Department Director's - Past and Present

James L. Wilson (1974-1977)

The first Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Director Wilson was the director of the former Missouri State Park Board, which was incorporated into Natural Resources. One of the focuses of his term was Missouri’s connection to Lewis and Clark. While a committee on this topic was revitalized, their appropriation was only $1,000, which barely covered meeting expenses. An Attorney General opinion stated that any donated funds the committee received would have to be deposited to General Revenue.

So while the committee could fund little to celebrate the Lewis and Clark connection, the committee’s efforts did leave a legacy. For more than 40 years, the highway route of the trail has remained marked and included on the official Missouri State Highway Map. By the time of the bicentennial commemoration of the expedition in 2003 to 2006, the Missouri Department of Transportation had become a full partner in the enterprise, with more comprehensive signage than ever before. Communities near the campsite locations were especially made aware that they had a stake in not only their own history, but also a strong tie to the nation’s history. The National Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation also grew out of the Missouri committee. What had begun as a modest scheme to raise funds for trail promotion in Missouri is now a national organization with 3,500 members scattered across the United States and the world.

Other actions during Director Wilson’s term included replacing more than 550 dump sites with landfills, adding the former Fuel Allocation Office to the department as the Missouri Energy Agency and initiating the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance program. The U.S. Congress also enacted the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976, to regulate the management of solid waste, hazardous waste and underground storage tanks holding petroleum products or certain chemicals.

Carolyn M. Ashford (1977-1978)

During Director Ashford’s term, the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Law was passed and the Hazardous Waste Management Commission became the fifth policy-making commission assigned to the Division of Environmental Quality.

Fred A. Lafser (1978-1985)

One of the issues that dominated the department’s efforts during Director Lafser’s term was dioxin, primarily the dioxin located in Times Beach. By April, 1983, the department had identified 29 locations contaminated by dioxin. The federal government had agreed to purchase the town of Times Beach, population 2,041 near St. Louis, after waste hauler Russell Bliss was implicated in spraying waste oil contaminated with dioxin in many horse arenas and on roads in 1971 as a dust-control measure. Laws passed during Director Lafser’s tenure include those related to coal mining and to dam and reservoir safety, which resulted in creation of the Missouri Dam and Reservoir Safety Program in 1979. The Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act or “Superfund Law” was enacted in 1980, and the Federal Nuclear Waste Policy Act was enacted in 1982. The Environmental Improvement and Energy Resource Authority (EIERA) moved to the department from the Department of Consumer Affairs in 1983 and HB 528 (known unofficially as “the Spill Bill”) passed, leading to the creation of the department’s Environmental Emergency Response Program. Through a Missouri Constitutional Amendment passed in 1984, Missouri voters adopted the Parks and Soils Sales Tax, a one-tenth-of-one-percent sales tax to provide funds for the state park system and soil conservation efforts for five years, the first in the nation. Also in 1984, the Underground Storage Tank Law was enacted as part of the federal RCRA law to protect state groundwater.

Fredrick A. Brunner, Ph.D., PE (1985-1989)

During Director Brunner’s term, the department assumed responsibility for implementing the provisions of the federal underground storage tank law. The Water Well Drillers Act was established in 1986 and the Well Installation Board was created. In 1988, Missouri voters renewed the Parks and Soils Sales Tax, which was approved by 2/3 of the voters. On Christmas Eve of that year, Missouri witnessed a significant oil spill after a failing weld on a Shell Pipe Line Corporation line broke, pouring 863,000 gallons of crude oil into the scenic Gasconade River. The department was deeply involved in cleanup of this accident, which at the time was one of the largest inland spills in the nation's history.

G. Tracy Mehan (1989-1992)

The Missouri Water Resources Law was passed during Director Mehan’s term (1989), while the Underground Storage Tank Insurance Fund was created and administered by the Office of Administration. The Missouri Historic Preservation Revolving Fund was established in 1989, which allowed Mehan to engage his interest in history. The department’s Missouri Geological Survey dedicated the McCracken Core Library in Rolla the same year. In 1990, Senate Bill 530 created 20 Solid Waste Management regions, districts and plans, established tonnage fee collection and prohibited certain items (ex.: yard waste, appliances, tires) from going to landfills. Also in 1990, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a 14 year long process of revising their Missouri River Master Manual, following a major drought and the listing of three Missouri River species – the interior least tern, piping plover, and pallid sturgeon – under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Legislation passed in 1991 designated the department’s director as the state historic preservation officer and designated the State Historic Preservation Office’s director as the deputy state historic preservation officer and protector of historic shipwrecks. The Underground Storage Tank Insurance Fund transferred from the Office of Administration to the department in 1991. The Waste Management Program within the department was eliminated and the program’s functions were divided between the Solid Waste Management Program and the Hazardous Waste Management Program. The Safe Drinking Water Commission was established in 1992. The Katy Trail was opened in 1992, as the nation’s longest rails-to-trails project.

David A. Shorr (1993-1997)

Director Shorr spent a great deal of time during his tenure focused on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ revision of their Missouri River Master Manual and development of an environmental impact statement. The department was even involved in lawsuits regarding this review of Missouri River management. Other actions during Shorr’s term included the Great Flood of 1993 and again in 1995, which led to the rebuilding of many state parks and historic sites affected by the flooding including the rebuilding of the entire Katy Trail State Park.  Under Shorr’s leadership the Missouri Mine Map Repository was created in 1993, the Geologists Registration Act was enacted and the EPA Brownfields Program launched in 1994. The state Voluntary Cleanup Law created the state Voluntary Cleanup Program within the Hazardous Waste Program and President Clinton issued an executive order regarding Environmental Justice in 1994. In 1997, Shorr signed off on the Times Beach cleanup plan that was completed and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and authorized the purchase of Route 66 State Park.  

Stephen M. Mahfood (1998-2004)

In 1998, a lawsuit was filed against the Environmental Protection Agency regarding Missouri’s impaired waters list, or 303 (d) list. The parties agreed to a settlement in 2000 that outlined how EPA was to review the department’s efforts to improve water quality throughout Missouri. In 2000, the Gateway Clean Air Program began in St. Louis to bring the area into compliance with federal ozone or urban smog regulations and to protect the public and environment. Also the state’s largest (3 million+) waste tire cleanup was completed. Budget issues in fiscal year 2003 resulted in restructuring the department’s regional offices following closure of the Jefferson City Regional Office. In 2004, the department and EPA reached an agreement with the Doe Run Resources to address lead contamination in Herculaneum. The centerpiece of the agreement was the voluntary purchase by the Doe Run Company of 160 homes closest to the lead smelter in Herculaneum, where homes having children less than 72 months of age received first priority. Also in 2004, Director Mahfood opposed Union Pacific’s efforts to remove the Boonville Bridge, a historic railroad bridge in close proximity to the KATY Trail State Park.

Doyle Childers (2005-2009)

The first year of Director Childers’ term was marked by failure of the Upper Reservoir at AmerenUE’s Taum Sauk pump-back electrical generation facility and destruction of Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park near Lesterville. AmerenUE and the state of Missouri settled on a plan to restore Johnson's Shut-Ins. Ameren and the state agreed to hire MACTEC, an Atlanta-based engineering consulting firm, because the firm agreed to a fixed-price contract and a state-approved design. MACTEC also promised to rebuild the park within a budget of $52 million and in time for a 2009 opening. A previous arrangement between Ameren and MACTEC did not include a fixed price contract for restoring the park. This resulted in slow progress, and at one point the department planned to act as contractor to rebuild the park to reduce costs and stay within budget. Another issue that arose during Director Childers’ term was debate over the future of the Boonville railroad bridge. In 2006, a lawsuit was filed regarding Governor Blunt’s decision to dispose of the Boonville Bridge without seeking bids. Three former directors, Frederick Brunner, G. Tracy Mehan, III, and Stephen Mahfood, shared their understanding that the Boonville Bridge would remain part of the rail-banked Katy Trail corridor and that the Boonville Bridge was required to be kept available for transportation purposes. Missouri voters renewed Parks and Soils Sales Tax in 2006 by the highest percentage to date (70.8 percent). Director Childers’ was also instrumental in the obtaining funding for the expansion of the department’s groundwater observation well network from just over 40 wells to our current 150 and serving the data in real-time via the web.

Mark N. Templeton (2009-2010)

The focus of Director Templeton’s tenure with the department was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This act provided the department with more than $265 million in federal funds for wastewater and drinking water system improvements across the state, and for the remediation of underground storage tanks and about $200 million in grants and programs to promote the use of renewable energy and to help communities, small farmers, businesses and consumers become more energy efficient. Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park was reopened in May, 2010. Work began on expansion of the Katy Trail into the Kansas City area during Templeton’s tenure.

Sara Parker Pauley (2010-2017)

In 2011, the EPA issued the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, the first national standards for mercury pollution from power plants. The Land Survey Commission was created in 2012 to provide recommendations on the operation, planning and prioritization of the land survey program and the design of regulations. In 2013, the Land Survey Program and Land Survey Commission moved to the Department of Agriculture after the General Assembly passed HB 28. The department’s Division of Energy transferred to the Department of Economic Development by Executive Order 12-03 effective Aug. 28, 2013. Under Director Pauley’s leadership, the department began the Our Missouri Waters initiative, E3 Lean Enhancing Effectiveness and Efficiency efforts and expanded its compliance assistance and community assistance efforts. Drought Program; Bridgeton and Westlake Landfill; Renewal of Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax.

Carol S. Comer (2017-2021)

Carol S. Comer was named Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in January 2017. As director, Comer led the department’s efforts to protect our air, land, water, and mineral resources; preserve our unique natural and historic places; and provide recreational and learning opportunities, while promoting the environmentally sound operations of business, communities, agriculture, and industry for the benefit of all Missourians. Director Comer passed away unexpectedly in June 2021.

Dru Buntin (2021-Present)

Dru Buntin was named Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in August 2021. Dru has led the agency on important river-related issues, including drought relief and flood recovery.