Governor Mike Parson announced four appointments to various boards and commissions and appointed a new Division of Employment Security Director within the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Representative Allen Andrews, of Grant City, was appointed as the Division of Employment Security Director within the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Representative Andrews has served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives for the 1st District since 2015. He has also been the President of Andrews Family Corporation, a manufacturing business, since 1990. Representative Andrews has served on the St. Francis Hospital & Health Services Board of Trustees, Worth County R-III School Board, and the For God’s Children International Board. He is currently a member of the Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation, National Federation of Independent Business, and Missouri Farm Bureau. Representative Andrews earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing and business management from Northwest Missouri State University.

John Brown, of Lee’s Summit, was appointed to the Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, and Professional Landscape Architects.

Brown has more than 30 years experience in architectural design and project planning for educational institutions. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Design-Build Institute of America, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and Lee’s Summit Board of Appeals. Brown earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oklahoma.

Christian Shields Cunningham, of Florissant, was appointed to the State Committee for Social Workers.

Cunningham has worked as a Behavioral Health Therapist with SSM Health in St. Louis since 2021. She has also owned and operated My Secret’s Purpose, providing educational workshops and personal development to organizations primarily serving young girls and women, since 2016. Cunningham is a licensed Master Social Worker and certified Financial Social Worker currently working with Balanced Life Counseling and Consulting and pursuing her clinical social work license. She is a financial behavioral health advocate for the Center for Financial Social Work. She is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers. Cunningham earned a Master of Business Administration from Walden University and Master of Social Work with clinical concentration from St. Louis University.

Michael Purol, of Monroe City, was appointed to the Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, and Professional Landscape Architects.

Purol is the President of Tri-State Operations for Poepping, Stone, Bach, and Associates, a position he has held since 2017. He has been with company since 2009, having served as the VP and President of the Hannibal Regional Office prior to his promotion. Mr. Purol is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, Missouri Society of Professional Engineers, serving as Past President, Hannibal Rotary Club, and is chairman of the Northeast Missouri Workforce Development Board. He earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Mathew Ross, of Jefferson City, was appointed to the Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners.

Ross is co-owner of Southside Barber Shop, where he is also a licensed barber. He has been a licensed barber and providing barber services for more than 24 years. Ross is a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation and American Tree Farm Program. He graduated from the Academy of Hair Design.