Megan Price

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OVERVIEW 

I’m honored to serve on the board because I deeply believe in the power of strong systems to help everyday Missouri families thrive. Access to safe, high-quality, and affordable childcare is essential—not only for families but also for Missouri businesses seeking to attract and retain talent without the barrier of childcare concerns. When our childcare providers are supported and empowered to succeed, we create a foundation for economic growth that benefits the entire state. I’m committed to advancing policies and partnerships that ensure our childcare infrastructure helps Missouri reach its full potential.

 

CAREER HISTORY 

I earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Webster University, which laid the foundation for my career in public service and workforce development. I began my professional journey as Chief of Staff in the Missouri Senate, where I focused on convening stakeholders to address constituent concerns, collaborating with state agencies and fellow legislators to craft, pass, and implement impactful policy. Currently, I serve as the Executive Director of the Missouri Works Initiative, the nonprofit arm of the Missouri AFL-CIO. Our mission is to eliminate barriers to good, quality jobs across the state. We fulfill this mission through operating statewide Apprenticeship Ready Programs in Construction and Manufacturing, which help individuals access life-changing opportunities in the skilled trades and build pathways to economic stability.

 

BOARD SERVICE AND EDUCATION 

My commitment to workforce development and economic equity is reflected in my board service, including roles on the Missouri State Workforce Development Board, joint labor-management boards, Citizens for Modern Transit, and previous proxy representative for a state senator on various public and private boards. I currently reside in St. Louis and remain deeply engaged in efforts to strengthen Missouri’s workforce and communities.

Sarah Kirschner

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OVERVIEW 

I have served in a number of paid and volunteer roles in nonprofits including as an Executive Director and a board chair so I understand nonprofits generally and I understand the work of Child Care Aware of MO specifically having worked in the field (University City Children’s Center / LUME Institute, YWCA HeadStart and supervised an early childhood program at Central Reform Congregation). I have also been an advocate for early care and education and have completed several projects on behalf of Child Care Aware and other organizations (business training for center directors, economic impact of ECE, providing expert testimony to state and federal officials, etc.). I believe in the value of early childhood education as a key to future learning and I understand the needs of families for quality care of their youngest children.  I continue to be stunned that our country fails to support the education of all our children from birth to college. 

CAREER HISTORY 

My areas of expertise are managing organizations, human resources, and operations. I have served in leadership roles in corporate, nonprofit and start up environments. I have led teams as large as 50 people.  At FleishmanHillard I held my first operations job and also became interested in specializing in human resources. Working in management, I observed and learned from senior leadership in a global communications firm. At LUME Institute I worked on the team building the Flance Early Learning Center and created budgets and plans for the Center. At YWCA HeadStart I led the HR team for a $30 million organization with 350 employees, many of them in early childhood roles. Most recently I worked in technology seeing all aspects of building, running and ultimately merging small companies. At Central Reform Congregation I used my business, financial and management skills to turn around a floundering organization. 

BOARD SERVICE AND EDUCATION 

I have extensive experience on nonprofit boards as a board member, board chair and as a consultant. I have expanded my skills by attending training, conferences and workshops on board development and governance. I completed an MBA at Washington University and I currently live in St. Louis, MO.

Ruth Binger

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OVERVIEW 

Although making a good living as a lawyer and partner in a law firm, I struggled with being a  single working mom with no child support or relatives in St. Louis. I leaned on friends through the village  method (co-parenting neighbors), using St. Louis University college girls as my daughter’s  mentors/babysitters, and friends. Thus, I was able to create a supportive and loving environment. My intent  is to help others who are not as fortunate as myself and my daughter with respect to resources.  

CAREER HISTORY 

I bring legal, business, facilitative, and leadership experience to Child Care Aware ®. This  experience includes being a practicing lawyer since 1983, representing small and medium-sized  businesses, a thirty-year partner in the same law firm, providing twenty-three years of service as a Board  Member of the Associated Industries of Missouri (“AIM”), and finally, being a creator and facilitator of three business owner/peer advisory boards (composition approximately 9 business owners) since 1994.  

BOARD SERVICE AND EDUCATION

The only Board I have served on since my daughter was born 30 years ago, is AIM. Prior to  that I was on six Boards, which are not relevant here. Received many awards for being active in the  community, and those awards can be found on my Firm’s website. https://dannamckitrick.com/ruth-a binger/ Legal credentials include having a JD in Law and licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois. Reside  in Ladue, Missouri for the last 35 years.  

 

Ramiz Hakim

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Ramiz Hakim

Ramiz Hakim is a dedicated community leader, entrepreneur, and policy advocate with a passion for building systems and programs that empower families and children. As an Alderman for Wright City, Missouri, Ramiz has championed initiatives focused on early childhood education, infrastructure reform, and responsible development, demonstrating a strong commitment to practical, people-first governance.

Ramiz is also the founder of North Star Insurance Advisors, one of the leading agencies in the final expense insurance sector with a focus on marginalized citizens. Through this work, he has trained and led hundreds of insurance agents across the country, emphasizing professionalism, empathy, and the power of honest communication, which are values that translate directly into his work with families and providers in Missouri’s early childhood landscape.

With firsthand experience as a father and adoptive parent, Ramiz brings not only business and governance expertise to Child Care Aware® of Missouri, but also a personal understanding of the challenges families face. His leadership reflects a core belief: that every child, regardless of income or zip code, deserves access to high-quality, safe, and nurturing child care environments.

A vocal advocate for accountability and innovation, Ramiz is particularly interested in supporting workforce development, improving access in rural communities, and ensuring that policy decisions center around both children and the professionals who serve them.

In his spare time, Ramiz enjoys mentoring young leaders, coaching basketball, engaging in local projects, and spending time with his wife Rachel and their three boys: AJ, Jasper, and Isaiah, who keep his passion for children’s futures close to heart!

Keith Pickerel

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Keith Pickerel

Keith Pickerel is a CPA with almost 40 years of extensive State & Local Tax experience. Keith retired from Emerson Electric Co. in January 2023 as a Director, State & Local Taxes, leading a team of tax personnel responsible for Emerson’s compliance and planning for state and local taxes, including corporate income tax, franchise tax, sales and use taxes, and property taxes. Prior to starting at Emerson in 2007, Keith held senior tax management roles at Deloitte Tax LLP and Mallinckrodt Inc.

Keith was introduced to Child Care Aware® of Missouri through a former accounting coworker and soon realized that the mission of the organization closely aligns with his core values. Having four young grandsons, he has personally witnessed the struggles of finding quality child care for them.

Keith holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Keith is a member of the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants and a prior member of the Associated Industries of Missouri Tax Committee. In addition, he was previously the Chairman of the State & Local Tax Committee of Tax Executive Institute – St. Louis.

Ray McCarty

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Ray McCarty

Ray McCarty has served as the President of Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM) since 2008 and is always helping businesses solve problems. One of the biggest problems facing Missouri businesses is finding quality workers because many workers have children and cannot find high quality, affordable child care. Child care helps workers participate in the workforce and helps them have peace of mind so they can full engage in their workplace. He joined the Board of Directors because Child Care Aware® of Missouri helps solve this problem. Ray has a long career serving in multiple governmental relations roles which started with the Missouri Department of Revenue, with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, and now with AIM. Ray resides in Jefferson City with his wife, and serves on several other committees and Boards to help Missouri businesses.

Vivek Mehta

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Vivek Mehta

Vivek is the Chief Information Security Officer with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. He manages information technology and cyber-security strategy and
operations to protect digital assets to ensure data privacy and compliance. Vivek relations to Child Care Aware® of Missouri’s mission and recognizes the need for safe, quality child care. He is especially drawn to the organization’s approach to building child care capacity across Missouri’s communities through its workforce and leadership development programs

Vivek earned a Master of Business Administration with honors from the University of Chicago School of Business and attended executive education programs at Harvard. In addition to his role
on Child Care Aware® of Missouri’s Board, Vivek is also a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and is a speaker at industry conferences such as Med Invest and the Center for Digital Innovation.

Sean Hutto

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Sean Hutto

Sean is a Mortgage Consultant with LeaderOne Financial and has extensive experience in sales and mortgage banking. Sean’s peers describe him as a “Firestarter” – a person who ignites those same qualities in others through passion, tenacity, and leadership. Sean was initially introduced to the Child Care Aware® of Missouri Board through a long-time staff member. As a long-time board member, he now utilizes his passion and leadership abilities to make a difference for Missouri’s young children.

Sean holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Missouri Western State University. Sean is actively engaged in the community and helps build awareness of Child Care Aware® of Missouri’s mission and values.

Raja Mikkili, Vice-Chair

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Raja Mikkili

Raja is a technology leader with focus in cybersecurity and cloud technologies. He currently serves as the Vice President, Technology and Security for Arcutis Biotherapeutics. During his career, he had the opportunity to work across different industries such as pharmaceuticals, aerospace and defense, construction, private equity. As a person who believes in knowledge and empowerment as the key to personal success, growth, and individual development, he is thrilled to be part of the Child Care Aware® of Missouri board and is committed to supporting the organization’s mission.

Raja holds a Master of Science degree in electrical & computer engineering from the Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. A member of ISACA and IAPP organizations, he continues to engage in professional development activities and is an ISACA Certified Information Security Manager. As a resident of St. Louis for the past 20 years, he enjoys spending time with his family. He loves spicy food, enjoys motorcycle riding, travelling, and hiking.

Katie Mihok, Treasurer

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Katie Mihok

Katie Mihok is a CPA with over 12 years of experience in external and internal audit and financial reporting for public companies. She currently serves as the Director of Internal Audit for James River Group, a property and casualty insurance company based in Richmond, VA. Katie recently moved back to Saint Louis and was looking for ways to be involved in the community. Katie is thrilled to serve as a financial resource for Child Care Aware® of Missouri and its Board of Directors while also supporting child care providers and parents throughout the state.

Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Richmond. Before joining Child Care Aware® of Missouri, Katie was a member of the Advisory Board for the Washington University Chapter of
Kappa Kappa Gamma and spent time volunteering with her pup as a therapy dog team through Caring Canines.

Bryan Zimmer

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Bryan Zimmer

Bryan has worked at Copeland (Formerly Emerson Climate Technologies) in St. Louis since 2023 and is currently Director of Distribution, Logistics, and Trade Compliance. His main responsibility in this role is the distribution strategy for eight sites across North America and Europe. Previously, he worked for various divisions of Emerson starting in 2015, in areas of trade compliance, continuous improvement, and strategic planning. Bryan connected with Child Care Aware® of Missouri through a colleague and immediately identified with our mission, vision, and values. He is using this role to address some of the challenges and opportunities that exist to make sure children are given the tools and opportunities to succeed from the start.

Bryan has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Southeast Missouri State University. He also earned an Executive Master of International Business from Saint Louis University. Bryan’s community involvement includes volunteering at The Crossing in Chesterfield and fundraising for the Make-A-Wish Walk for Wishes campaign. Born and raised in St. Louis, he enjoys spending time with his family, outdoor activities, golf, and weight training.

Shannon Weber, Chair

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Shannon Weber, Chair

Shannon was introduced to the Child Care Aware® of Missouri Board through a long-time staff member. Shannon’s experience serving on other boards and his professional career as a financial advisor allows him to lend a unique perspective to the board’s commitment to the organization’s goal of building awareness for its programs and strengthening support for the business education focus of the organization.

Shannon graduated cum laude and earned a degree in Agricultural Economics with a minor in Personal Financial Planning from the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition to his role as Vice-Chair on the Child Care Aware® of Missouri board, Shannon also serves as the President of the St. Louis Agribusiness Club and is a member of the St. Charles County Farm Bureau Board and the Young Professionals Board of Haven House St. Louis.

Amy Jackson, Chair Armanino, LLP

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Amy Jackson, Secretary Synexus Tax Solutions, LLC

Amy is a Director of Tax Policy at Synexus Tax Solutions LLC. Amy was initially interested in serving on the board to offer her legal and consulting experiences to help support childcare businesses. However, her leadership and support have grown past even what she could imagine. Amy sees how child care has a domino effect on areas in our state and how child care specifically impacts workforce development.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams Woods University and a Juris Doctorate from Saint Louis University School of Law. She is a member of the Missouri Bar Association and serves as Chair on the Tax Committee. Amy is also a member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation and serves as the Vice-Chair for the local chapter in St. Louis.