Ecker relinquishes his chairmanship to Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission voted W. Dustin Boatwright, Cape Girardeau, and Terry L. Ecker, Elmo, into the roles of commission chair and vice chair, respectively at their April 2 meeting.

Ecker previously served as commission chairman over the past year, with Boatwright as vice chair.

Boatwright, an independent, was appointed to the commission in September 2020. Ecker, a Republican, was appointed to the commission in September 2017.

Boatwright is a lifelong resident of southeast Missouri and currently serves as the chief engineer/executive vice president of the Little River Drainage District. He is a graduate of the Missouri University of Science and Technology with a bachelor of science and master of science in civil engineering, and is registered in the State of Missouri as a professional engineer and a licensed surveyor in-training.

Ecker raises corn, soybeans and cattle on a farm northwest of Elmo in Nodaway County. He earned his bachelor of science degree in agriculture economics from the University of Missouri and is a graduate of Agriculture Leaders of Tomorrow Class IX. He is also a member of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Other members of the Commission are Warren K. Erdman, Kansas City; Gregg C. Smith, Clinton; Daniel Hegeman, Cosby; and Francis Slay, St. Louis. The six-member commission governs the Missouri Department of Transportation, the agency responsible for building, operating and maintaining the state highway system and supporting other transportation modes in Missouri

“It has been my great honor to serve as chairman of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for the past year,” said Ecker. “With record funding available for transportation, we have made significant progress on the needs across the state, from our interstates all the way through our lowest volume roads. The work of the commission is challenging and critically important to the state. I look forward to continuing my work on the commission as vice chair under Mr. Boatwright’s leadership as the new chair.”