Jordan Hereth, principal at Hereth Insurance Consulting, announces the purchase of two local insurance agencies: Concord Alliance and Mid America Specialty (Columbia). Hereth CLCS specializes in commercial and residential insurance lines, and with these purchases continues to grow the mid-Missouri market. 

The city of Columbia has named D’Markus Thomas-Brown as the Office of Violence Prevention administrator, the first to hold the position in the new office. He began the role March 31. Thomas-Brown has worked as the regional director of Good Dads Inc. since 2024. Before that, he served as managing director of in2Action, program director for the Reentry Opportunity Center (ROC), and account strategist for Influence & Co. The Office of Violence Prevention collaborates with local law enforcement, community organizations, government agencies, and key community members to develop strategies that reduce violence and improve public safety.

Angie Gallo has joined the leadership team at Columbia Insurance effective Marc 31. Gallo has more than twenty years of experience in claims and customer support. She most recently served as the vice president of claims at a niche insurance provider based in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. 

Sarah Sicht has been selected to be the principal at Eagle Bluffs Elementary School. She is currently the principal at Benton STEM Elementary School. Eagle Bluffs Elementary School, located next to John Warner Middle School, is currently under construction and will open in 2026. Sicht will begin her role next school year giving her time to hire staff and help oversee the opening of the new school in the fall of 2026. She has twenty-five years of experience in Columbia Public Schools as a teacher, assessment coach, mentor, and as an administrator. 

Mike Burden is the new CEO of Local Motion. As a daily bicycle commuter, he has a record of professional and volunteer leadership, and deep connections to Columbia.  He will lead Local Motion’s mission of providing walking, biking, and transit solutions to meet people’s everyday transportation needs. He has taught at Hickman High School and Columbia Independent School.  

Central Bank of Boone County 

Central Bank of Boone County has named Ryan Bross senior lending officer for Central Bank of Boone County, Central Bank of Audrain County, and Central Bank of Moberly. Bross will oversee the lending operation of the banks and work to establish strong financial relationships with businesses and consumers. Bross graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in business management and worked his way up in banking from a personal banker to a credit analyst to a commercial lender.  

Angela Gentry is now the executive vice president of consumer banking for Central Bank of Boone County, Central Bank of Audrain County, and Central Bank of Moberly. Gentry will oversee the overall operation of services dedicated to consumers, including the branch network. She is a board member of True North and leads the Man as Allies committee. She is also board treasurer for Women’s Intersport Network and serves on the board of the Columbia Police Foundation.  

The city of Columbia has named Jake Amelunke as Housing Programs manager with the city’s Housing and Neighborhood Services department. Amelunke has been with the city’s Housing Programs division since 2015, serving as a housing programs specialist and as the housing development coordinator. The Housing Programs division develops citywide plans and goals for the implementation of federal and local resources dedicated to meeting affordable housing and community development needs. 

MEM new board members 

MEM, a regional workers compensation insurance provider, has added four new members to its board of directors. The new board members are Haley E. Hanson, partner at Husch Blackwell; Gloria Carter-Hicks, president and CEO of Hicks-Carter-Hicks; Slyvester (Sly) James, Jr., co-founder of Wickham James and former mayor of Kansas City; and Roger S. Walleck, is president and CEO of MEM. 

Ragtag Film Society, the nonprofit organization that operates Ragtag Cinema and True/False Film Fest, has appointed Andrea Luque Káram as its new executive director. Most recently, Luque Káram was the managing director of the Mizzou New Music Initiative (MNMI) at the University of Missouri, where she organized the Mizzou International Composer Festival. Luque Káram succeeds the interim leadership of Chloé Trayner, Grace Piontek, and Emily Edwards. 

Boone County Historical Society 

Jennifer Johnson has been hired as the first director of philanthropy for the Boone County Historical Society (BCHS). Previously, Johnson served as director of alumni relations at William Woods University. As director of philanthropy, she will spearhead the Society’s goal of building new relationships and diversifying funding sources.  

The non-profit BCGS also recently welcomed six local leaders to its Board of Directors and its Endowment Trust Board. New board members are Mikel Fields (Lyft Marketing), Joy Bess (Columbia Public Schools), Tara Cox (University of Missouri), and Gary Smith (retired Mizzou director of admissions and registrar). New Trust members are Lee Russell (retired MU Health Care administrator) and Keith Whitney (vice president of private banking at Simmons Bank). In addition, Jolene Schulz was elected as Board president and Gwen Struchtemeyer was elected as the Trust’s chairperson.