Providing Advice and Consent
The recent veto and extraordinary sessions provided the Missouri Senate with the opportunity to discuss several key appointments to Missouri’s various boards and commissions. These appointments are made by the governor, but approved by the Missouri Senate though the process of advice and consent. This simply means the Senate reviews the appointment and determines if the individual is qualified to serve on their appointed board or commission. While senators review appointees, they also have the opportunity to sponsor appointees from their own senatorial districts. I recently had the honor to sponsor two well-qualified appointees from our community.
Colonel Levon Cumpton will serve as the newest adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard. This is an important leadership position that works to ensure the safety of not only the state of Missouri, but the rest of the country as well. As adjutant general, Col. Cumpton will oversee the nearly 12,000 Missouri Air and Army National Guard members, under the direction of the Missouri governor and the US president. The position of adjutant general is a major responsibility, but I know Col. Cumpton is up for the task. With over 26 years of military service, Col. Cumpton has served overseas in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq and has been awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, an Army Meritorious Service Medal and many other awards. It was an honor to sponsor such a distinguished member of our armed forces through the appointment process.
I also sponsored Nancy Gibler, who was appointed to the State Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority. This board-directed agency works to develop unique and effective financing mechanisms to support state, municipal, regional as well as corporate environmental improvements. Nancy comes to the board with an extensive background in energy and business. Having previously worked as a finance coordinator with the Missouri Department of Economic Development, she currently serves as Director of Business Development at Central Electric Power Cooperative, a generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Jefferson City. In her current position, she oversees the economic development and communications efforts of the cooperative.
I believe both of these individuals will serve our state to the best of their abilities and keep it moving in the right direction. I am glad to see both of them receive a stamp of approval from the Missouri Senate, and I look forward to seeing the good work they do in the future.
To learn more about the various boards and commissions serving our state, their duties, requirements or links to meeting information, please visit boards.mo.gov. If you are interested in serving on a board or commission, please visit the Boards and Commission website to submit an online application. Since many boards and commissions have membership terms that expire, we are always looking for Missourians willing to serve our great state.
Please feel free to contact my office at (573) 751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.