After 40 years of service to northwest Missouri, the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments celebrated with an annual dinner, speech, awards and a review of the agency’s history last week.

The Regional Council was established to facilitate planning, to promote cooperative arrangements and to coordinate actions among member governments.

It is also the lead regional planning agency with responsibility for regional planning and functions in the five-county area.

Serving Atchison, Holt, Worth, Nodaway and Gentry counties, the Regional Council has helped with projects to resolve community problems since 1968.

Tye Parsons, executive director of the Council, said the dinner went well last Thursday with many in attendance. He added that along with the special Outstanding Leader in Regional Development award, service awards to Regional Council members were also given away — making it a special way to celebrate the last 40 years.

“I thought it was a great success,” Parsons said. “It was a nice cross section of leaders from across the region, and a little over 100 people were in attendance.”

Robert E. (Bob) Bush was given the Outstanding Leader award — an award for which Bush was nominated by his peers. This is the very first year for this award, and was created as a special celebration of the Council’s 40th year. Criteria included impact to the community, fosters regional growth, past achievements, involvement in the community and exhibits leadership, among others.

“Bob is one of those guys that everyone wants on their board or committee,” Parsons said. “He is passionately dedicated to the well-being of northwest Missouri, and works everyday towards the betterment of the region. Northwest Missouri is fortunate to have a champion like Bob Bush.”
Bush is responsible for many improvements in northwest Missouri. The following are just a few of the projects he has worked on to create a better way of life for members of northwest Missouri.

• In 1979, he headed a team that launched an effort to move Northwest Missouri State University into biomass energy with a 12-year, $2 million conditional-lease loan at 10 and a fourth percent interest.

• At the same time, Northwest experienced a disastrous fire, which resulted in his second major management responsibility to manage major design and construction on key campus facilities coupled with major infrastructure upgrades costing in excess of $19 million.

• One of the successful upgrades was the three-phase biomass project (woodchips-1982, paper pellets-1993, and animal waste pellets-2001) has reduced the Northwest’s dependence on fossil fuels between 75 and 85 percent. These projects required the collaboration of numerous public and private organizations at the local, state, national and private levels.  At least 90 percent of the funding for the combined $6 million, biomass projects was based on energy cost savings and not state appropriations or grants. The combined project has received three state awards and four national awards. 

• Bush, along with John Redden, Jason Helton and James Teaney at Northwest, were named as the developers of a recently-awarded U.S. Patent Number 6,149,694 to the university for an innovative process using animal waste as a fuel source.

• In 2001, Bush served on Governor Bob Holden’s Missouri Energy Policy Task Force, and in 2003, Gov. Holden appointed Bush to the Governor’s Missouri Energy Policy Council. 

• Bush established the Center for Applied Research in 1985 and the Quality Productivity Center in 1990. These initiatives facilitated the formation of the Center for Alternative Crops, and in 1991-92 participated in forming the Missouri Quality Award (Malcolm Baldrige process).

Today, Bush is an active volunteer with numerous professional, civic and regional associations and agencies. He retired from Northwest in 2002, and also served in the United States Air Force and the Missouri Air National Guard for 32 years.

Three Regional Council staff members were also awarded for their long-time employee service.

Jerri Dearmont, administrative secretary and grant administrator for the Council, received an award for 20 years of service. Kim Mildward, director of workforce development at the Council has been with the agency for 10 years. And Alice Schieffer, fiscal officer, was awarded for five years of service at the Council. 

State Rep. Mike Thomson, R-Maryville, presented the Council of Governments a courtesy resolution from the Missouri House recognizing its 40-year anniversary.

History of the Regional Council 

In 1968, nineteen regional planning commissions grew out of the State and Regional Planning and Community Development Act of 1966 — including the Northwest Missouri Regional Planning Commission. From its inception until 1972, the Commission did not have a full-time staff and only contracted with consultants to develop projects. One of the first projects, which began in 1970, was a comprehensive plan for water and sewer development in northwest Missouri. A year later, the Commission began a housing study of the five-county area. Finally in 1972, they hired their first full-time staff.

In 1974 and 1975, the Commission was provided increased state funding with matching federal grant money under Missouri Senate Bill 68. As a result, the Commission members felt a different name would better reflect the new purpose of the organization — to help local governments identify common concerns and plan solutions area-wide, as well as to help implement those solutions. In December of 1975, the organization took the name of Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments.

In March of 1980, the Regional Council was given yet another opportunity for improvement when the Public Works and Economic Development Act joined the counties of Atchison, Gentry, Holt,
Nodaway and Worth to form the Northwest Missouri Economic Development District. The Economic Development District helps the Regional Council attract and retain business and industry in the area.

Through the years, the Regional Council has been involved in many programs that include: grant writing and administration, drought and flood assistance, governmental management assistance, state and federal program information, park and recreational grant assistance, local planning, housing needs studies, educational grant assistance, transportation planning, GIS/Cartography mapping, environmental planning and workforce and youth programs.

The Regional Council has gone through many changes over the last 40 years, but it is still serving northwest Missouri — working quietly behind the scenes to bring Atchison, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth Counties and 41 communities to their full potential.