Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Contact: Terri Durdaller, (573)751-1274
Blunt Nominates Southwest Missourian to Head Department of Natural Resources
JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri Governor Matt Blunt today nominated Doyle Childers to serve as director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Childers replaces former director Steve Mahfood and is one of several leadership changes at the department of natural resources.
Childers, 60, served 20 years in the Legislature before returning to his hometown of Reeds Spring. Childers served as the 141st district representative in the House from 1982-1994 and as the 29th district senator from 1996-2004. As a senator, Childers served on the Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Tourism Committee.
From 1998-2000, Childers was a member of DNR's Governor's Advisory Committee on Chip Mills, a body that investigated how tree-harvesting effected Missouri's environment, economy and natural resources.
Childers earned his bachelor's degree at the College of the Ozarks and his master's degree from Southwest Missouri State University. Childers is a former Peace Corps volunteer and science teacher. Childers grew up on a family farm in southwest Missouri and has a background in farming, timber and drill rigs.
"Doyle Childers is an advocate of Missouri's environmental interests," Blunt said. "He has accepted the difficult task of balancing the preservation of our state's natural resources with the need to encourage economic growth in our state."
Childers' appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.