People You Should Know: Kelvin L. Simmons
Commissioner, Office of Administration, State of Missouri
AGE: 45
JOB DESCRIPTION: Chief administrative operations officer for the state. Oversee eight divisions: Accounting, Personnel, Budget and Planning, Purchasing, Information Technology Services, Facilities Management/Design and Construction, General Services and the Office of Supplier and Workforce Diversity.
YEARS LIVED IN COLUMBIA: 15
ORIGINAL HOMETOWN: Kansas City
EDUCATION: Two Bachelor of Arts degrees, University of Missouri-Columbia, Executive Master of Business Administration, University of Missouri-Kansas City
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: My jobs place me in charge of more than 28 Missouri boards and commissions. I personally served on 10 different boards and commissions that affect numerous communities throughout the state.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Senior staff member to the late Gov. Mel Carnahan, twice elected city councilman in Kansas City, commissioner and chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission, director of the state Department of Economic Development, vice president for governmental affairs at Swope Health Services, president and CEO of Swope Community Builders and founder and owner of A.M. Development Company, LLC.
A COLUMBIA BUSINESSPERSON I ADMIRE AND WHY: I admire the owners of Shakespeare’s Pizza. Their business model has allowed them to maintain market share in an environment that seems to be very competitive with numerous competitors in the marketplace. Their longevity in Columbia speaks volumes for the ingenuity of small businesses in the United States.
WHY I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT MY JOB: I consider this job one of the top appointed administrative and management positions in state government. Every day brings something new. The job prepares you to operationally handle every aspect of government that ultimately touches most people in the state of Missouri. I wake up every day and actually believe I am making a difference.
IF I WEREN’T DOING THIS FOR A LIVING, I WOULD… be replacing John Madden on Monday Night Football, or I would be interviewing for a position on ESPN. It is OK to dream.
BIGGEST CAREER OBSTACLE I’VE OVERCOME AND HOW: I used to always be the youngest person in the room in most of my career positions. Some often would wonder if I would be seasoned and experienced enough to do the job at hand. I overcame that by just getting older and wiser. I am clearly no longer the youngest person in the room.
A FAVORITE RECENT PROJECT: I recently visited the White House and met with the president, vice president, energy secretary and many other federal dignitaries to discuss the state’s federal stimulus plans. I have now been appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon as the state’s oversight person for transparency and accountability.
WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROFESSION: You really need to love public service. You don’t sign up to become rich; you sign up to serve.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Take my family on vacations where the weather is warm and umbrella libations are a part of the atmosphere.
FAMILY: Wife, Lisa; daughter, Avery; stepson, Bradley; mother, Inez.
FAVORITE PLACE IN COLUMBIA: Faurot Field and Mizzou Arena
ACCOMPLISHMENTS I’M MOST PROUD OF: Birth of my 3-year-old daughter and being a great son.
MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT I… have brown bag lunches with my non-management and non-supervisory staff every month in my office to really find out what’s going on in state government.