Friday, February 06, 2026

Kehoe appoints Carthage man to Safe Water Drinking Commission


(From Gov. Mike Kehoe)

Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced seven gubernatorial appointments to various commissions and filled one county vacancy.

Jason Choate, of Carthage, was appointed to the Safe Drinking Water Commission.

Mr. Choate currently serves as the director of water services at Carthage Water and Electric Plant. He previously worked as the plant superintendent for Leggett and Platt, Branch One. Choate holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Missouri Southern State University.








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Timothy Ganz, of Wildwood, was appointed to the Safe Drinking Water Commission.

Mr. Ganz is the director of environmental compliance and water quality for Missouri American Water, where he previously served as the environmental and operations manager. He is an active member of his community, serving as a trustee on the Missouri Section of the American Water Works Association and is the past president of the Missouri River Water Suppliers Association. Ganz earned his bachelor's degree in fisheries and wildlife from the University of Missouri, a Master of Science in Biology from Saint Louis University, and his Master of Business Administration from Maryville University.

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Ashley Hoselton, of Galt, was appointed as the Sullivan County Public Administrator.

Ms. Hoselton previously served as the deputy clerk for the Sullivan County Prosecuting Attorney's Office before being appointed as the interim public administrator for Sullivan County. She also serves as a member of the Sullivan County Senior Tax Board. Hoselton graduated from Chillicothe High School.

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Frank Offutt, of Platte City, was appointed to the Safe Drinking Water Commission.

Mr. Offutt is the executive director of Platte County Public Water Supply District #4 and the district administrator for the Platte City Special Road District. He has a long history of civic service, including 16 years of experience as the mayor of Platte City. Offutt holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University, as well as a commercial driver's license and a Federal Aviation Administration commercial pilot's license.








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Charles Pritchard, of Jefferson City, was appointed to the Missouri Veterans Commission.

Mr. Pritchard currently serves as regional director of external affairs for AT&T. He is a former sergeant combat engineer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He serves as chair of the Foundation for State Technical College of Missouri and previously served on the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He holds an associate degree in electronics engineering from State Technical College of Missouri, a bachelor's degree in management from William Woods University, and a Master of Business Administration from William Woods University.

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Kathy Smith, of Shell Knob, was appointed to the Missouri Charter Public School Commission.

Prior to retirement, Ms. Smith served as the regional education director for the Walton Family Foundation. She previously worked as the deputy superintendent of secondary schools for Bentonville Public Schools. She is active in civic service, currently serving on the boards of the Arkansas for Education Reform Foundation, the Reform Alliance, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a Master of Education from the University of Arkansas.

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Donald Summers Jr., of St. Louis, was appointed to the Safe Drinking Water Commission.

Mr. Summers served as the assistant director of training for the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 Training Center for over 20 years before retiring. After retirement, he opened a consulting company to work with Local 562 and other associations and organizations in the field. He remains an active member of his community, currently serving as a member of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials. 






He also served on the board of directors for the Midwestern Apprenticeship and Training Coordinators Conference and the American Society of Sanitary Engineering. Summers earned his Missouri vocational teaching certificate from the University of Missouri.

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Troy Williams, of Jefferson City, was appointed to the Missouri Veterans Commission.

Mr. Williams is currently a service officer for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and formerly owned Sticks & Stones Landscaping in Eldon. Williams, a former lance corporal for the United State Marine Corps, has a strong record of service, including membership in the American Legion, Marine Corps League, DAV, and an extensive history of leadership in the VFW Department of Missouri. In recent years, he has served as VFW National Legislative Chairman, VFW Department of Missouri All-American Commander, and Department of Missouri District 2 Commander.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, good for him. Now, I hereby appoint myself chairman of the beer drinking commission! It’s Miller time!