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. I 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.

Stefanie Fischer

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Stefanie Fischer

Stefanie has been in the health care industry for most of her career, and she is currently a registered postpartum nurse at Mercy Hospital – St. Louis. Stephanie is experienced in guiding families throughout their new journey and educating them on healthy outcomes for newborns. Stephanie was initially interested in the Child Care Aware® of Missouri Board because she desired to learn about child care systems and how she could play a role in ensuring Missouri’s children receive quality early childhood educational experiences. Education has played a vital role in Stephanie’s life, and she understands the benefits that accrue from high-quality early education for young children.

Stephanie initially earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. However, she quickly learned that she found more joy in helping others find their story and not writing them. This led her to complete her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing

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.

Sara Wright

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Sara Wright

Sara has been with Washington University St. Louis in the Human Resources Department since 2014. Her focus is on employee and labor relations, federal compliance, policy and process development, global employment matters, and family and child care benefits. Sara’s passion for supporting Missouri families and early childhood educators led her to be a part of the Child Care Aware® of Missouri board.

Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Science from Truman State University and a Juris Doctorate from Saint Louis University School of Law. She is a member of the Missouri Bar and holds an SHRM-SCP certification. In addition to her role on the Child Care Aware® of Missouri Board, Sara volunteers as an Ambassador for the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank and a Troop Leader for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.

Raja Mikkili

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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 & security for Arcutis Biotherapeutics. During his career, he had the opportunity to work across different industries such as pharmaceuticals, aerospace & 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, MO for the past 20 years, he enjoys spending time with his family. He loves spicy food, enjoys motorcycle riding, travelling, and hiking.

Paul Romine

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Paul Romine

Paul is a lead project manager with Centene Corporation and has led the team in launching new products, such as Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement and Ambetter Virtual
Access with Teladoc. Before joining Centene, he served as a Franchise Consultant for Cardinal Health and Kumon North America. Paul has extensive experience working with small business owners in the education industry to improve their business operation and the quality of their education. This experience helped Paul realize the need for an organization such as Child Care Aware® of Missouri that provides training, education, coaching, and business supports to Missouri’s child care businesses.

Paul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Math and a Master of Business Administration degree from Lindenwood University. He also earned a Certification in Franchise Management from Georgetown University. Before joining the Child Care Aware® of Missouri board, Paul served on the HavenHouse Board of Directors and Young Professionals Board and the Make-A-Wish Missouri Young Professionals Board.

Patrick Lawler

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Patrick Lawler

Patrick has been with Nestle Purina since 2017 and is currently a Senior Manager of Commercial Development. He specializes in driving business transformation through technology, data/analytics, and process improvement. His passion for learning and education has also enabled him to lead several initiatives at work focused on developing employees’ skills for the future. Patrick attended Missouri State University for his undergraduate degree and earned an MBA from Webster University.
He joined Child Care Aware® of Missouri board because he shares the belief that every child deserves a safe, equitable, and quality early childhood education experience, which is critical to maximize their future well-being.

Katie Mihok

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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.

Jennifer Simms

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Jennifer Simms

Jennifer has been with the University of Missouri – St. Louis for 22 years and has served in multiple roles, including staff, adjunct faculty, and student. She has been fortunate to work in spaces in the academy as a thought leader, helping to support technology use, teaching, and learning. As a mother of two, and a grandmother of three, Child Care Aware® of Missouri’s mission is near and dear to her heart. Jennifer believes it is her right and responsibility to help ensure children have access to quality educational services to shape their future and define their destiny. She is excited to be a part of an organization whose efforts align with her values.

Jennifer holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She also earned master’s degrees in Human Resources Management and Business Administration from Webster University.

Charneth Pfeiffer

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Charneth Pfeiffer

Charneth “Char” Pfeiffer is a senior HR executive with almost two decades of HR and leadership experience in healthcare, technology, and nonprofit industries, specializing in workforce
development, change management, and strategic planning. Char serves as the Senior Director of Human Resources for Total Access Urgent Care (TAUC), supporting hundreds of employees across 27 sites, providing fast, friendly, and affordable healthcare to our community. Before TAUC, she served with Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care as National Director of Human Resources, where she had the opportunity to drive numerous organizational effectiveness projects. Char has enjoyed a diverse career path, including entrepreneurial ventures, IT, education, and managing a daytime homeless shelter. Winning multiple awards for best places to work, social entrepreneurship, and affordable housing community support have been rewarding. Still, the best reward of all has been empowering people at every level to be successful in their chosen field.

Char resides in the St. Louis area. She spends most of her free time traveling with family and serving as Board Member for Child Care Aware® of Missouri.

Bryan Zimmer

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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.

Steven Hastings, Secretary

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Steven Hastings, Secretary

Steve currently co-owns, along with his brother, a powdered nutrition manufacturing business located in Chesterfield, MO. Before purchasing his business, he was the Executive Vice President of Reliv International for over 25 years. Steve has been involved in many philanthropic organizations and projects throughout his life. However, Steve’s passion for helping children reach their maximum led him to become a Child Care Aware® of Missouri Board member.

Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Illinois and a Master of Business Administration degree from Butler University. Steve’s past experiences volunteering with the Reliv Kalorgris Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Brittney Zylstra, Treasurer

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Brittney Zylstra, Treasurer

Coming Soon

Shannon Weber, Vice-Chair

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Shannon Weber, Vice-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, Chair Armanino, LLP

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.