Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Contact: Spence Jackson, (573)751-0290
Blunt Appoints New Commissioners to St. Louis City, County Election Boards
JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has nominated new members to serve on both the St. Louis City and County Board of Election Commissioners.
Blunt, Missouri’s former secretary of state, led the effort to enact the most comprehensive reform of state election laws in 2002. The landmark legislation coupled with vigorous oversight and an investigation into fraud and irregularities that plagued the City and County during the November 2000 general election, helped restore public confidence in the elections process.
Missouri voters set turnout records in August and November 2004, Blunt’s last year as secretary of state. Blunt said his appointees share his commitment to continued improvement of the elections process and will provide new leadership and ideas for two of the state’s largest election jurisdictions.
"I am pleased that such a diverse group of Missourians have agreed to take on the challenge of improving the democratic process in jurisdictions that comprise nearly 40 percent of Missouri’s voting population," Blunt said. "Each one brings a unique background and skill set to these important boards and I look forward to their contributions to continuing the momentum we have started."
Here are Blunt’s new St. Louis City and County Election Board appointees:
St. Louis City
- Angel McCormick Franks (Republican). Franks is the Founder and CEO of the Gray Matter Group, a healthcare consulting firm in St. Louis. She has worked in the eldercare industry nearly a decade in multiple capacities. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Fontbonne University and a master’s in gerontology from Webster University.
- Edward Martin (Republican). Martin is a founding partner in the St. Louis office of Martin Simmonds PC, a general practice law firm. He has been heavily involved in the Catholic Church in St. Louis and has studied abroad in Italy and Indonesia. Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in english literature from the College of Holy Cross and a masters degree and law degree from St. Louis University.
- Clarence Dula (Democrat). Dula is a plumbing design engineer with Parson Brinckerhoff in St. Louis. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Southern University and an MBA from Webster University.
- Donayle Whitmore-Smith (Democrat). Whitmore-Smith is a management consultant who has been involved with the Missouri Coalition for School Choice. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and english from Southern University A & M.
St. Louis County
- Anita Yeckel (Republican). Yeckel represented South St. Louis County in the Missouri State Senate for eight years and was the Senate sponsor of Blunt’s election reform legislation. Before being elected to the Senate, Yeckel worked in the banking industry and as a homemaker. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
- John Diehl, Jr. (Republican). Diehl is an attorney at law with Nations, Hettenbach & Diehl, LLC in Town and Country. He has held a variety of positions including that of alderman in Town and Country and worked as a special deputy to former St. Louis County Republican Director of Elections Paul DeGregorio. Diehl holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a law degree from St. Louis University.
- Chaim Zimbalist (Democrat). Zimbalist is a, Chesterfield resident, is a practicing attorney in St. Louis and a former member of the Missouri General Assembly. He has a diverse legal background and been active in several local and national Jewish organizations. Zimbalist is U.S. Navy World War II veteran.
- William "Bill" Miller (Democrat). Miller is the administrator of corporate human resources at Lutheran Senior Services. Miller is a U.S. Army veteran and holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from Tennessee State University and a masters degree in business management from National Louis University in Chicago. All of Blunt’s nominations to the City and County election boards are subject to approval by the Missouri State Senate.