In shakeup of MO school board, governor keeps Springfield's Prater, replaces leadership

Springfield eye surgeon Tom Prater joined the Missouri Board of Education nearly a year ago and recently received the nod from Gov. Mike Kehoe to move forward in the position.

Kehoe made four appointments to the eight-member governing body this week, ushering in the largest turnover since former Gov. Eric Greitens ill-fated attempt to remake the board.

The changes include replacing top board leadership.

Board president Charlie Shields, a former lawmaker from St. Joseph, has served on the board since 2012 and been president since 2015.

Board vice president Carol Hallquist, Kansas City, has served since 2018.

The new members will work closely with Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger, who stepped into the role last summer.

The Missouri Constitution gives the state board general authority for public education, within limits set by the General Assembly, and it makes decisions involving more than 500 districts and 80,000 certified staff serving nearly 860,000 students.

Members serve staggered, eight-year terms. No more than four members can be part of the same political party. Members must live in different counties or congressional districts.

When terms expire, members can continue to serve until they are replaced or reappointed.

Prater, who has extensive board and leadership experience, spent six years on the Springfield school board, including a stint as president. He was also a member of Springfield City Council.

The Springfield native was the handpicked successor to Branson's Peter Herschend, who was first appointed to the state board in 1991.

Prater has a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and a medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed a residency in ophthalmology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

A year ago, Prater was appointed to the board by then-Gov. Mike Parson, along with Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, of St. Charles, who was to fill the seat of Donald Claycomb, of Linn.

When it became clear the state Senate was not going to be able conduct confirmation hearings before the end of a packed 2024 legislative session, Parson temporarily withdrew the appointments. In early June, he reappointed them and they were sworn in.

Ferrarini was not appointed by Kehoe, who instead tapped Kenneth "Brooks" Miller Jr., of Sunrise Beach.

Miller also has strong ties to Springfield, having previously served as the president and CEO of Jordan Valley Community Health Center. In addition to his professional career, he has served as the vice president of the Springfield Board of Public Utilities and was most recently on the Truman State University Board of Governors.

He has a bachelor's degree and master's degree from Northwest Missouri State University.

Shields' replacement on the board is Michael Matousek, of Kansas City.

Matousek, director of the Government Freight Conference at the American Trucking Association, was the state legislative affairs director for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. He was also legislative director in the office of U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican from Missouri.

Matousek has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Florida.

Hallquist's replacement on the board is Jon Otto, of Kansas City. He has been active in charter schools.

Otto, an attorney, is corporate counsel for Evergy, Inc. focusing on corporate governance, SEC compliance, corporate finance, and real estate transactions. He was previously an attorney at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP and Polsinelli, PC law firms.

Otto has served as a board member for Académie Lafayette charter school, University Health KC, Missouri Charter Public School Association, Child Protection Center, Minddrive, and the UMKC Law Alumni Association.

Otto has a bachelor's degree in math from Clark Atlanta University. His juris doctor is from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law.

Hallquist, the retired president of the Hallmark Corporation Foundation with Hallmark Cards Inc., founded a nonprofit that matches retired business professional volunteers with urban school principals.

The other state board members, who will continue in their seats, include:

• Kimberly Bailey, Raymore, was appointed in August 2018. A licensed mental health professional, she has served as the president of the Raymore-Peculiar school board. Her term expires July 1.
• Kerry Casey, Chesterfield, was appointed in November 2021. She retired as vice president of Exegy and was a founding member of the KIPP Charter School in St. Louis. Her term expires in July 2027.
• Mary Schrag, West Plains, was appointed in March 2019. She is the owner and chief executive operator of Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic Inc. She is married to Jeff Schrag, the newly elected mayor of Springfield. Her term expired but she continues to serve.
• Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, Pasadena Hills, was appointed in January 2020. She retired as a general partner from Edward Jones and has been involved with the Normandy Schools Collaborative Joint Executive Governing Board. Her term expires in July 2026.

This story was updated to provide more information.