3 March 2023

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Pursuant to Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 10.28(d), the 31st Circuit Judicial Commission releases the following information relating to the applicants for the  impending circuit judge vacancy in the 31st Judicial Circuit which will be created by the retirement of the Honorable David C. Jones in June 2023. Twelve applicants timely submitted completed applications with all required materials: seven men and five women, six presently employed in the private sector and six presently employed in the public sector. The applicants’ mean age is 44 years.

Also pursuant to Rule 10.28(d), the commission announces it will interview all 12 applicants who timely submitted completed applications with all required materials. Interviews will be held in a randomly determined order. The applicants to be interviewed are:

Derek A. Ankrom

Randall D. Eggert

Kaiti Greenwade

Christopher M. Hoeman

Steven E. Kellogg

Chris Lebeck

Kate Millington

Kristen M. O’Neal

Kirsten E. Poppen

Kevin J. Rapp

Jacob Sappington

Amy S. Westermann

The commission plans to conduct interviews for the Jones vacancy starting at 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 13, 2023, in the third-floor courtroom of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, 300 Hammons Parkway in Springfield. The public is invited to attend and observe interviews. The commission will meet immediately after interviews are completed to select three nominees from this applicant pool for the governor’s consideration.

The members of the 31st Circuit Judicial Commission are: Jack A. L. Goodman, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District; attorneys Deborah K. Dodge and Kurt J. Larson; and lay members Kim Hancock and Dr. Fred G. McQueary.

Contact: Craig Street, clerk of the court

Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District

(417) 895-6811