Jefferson City, Missouri - Gov. Jay Nixon today announced his appointments to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents, the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee and the State Soil and Water Districts Commission. The appointments will be subject to approval by the Missouri Senate.
The Governor has appointed Phillip M. Britt (D), of Kennett; and Edward P. Gargas (D), of Dexter to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents. The six-member Board of Regents appoints the President of the University, employs faculty and staff, and makes budgetary and policy decisions necessary to implement the University's mission.
Britt has served as the Drug Court Commissioner for the 35th Judicial Circuit since 2002. Prior to that, he was the elected state representative for the 163rd District in the Missouri House. Britt also served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Dunklin and Pemiscot counties. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Southeast Missouri State University and his law degree from the University of Missouri. The Governor has appointed Britt for a term ending Jan. 1, 2022.
Gargas is the director of operations and sales for Bagby Wealth Management and has been in financial management and insurance positions since 1991. He is a commissioned officer in the Missouri Army National Guard and a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Southeast Missouri State University, his masters in business administration from William Woods University and a masters in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. The Governor has appointed Gargas for a term ending Jan. 1, 2022.
The Governor has appointed Derek B. Hunter (R), of Springfield, to the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee. The committee’s mission is cost containment through health cost management, assurance of community need and the prevention of unnecessary duplication of health care services. Certificate of Need is based on a goal of public accountability through review of proposed health care services, value promotion, and negotiation among competing interests.
Hunter is a retired CPA who was with the accounting firm of BKD, LLP from 1979 to 2007, when he retired as a partner. He primarily served long-term care facilities and retirement villages while at BKD. Hunter obtained his undergraduate degree in accounting from Missouri State University. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Jan. 1, 2016.
The Governor also has appointed Timothy W. Martin (I), of Bernie, to the State Soil and Water Districts Commission. The Missouri Soil and Water Districts Commission formulates policies and general programs for the saving of Missouri soil and water by the soil and water conservation districts.
Martin is the president of Martin Rice Company, Martin Grain Company and Marco Inc. With his brothers, he farms and manages more than 7,000 acres of rice-growing and row crop land in southeast Missouri. In 2010, Martin Rice Company received the Governor’s Award for Agricultural Achievement. Martin is a member of the Elk Township Board in Stoddard County and a member of the Little River Drainage District Board of Supervisors. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Aug. 15, 2018.
