy of Missouri-Columbia's College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources Foundation and a current member of the Griffiths Leadership Society for Women. Ms. Wenneker also currently serves on the Assistance League of Mid-Missouris Philanthropy Committee, the Childrens Grove Board of Directors, and the Board of Commissioners for both the Columbia Housing Authority and the Columbia Community Housing Trust. Ms. Wenneker holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

*Michael Williams*, of Kansas City, was appointed to the *University of Missouri Board of Curators*.

Mr. Williams is a Founding Attorney and Managing Partner of William Dirks Dameron, LLC. Previously, he served as an Associate Attorney and Partner with Lathrop & Gage, LLP, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. For over a decade, he has served as a mentor and board member for Higher M-Pact, a nonprofit group working with at-risk, inner-city youth. Mr. Williams was appointed by the Missouri Senate to serve on the University of Missouri System Review Commission in 2016. In 2004, he became the first African American to serve on the Kansas Bar Association Board of Governors. Mr. Williams is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate from the Universitys School of Law.

###

________________________________________________________________________

*Contact: Kelli R. Jones*

Communications Director

Work: 573-751-0765

Email:[email protected]

Website: www.governor.mo.gov


Follow us on Twitter [ [link removed] ] Visit us on Twitter [ [link removed] ]
Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]



________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Office of Governor Michael L. Parson PO Box 720 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-3222 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]