Boone County News Release
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Michele Hall, Boone County Commission Administrative Coordinator
Phone: (573) 886-4312
Email: mhall@boonecountymo.org
Boone County Announces Kelly Wallis Will Serve as Community Services Director
December 18, 2013
The Boone County Commission is pleased to announce Kelly Wallis will serve as Boone County's first Director of Community Services beginning January 6, 2014. Kelly has a wide range of education and experience which make her uniquely qualified for the position. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2002 and practiced as a registered nurse for two years prior to entering Law School. She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate in 2007 from the University of Missouri Law School. With this education, she went on to practice in multiple areas of law. In 2011, Kelly represented the Missouri Department of Social Services as a Litigation Attorney. In this position, she prepared legislative bill reviews and practiced in Juvenile and Probate Court. Most recently, Kelly served as Constituent Unit Program Manager for the Children's Division. This position involved supervision of a unit handling constituent issues received from the community, State Representatives, State Senators and the Governor's Office. Additional aspects of her position included serving as Critical Event Review Panel Coordinator, Emergency Management Officer and Privacy Officer.
The Director of Community Services position was created in part due to the November 2012 approval of a ΒΌ cent sales tax to provide funding for programs and services that protect children and prevent against future problems. The Community Services Department was created to oversee and coordinate the disbursement of funds received from the Children's Services sales tax, the portion of the Boone Hospital lease revenue designated for health care, the domestic violence funds collected through court fees and the Community Service funding. The multi-faceted nature of this position posed a unique set of challenges to the team tasked with finding a strong candidate. Kelly's experience and education in law, health care, social services and legislature, coupled with her commitment to the provision of appropriate services to those in our community, caused her to stand out among other qualified applicants. The selection committee is confident that Kelly will be an asset in the position of Director of Community Services.
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