From Staff Reports
The University Of Missouri Extension Council of Butler County will elect eight people for two-year terms, according to County Program Director Sarah Denkler. Fifteen candidates have filed for the open, two-year terms. Voting begins Jan. 6 and continues through Jan. 20.
Council members are volunteers responsible for maintaining the University of Missouri Extension Center at 614 Lindsay Ave., Suite 3 and for planning programs with the professional and paraprofessional staff in Butler County. The council is currently finalizing Ag Expo with the Ag Club of Three Rivers College Jan. 19-20.
According to Extension Council Chair Brandon Woolard, county and regional specialists and paraprofessionals for the University of Missouri System provide educational programs to Butler County citizens in several areas. Programs are available in the fields of agriculture, human development, 4-H youth development, business and industry, and nutrition programs for youth.
Butler County voters may select any eight of the nominees listed. The ballot accompanying the article may be used and mailed or taken to the University of Missouri Extension Center at 614 Lindsay Ave., Suite 3, Poplar Bluff. There will also be an opportunity for voters to cast ballots at the University of Missouri Extension booth during the Ag Expo on Friday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Black River Coliseum. Voters may also go online this year and vote. Just click on HYPERLINK "http://extension.missouri.edu/butler" http://extension.missouri.edu/butler.
The 16 candidates are:
Jack Altman of Maude Street, Poplar Bluff is the current president of the Butler County Fair Board. He is also a member of the Poplar Bluff Severe Weather Response Team and the SEMO Kennel Club. He is married and has two grandchildren. His hobbies include wood carving.
Jane Arnold is a retired registered nurse. She is active at Sacred Heart Church and a member of the Ladies Auxiliary to Veterans of Foreign Wars 6477. She has fun and volunteers her time as a member of the Family and Community Education the Poplar Bluff Master Gardeners and the Poplar Bluff Garden Club. Jane is a former 4-H leader and member and her hobbies include gardening and canning.
Hayley Benson is a teacher in Qulin, Mo. where she is involved in the community as an assistant 4H leader. She helps with projects around the school such as the butterfly garden, painting the school, collecting money for hurricane victims, and Christmas caroling to the disabled. Her three children keep her on the go with all the activities they are involved in such as 4H, summer softball, fall softball, ballet, upward basketball and pageants.
Marissa Willcut Day of County Road 462, Poplar Bluff, is an office manager for the Pike Creek Sewer District office. She graduated from Neelyville High School and attended classes at Three Rivers College. She attends the Living Word Baptist church and plays on the church volleyball team. She and her husband, Chris, have two daughters and a son. She enjoys attending her children's activities at Neelyville School and at Xtreme Gymnastics. She tries to help in the community whenever possible.
Laura French Dowd is from County Road 480, Poplar Bluff. She is a retired school counselor for Poplar Bluff R-1 Schools. She is past president of the Poplar Bluff Master Gardeners and is current chair of the beautification project at the corner of Westwood Boulevard and PP highway. She is a member of the America-Rose Society. She volunteers at the Butler County Fair, Ag Expo, and youth gardening activities in schools.
Jerrica Fox is executive director for Downtown Poplar Bluff. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and banking form Arkansas State University. She is director and treasurer of Altrusa International of Poplar Bluff, a member of St. Anne's Society and a member and parish council representative at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She considers herself to be a life long resident of Poplar Bluff.
Jane Hansmann is a retired radiologist technologist with an Associate of Arts degree from Three Rivers College. She is an active member of the United Methodist Church, serves as a Margaret Harwell Art Museum Docent, and on the Poplar Bluff Historic Depot Restoration Corporation. She has been an active Poplar Bluff Master Gardener for more than 10 years, volunteering her help for the Butler County Fair, Ag Expo and other extension projects. She also does several projects with the Poplar Bluff Garden Club where she has been a long time member.
Nick Hopwood is from County Road 462 and is an alumni of Three Rivers College and the University of Missouri. After graduating from Three Rivers with an A.A. in Agriculture, where he was a participating member of the Ag club, Nick received his B.S. degree in Agriculture from the University of Missouri with honors in 2014 (Magna Cum Laude). He then received his M.S. degree in Crop Science from the University of Illinois in 2016. Nick currently farms full time west of Poplar Bluff.
With a Bachelor Degree from St. Louis University and Masters degree from University of Missouri, Cynthia Moses currently works for Living Better Behavioral Health as owner and licensed clinical social worker. She has been married for more than 17 years and has two children. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching the boys play baseball, soccer and basketball. She is one of the community sponsors for the Stand For The Silent anti-bullying program at the Poplar Bluff Schools and a member of the PB Mules Booster Club.
Shirlene Nelson of Poplar Bluff is retired and is a member of the Show-Me Star Family and Community Education club and is active at the county and state levels. She is a member of the Rombauer General Baptist Church and helps with fundraising by making crafts. She volunteers at Ag Expo and the Butler County Fair. She has five children, 17 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. She enjoys traveling, sewing, crafts, and taking care of grandchildren.
Betty Schalk is from County Road 534 and a past officer and member of the Butler County University of Missouri Extension Council. Betty is vice president of the Butler County Fair Board and serves as superintendent of the Home Economics and Youth Departments. She is a member of the Rombauer General Baptist Church and Children's Church Director. She is the club leader for the Rombauer Rascals 4-H club. She is the past State President of the Missouri Association for Family and Community Education (Extension Homemakers) and serves at the national level. She is a member of the Show-Me Star and the F.U.N. FCE Club. She and her husband Tom are members of the Bluff City Twirlers where she serves as president. She volunteers at the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group meetings and is a Master Gardener.
Jean Spain is a retired nurse from the VA Hospital. She is a member of OES-344 Poplar Bluff PastWorthy Matron, GrandRepresentative,Arts Club, P.E.O. Chapter KB, FCE-Butler County-University Extension Office, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, NARF (retired federal workers) and on the board at St. Vincent DePaul and a lifetime member of AMVETS Post #29. She is most proud of her blended family with three biological children and four stepchildren (7), 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Matthew Sparks is an avid supporter of Butler County and its cities and towns. He is a third generation business owner in Butler County. His grandparents owned and operated a grocery store at Hillard, Mo. for 60 years. His father owned and operated Poplar Bluff Small Engines for 30 years and Matthew has been in housing rentals for 18 years before re-opening his father's business. He has been a Kiwanis member for seven years where he has served as board member and president.
Pam Sullivan of County Road 73, Poplar Bluff, is a producer for Stephanie Harbison Farmers Insurance. She graduated from Neelyville High School and has an Associate of Arts degree from Three Rivers College. She is an event committee member of the Boys and Girls club and Women Aware. She has been an organizer for the St. Jude Car Show at Briggs & Stratton for the past eight years and for the St. Jude Yard Sale at Briggs & Stratton for the last six years. She and her husband, Shane, have a son.
Jennifer Williams works as an attorney helping with contract legal services in southern Missouri and for area juvenile courts. She is a member of Westwood Baptist Church and has enjoyed providing presentations at the annual Woman Aware Conference and on multiple occasions with the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support group.