Keith Pickerel

/by

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

/by

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

/by

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

/by

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

/by

Raja Mikkili

Raja is a technology leader with focus in cybersecurity and cloud technologies. He currently serves as the executive director and head of 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

/by

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

/by

Bryan Zimmer

Bryan has worked at Emerson in St. Louis since 2015 and is currently an Operations Strategic Planner. In this role he has responsibility for planning related to strategy, budgeting, capital, and cost reductions at 10 sites across North America and Europe. 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 leading the yearly Make-A-Wish Walk for Wishes campaign for his division at Emerson.

Shannon Weber, Chair

/by

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

/by

Amy Jackson, Secretary Synexus Tax Solutions, LLC

Amy is a Director in Armanino’s National State & Local Tax (SALT) practice and leads the firm’s Sales Tax Compliance Team. 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 Vice 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.