Madison County Extension council candidates

By Kevin Jenkins | January 16, 2019 |

The following residents of Madison County will be running for election as University of Missouri Extension Council Representatives to serve two-year terms beginning March, 2019.

Missouri state statutes create county extension councils to work with University of Missouri Extension. The publicly-elected (and appointed) council members assist in planning and carrying out extension programs in their county, providing local extension governance and representing the diversity of the county’s changing population.

University of Missouri Extension offers educational programs addressing high-priority areas like agriculture, horticulture, nutrition, consumer and family economics, business and industry, community development and youth development (4-H).

All residents of Madison County who are 18 years of age or older may vote one time in the County Extension Council election. You may vote online at extension.missouri.edu/Madison from Jan. 28 through Feb. 2, or in person at the MU Extension Center at 137 W. Main St., Fredericktown.

The candidates are listed in alphabetical order:

Dr. Phillip Beyer

As the owner and founder of Beyer Enterprises in Fredericktown, Dr. Phillip Beyer has worked in family practice and nursing home facilities for 48 years and also has worked 26 years in hospice care. He received his graduate degree at the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery from 1965 to 1969 in Des Moines, Iowa and interned at Oklahoma Osteopathic Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Dr. Beyer began his transition into retirement Oct. 10, 2018 and was recently awarded the “Work” award by the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. Community involvement is something he cherishes.

He is an active member of Historic Madison County and has served as the Fredericktown Blackcat football team’s physician since 1970.

Dr. Persis Fay

Dr. Persis Fay currently works as a Professor for a nonprofit University serving traditionally underrepresented populations to reach their academic and career goals. She is also a founding member of a group dedicated to connecting Homesteading women or “HomesteadHers” across the country through social media. Her current interests include creating opportunities for youth and adults in the community who are interested in learning more about self-sufficiency, herbalism, niche markets within micro-agriculture and holistic living.

She resides right outside of Fredericktown with her husband and twin two-year-old girls. As a family they raise KuneKune pigs, A2/A2 miniature Jersey cows and South African Boerboels. Connect, learn more and get involved with Dr. Fay on Facebook and Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/HeavenlyHarvestLLC http://www.facebook.com/HeavenlyHarvestLLC

Previous experience as the elected President of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership Student Association and as the elected Chair of the Association for Teachers of English in Korea allowed Dr. Fay to facilitate the integration of programs such as the Orphanage Outreach Project, Feed the Homeless and the Suffrage Awareness program for members of the association and the surrounding community.

Dr. Fay would like to use previous leadership experience coupled with current community interests in order to continue to enrich MU Extension by serving as a council member.

Kelli Nicholson

Kelli Nicholson has been a resident of Fredericktown for 31 years. Kelli taught English at Valley R-VI in Caledonia for two years and Fredericktown R-1 for six before taking the position of library media specialist at Fredericktown High School. Kelli has also taught English Composition I, English Composition II, and public speaking at Mineral Area College for four years. Kelli has a Master of Arts in English with an emphasis on creative writing from Southeast Missouri State University, and is currently finishing up an Education Specialist in Administration Degree at William Woods University.

Outside of her work, Kelli has two obsessions: dogs and gardening.

In addition to her teaching duties at Fredericktown, Kelli has been employed as a data coordinator for the high school for the last three years. Kelli’s job entails looking at data to figure out the best ways to provide students with the most effective education. Kelli served as the treasurer for the Southeast Missouri English Teachers Association (SMETA) and received the Greef Award for Outstanding Teacher of English. Kelli has attended many of the classes offered through the Extension Council at the Ozark Regional Library. She has personally benefited from the Extension Council’s influence on our community and would be honored to serve.

Chelsea Rehkop

Chelsea has been a resident of Madison County for 28 years, the length of her entire life. Chelsea left for a brief period of time to attend college in Searcy, AR. Chelsea attended Harding University College of Pharmacy and Harding University College of Business. Chelsea has both a Doctorate of Pharmacy and an MBA.

Directly after college Chelsea moved back to Fredericktown where she has since been employed by Walmart Pharmacy as a pharmacist. In 2014, Chelsea, along with several other community members, founded Forever Paws and Claws Rescue and served on the board until 2017. Chelsea enjoys participating in different community activities and has spoken at the school about medication safety during Red Ribbon Week, volunteered with the Heroes on Holiday Patrol Program, participated in several Prescription Take Back Events and also sponsors children for the Foster Child Christmas Program every year. Volunteering in medication safety related programs and any program involving children will always be a passions of hers. Chelsea married Tyler Rehkop in 2016 and they have two wonderful boys, Beck and Carter.

Chelsea thinks she would be a valuable representative to the Extension Council because improving the social and economic well-being of our county is of great importance to her. Having two young children who will grow up in this community gives her a vested interest in our community. Chelsea also puts a very high value on education, educational resources and being a lifelong learner.

Chelsea has been in retail for 12 years and is very experienced in talking-to and helping the public. Her ten years of experience in the pharmacy has provided her with an excellent knowledge of health insurance, including Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. While obtaining her MBA Chelsea learned valuable lessons on personal finances, accounting, and business in general. While in pharmacy school Chelsea was given the opportunity to present on dozens of health related and non-health related topics and she feels confident that she could help others learn more about topics in which they are interested. Chelsea has also volunteered with the school district and has spoken during Red Ribbon Week and during Career Days. If elected Chelsea will take her duties seriously and offer any tools she has to improve our community.

Twila Sanders

Other than 1.5 years in Wyoming, Twila has lived here in Madison County all her life. Twila graduated from FHS with some college at MAC. Her interests are art, reading, and writing. Twila is a member of Beta Sigma Phi Nu Zeta Sorority. Twila was employed at the Democrat News for 10 years after Brown Shoe closed. She then went on to work for Cap America, working in the art department as a supervisor for 8 years and now is a graphic artist. Twila has two sons and one grandson. Twila is married to Jim Sanders, owner and operator of JT Transport.

Twila has served as City Alderman Ward I and on the Fredericktown Park board. She has volunteered as needed for various community projects. Twila is an active member of her church, serving when called in positions such as primary school, she loves teaching the children. Twila also enjoys volunteering and working at highway clean up. She was on a board that raised money for a feasibility study for a Civic Center. Twila has also helped with fundraising for the Civil War Re-enactments here in town and served on the Fredericktown Revitalization Initiative.

Rev. Bryan Schaefer

Rev. Schaefer has lived in Fredericktown since July of 2017, when he was appointed to serve as pastor of Fredericktown United Methodist Church.

Rev. Schaefer is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Opioid Task Force. Rev. Schaefer loves to read, work on computers and enjoys watching movies with his wife. Rev. Schaefer was born and raised in Sikeston, Missouri where he graduated High School. He graduated University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelors of Arts in Religious Studies and then graduated from Eden Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity.

As being a graduate of MU system itself, Rev. Schaefer knows firsthand the benefit and growth it can bring to people and communities. Having pastored several churches over the course of his ministry, and having worked with people of many different background experiences, and life journeys. Rev. Schaefer has walked with people in their happiest and their saddest. Rev. Schaefer is constantly seeking ways to serve and improve his community and helping others to do the same through church ministries or in the wider community. Rev. Schaefer believes that people are important, they matter, and they have great worth. Rev. Schaefer has helped them achieve all that they are capable of and seek to be.

Peggy Yount

Peggy Yount has lived in Fredericktown all her life. She was born and raised here.

She is a member of Calvary Church and is very active there. She loves to sing and started singing in her family’s group in 1965 when she was four.

She is also secretary of the Foot Hills Car Club. Her hobbies include sewing, crocheting, knitting, stained glass and pottery. She took advantage of the knitting classes and canning classes that the Extension offered some years back.

She is a grandma to five wonderful grandkids. She has served on the Extension Council for several years, so she would have knowledge of how it works going into it if elected.