Stacey Button
Stacey Button, economic development director and president of Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI), will retire from the city of Columbia in the spring after ten years of service. As president of REDI, Button took the organization through accreditation and re-accreditation, most recently in 2024, as part of the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Accredited Economic Development Organization program.
Dr. Stephanie Shepard
Dr. Stephanie Shepard is the new regional medical director at Brightli. She was born and raised in Columbia, is a graduate of Hickman High School, and obtained her undgrad and Doctor of Medicine at the University of Missouri. She also completed her general psychiatry residency and child psychiatry fellowship training at Mizzou. She is double board certified in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Shepard primarily treats youth with psychiatric needs. She has served Burrell/BMG since 2018 as a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
The Missouri Library Association
The Missouri Library Association (MLA) recently issued awards at its yearly conference.
Otter Bowman of Daniel Boone Regional Libraries won the Ronald G. Bohley Award, which is offered annually to library staff who further the cause of interlibrary cooperation in Missouri. Bowman served as the president of the Missouri Library Association in 2023 and currently serves on the Intellectual Freedom Committee.
Pam Stone, Branch Lead of Holts Summit Public Library, part of Daniel Boone Regional Library, won the Outstanding Library Employee Award.
Sherry McBride Brown posthumously earned the 2024 Meritorious Award given for outstanding service. Brown worked for Daniel Boone Regional Libraries for 47 years before her retirement in December 2023. She died in January 2024, leaving behind a legacy of dedicated service.
The Virginia G. Young Service Award went to Pat Powell, trustee at Daniel Boone Regional Libraries. Powell has served as a trustee since 1987.
Gary Kremer
The State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) Executive Director Gary Kremer will retire from his position in October 2025 after more than 21 years with the Society and more than 50 years as a highly regarded leader, educator, and advocate for preserving, publishing and sharing the state’s history. Kremer announced his retirement plans at the recent annual meeting of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Kremer has written, coauthored, and coedited 12 books. His most recent book, This Place of Promise: A Historian’s Perspective on 200 Years of Missouri History shares his knowledge and personal experiences. He has continued to publish articles, books, and papers on all aspects of Missouri history during his time at the SHSMO. A fifth-generation Missourian, Kremer earned his PhD from American University in Washington, DC. He taught history at Lincoln University in Jefferson City (1972-1987) and William Woods University in Fulton (1991-2004). He was Missouri’s state archivist from 1987 to 1991. He has been SHSMO’s executive director since 2004. (Photo courtesy of Notley Hawkins)
