Community Advisory Council
The 13-member Community Advisory Council serves as a liaison between Missouri’s communities and the MFH Board of Directors. CAC representatives help ensure MFH’s Board has a deeper understanding of how its grants are impacting communities and what health concerns need to be addressed. The CAC also oversees the recruitment of highly qualified candidates interested in serving on the CAC and MFH Board.
The CAC is committed to diversity in its membership, to reflect the entire MFH service region, the broad scope of MFH’s funding, and the challenges of urban, suburban and rural communities. The CAC also conducts several outreach meetings each year to gather information, and publishes reports to build greater understanding of the health challenges Missouri faces and how progress can be made.
Maureen Bressett, RPH, MSHA
Chairperson • Ozark County
MFH Region: South Central
Term: 2012 - 2015
Maureen “Mo” Bressett is a clinical pharmacist with the Tertiary Care Academic Medical Center of the Harry S.Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia. She is highly experienced in the pharmaceutical industry and gained expertise as a medical science liaison in New Jersey and California before coming to Missouri. Bressett received her bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from University of North Carolina and her master of science in health administration from the University of Colorado. She was appointed to the Community Advisory Committee in 2007.
Jim Brown, Vice Chair
Wentzville • St. Charles County
MFH Region: St. Louis Metro
Term: 2011-2014
Jim Brown served as a business representative, assistant directing business representative and director of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 9 in St. Louis. He’s also served as delegate, secretary-treasurer and president of the Missouri State Council of Machinists, chairman of District 9 Machinist Tool and Die Makers Joint Apprentice Committee and as president of the Machinists International Tool and Die Conference. From 2003 until his retirement in 2006, he was general vice president of the IAM Midwest Territory. Additionally, Brown served on the executive board of both the AFL-CIO and United Way of Greater St. Louis. Brown was appointed to the Community Advisory Committee in 2008.
Paula Baker
Joplin • Jasper County
MFH Region: Southwest
Term: 2010 - 2013
Paula Baker is the Chief Executive Officer for Ozark Center,the behavioral health division of Freeman Health System. Baker is active in a number of professional organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Southwest Missouri Community Alliance, Board of Directors for Ascent, and as Chairman of the Board for the Ronald McDonald House. She also serves as a Trustee for the Pittsburg State University Foundation and President for the Missouri Coalition of Community Mental Health Centers.She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas. She was appointed to the Community Advisory Board in 2007.
Alfreda Brown
St. Louis City
MFH Region: St. Louis Metro
Term: 2010-2013
Alfreda Brown is Director and Project Manager for Diversity at Saint Louis Regional Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) at Washington University in St. Louis. Her board memberships have included service with the St. Charles Lwanga Center and the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences.
Linda Collins-Shaw
St. Louis
MFH Region: St. Louis Metro
Term: 2012 - 2015
Linda Collins-Shaw is an independent Resource and Event Consultant. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Washington University. She formerly served as an English as a Second Language Teacher with the University City School District. Previously. she was an Information & Correspondence Specialist for the Department of Social Services. She volunteers with the Lutheran & Family Children's Services, Missouri Humanities Council and Circle of Support for Survivors.
W. Curt Dandridge, MD, MBA
Joplin • Jasper County
MFH Region: Southwest
Term: 2012 - 2014
Dr. Dandridge is a surgeon with Mercy Physicians Group in Joplin, Mo., where he specializes in surgery of the breast. He also has served as a board member for the Mercy medical group, and is medical director for the Community Clinic of Joplin. Dandridge, a Joplin resident, received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma at Oklahoma City, where he completed a residency in general and vascular surgery. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and served as a lieutenant commander and surgeon in the U.S. Navy. Dandridge has served as a board member for the United Way of Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas; the Hope 4 You Breast Cancer Foundation; METS (Metro Emergency Transport System) ambulance service; and other organizations. He is in his second term as a governor of the American College of Surgeons.
Janet Gooch, PhD
Adair County
MFH Region: Northeast
Term: 2012 - 2014
Janet Gooch, a licensed speech-language pathologist, is dean of the School of Health Sciences and Education at Truman State University, Kirksville. She is a former chair of the Communication Disorders Department at Truman, and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses as a professor there. She has lectured and written extensively on professional training, screening and treatment related to speech and language disorders, and was vice president of legislative affairs for the Missouri Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Gooch holds multiple degrees in speech pathology – a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas; master’s degree from Kent State University; and a PhD from Case Western Reserve University. She has served on the board of the Kirksville R-III School District and the provost search committee for Truman State. Gooch joined the Community Advisory Council in 2012.
Brooks Miller
Springfield • Greene County
MFH Region: Springfield
Term: 2012-2015
Brooks Miller, president and chief executive officer of Jordan Valley Community Health Center, which provides medical and dental health services in southwest Missouri. He holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration, and a master’s degree in education administration, both from Truman State University. He has served on the boards of organizations including City Utilities of Springfield, Isabel’s House, and the Springfield Regional Health Commission.
Joe Pierle
Jefferson City • Cole County
MFH Region: Central
Term: 2012-2015
Joseph E. Pierle, MPA, is a native St. Louisan. He was appointed chief executive officer of the Missouri Primary Care Association in April 1999. Prior to this appointment, he worked for United States Senator Christopher S. Bond in Washington D.C., serving as an advisor on issues concerning health, children, the elderly, and veterans. Mr. Pierle has shared his experience as a member of the National Advisory Committee on the National Health Service Corps, Missouri Coalition for Oral Health Access, and as a board member of the National Association of Community Health Centers. He is currently the board chair of the Central Missouri Chapter of the March of Dimes, a member of Missouri MO HealthNet Oversight Committee, MO HealthNet QI Council, Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Health, Community Advisory Board to the UMKC School of Dentistry, and Community Advisory Committee to the Missouri Foundation for Health. Mr. Pierle received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Kansas and a Masters in Public Administration from George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia. He also received a certificate from the UCLA Anderson School of Management for completing a health care executive program.He has been honored by the March of Dimes for his work promoting healthier babies, the National Association of Children’s Hospitals for child advocacy efforts, and by the National Association of Community Health Centers for Exceptional Service on behalf of community health.
Sharon Rohrbach
Saint Louis
MFH Region: Saint Louis Metro
Term: 2011 - 2014
Sharon Rohrbach, RN, of St. Louis, retired in 2008 as chief executive officer of the Nurses for Newborns Foundation, which she co-founded in 1991. She worked as a pediatric critical care nurse before establishing Nurses for Newborns, which offers in-home nurse visits for low-income and uninsured mothers and babies. Rohrbach now provides services to nonprofits through Dynamic Change, a consulting business.
Dennis Tesreau
Hillsboro • Jefferson County
MFH Region: St. Louis Metro
Term: 2010-2013
Upon Dennis Tesreau’s arrival at the Wegmann Law Firm in 1976, he gained experience in a variety of areas of the law, including municipal and government law, personal injury, employment law, and real estate. In particular, he has established an expertise in workers’ compensation law, representing both employers and employees. In recent years, Tesreau has nurtured a growing municipal practice, providing governmental bodies with solid legal advice and representation regarding employment practices and statutory procedures, as well as a vast list of other legal questions which are presented to governmental bodies. He was appointed to the Community Advisory Committee in 2005.
Cheryl White
New Madrid • New Madrid County
MFH Region: Bootheel
Term: 2012-2015
Cheryl White is chief executive officer of SEMO Health Network, which operates 13 medical and dental health clinics in southeast Missouri. She resides in New Madrid, and has a bachelor of science degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University. White has served on the boards of several organizations, including the New Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Missouri Primary Care Association. She is lead director of the SEMO Health Network emergency response mobile team.
CAC Information
Recruitment
The application period to apply for the Community Advisory Council is closed for 2013.
The Community Advisory Council will be accepting applications for the 2013 Board of Directors in June 2013.
Outreach