Board of Directors

Carolyn Shaw

Chairperson

Carolyn Shaw is retired from US Bank where she served as Community Bank President of the East Missouri Market, which included branches in Hannibal, Bowling Green, and Montgomery City. She now works part-time in Loan Operations for The Mercantile Bank of Louisiana, MO. Mrs. Shaw received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with a minor in Economics, from William Jewell College. She manages her family’s 530 acre farm and serves as director of music and youth ministries for the First United Methodist Church in Bowling Green. Ms. Shaw is a member of Chapter DA P.E.O. and G.F.W.C. Heir Study Club, and she enjoys doing volunteer work with community service organizations.

Brad Kurz

Vice Chairperson

Brad Kurz is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Hannibal. Mr. Kurz has a BS in Mathematics from Missouri Western State University. Upon graduation, the Frankford native returned to the region and spent over a decade as a teacher, coach and administrator in Hannibal and Bowling Green school districts prior to his career in financial services. Mr. Kurz is currently serving as President for the Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mark Twain Area Habitat for Humanity, in addition to continued involvement with the Mark Twain Area Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Hannibal Men's BBT, and Arch United Methodist Church. He resides in Hannibal with his wife, Sara, and their children, Kendall and Caleb.

Jason Poage

Treasurer

Jason Poage is the Owner of Poage Automotive - Farm – Land Management. Mr. Poage is a member of the Hannibal Chamber of Commerce, Mark Twain Corvette Club, 4H and MADA. Mr. Poage has served as a Director for Missouri Auto Dealers Association for Northeast Region and the Hannibal Nutrition Center. Mr. Poage has been recognized as a GM Mark of Excellence Dealer.

Michael Holliday

Secretary

Michael Holliday is a practicing attorney in Hannibal, Missouri with the law firm of Curl, Hark and Holliday, L.L.C. where he has practiced law for over sixteen years. Michael became a partner with the firm in 2011. Born and raised in Hannibal, Michael married his wife Whitney (also born and raised in Hannibal) in 2006, and they have two boys, Reid who is eleven years old and Harrison who is seven years old. Michael has taken volunteerism and community service to heart, in an effort to give back to Hannibal and the surrounding area. Michael has served as a member of the Hannibal School Board since 2008, and is now serving as Vice-President for the Hannibal School Board. Michael served as a board member of the Hannibal YMCA Board from 2013 to 2018. Michael also served on the Junior Achievement of Northern Missouri board from 2008 through 2013, where he assisted with the financial education of children in our area. Currently, Michael is now on the Executive Board of the Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce, and was Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce President for the year 2015. Michael and his wife Whitney, along with their two sons, are also active members of their church at Arch United Methodist here in Hannibal. Michael served as stewardship chair in 2012 and 2013 for Arch, and served on the Arch Finance Committee from 2011 until 2013. Michael was selected in 2014 by the Quincy Herald Whig as one of their recipients for the "20 under 40" honors, which highlights those that have contributed to their community. Michael and his family are proud to call “America’s Hometown”, their hometown.

Dr. Rahul Basho

Director

Dr. Rahul Basho is an orthopedic spine surgeon who has been serving the Hannibal community for the past 9 years. He completed his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley and attended The Ohio State University for medical school. After completing his orthopedic training at Henry Ford Hospital, he underwent subspecialty training in spine surgery at UCLA. He is a partner at Midwest Orthopedic Specialists and the Director of Spine Surgery at Hannibal Regional Hospital. Dr. Basho strives to educate patients and provides cutting-edge treatment options. In his free time, Dr. Basho enjoys watching his favorite sports teams and traveling with his family.

Pat Benson

Director

Pat Benson is the founder of Benson Financial Group. Mr. Benson has been in the financial business for the past 20 years. Community involvement is important to Mr. Benson, as he serves on the board of directors for Hannibal Regional Healthcare System, Hannibal Police and Fire Pension Board, The Kissing Well, and is a Board of Trustees member at Hannibal-LaGrange University. He formally was a member of the Hannibal Regional Hospital Board. Mr. Benson is also part of a BBT (Biblical Business Training) group in Hannibal.

Mr. Benson is a lifelong resident of the tri-state area. He was born and raised in Monroe City and lived there until moving to Hannibal in 1993 with his wife Connie and daughter Kyley. He is an active member of Second Baptist Church in Bowling Green, MO where he serves as a deacon. He and his wife, Connie, are very supportive of missions work in Haiti, Guatemala, and Uganda. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, reading, traveling, spending time on the farm, and watching his favorite sports team.

John Bleigh

Director

John Bleigh was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri, and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. He received his Masters of Science Degree in Defense Analysis (Irregular Warfare) from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2011.

During his time in the Army, John was initially commissioned as an Engineer Officer and served in Hawaii with the 25th Infantry Division. In 2006, John completed the Special Forces selection and qualification course. As a Special Forces Officer, John served in a variety of positions in the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and Special Operations Command Africa, conducting numerous deployments around the world. John retired from the Army in March 2021 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

John Bleigh now works as a project manager for Bleigh Construction Company. He is a member of the American Legion, the Special Forces Association, and Lions Club. He and his wife, Amy, are happy to be living back in Hannibal with their three children: Cooper, Emerson, and Charlotte.

Eric Jones

Director

Eric Jones has served Marion County as a law enforcement officer for over 20 years.  In addition to serving as a law enforcement officer, Mr. Jones operates a security consulting business that includes, but is not limited to, a drug K9 program and several other small businesses.  Mr. Jones is married to his wife, Talia and they have five beautiful children and seven beautiful grandchildren.  Mr. Jones enjoys sports, fishing, and spending time with family and friends.  In addition to serving on the Hannibal Regional Board of Directors, he also serves on the board for the Hannibal YMCA and Salvation Army and is part of the Hannibal Regional Healthcare System Race and Equity group.  Mr. Jones shares, "I highly value God and family....put God first and everything else will be added unto you."

Devon McClain

Director

Born and raised in Hannibal, MO, Devon McClain graduated from the University of Central Florida. While completing his master’s in history, Mr. McClain was recruited to join a technology startup company in Boulder, Colorado. Pinpoint Technologies created, marketed, sold, and supported state of the art EMS dispatch, billing, and field data collection software. Mr. McClain led the Deployment Division responsible for the project management, installation, configuration, and training of software suite and also developed the internal training programs within the company. Clients ranged in size from small family-owned operations to the entire state of Queensland, Australia, and their software is prevalent in every major city in the US.

After Pinpoint was acquired by ZOLL Medical, Mr. McClain founded McClain Consulting LLC, a strategic technology firm that serves government, education, and commercial clients.

Dirk Sauer

Director

Dirk Sauer is retired owner/operator of Martin's True Value Hardware, Inc. in Hannibal, MO, having spent over 40 years in the retail hardware business. Mr. Sauer attended the University of Missouri where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1972. Mr. Sauer serves as a director on the Session of First Presbyterian Church in Hannibal in addition to the HRHS board of directors. Mr. Sauer also formerly served as a member and officer of the Beth Haven Nursing Home board, Hannibal High School Booster Club, the Hannibal Free Public Library, and the Hannibal Jaycees.

Gene Scholes, Jr.

Director

Gene Scholes, Jr. is the Vice President of Reliable Pest Solutions, a regional pest management company in the Tri State area. Mr. Scholes is a board certified entomologist and a member of various civic and professional organizations. He has served on and chaired numerous boards and associations on a local, state, and national level. He additionally works as a consultant for pest control companies. He formally was a member of the Hannibal Regional Hospital Board and served as Chair. He has served as President of the Hannibal Chamber of Commerce and the Hannibal Evening Kiwanis Club.

Linda Straube

Director

Linda Straube is a retired Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Hannibal, Missouri as well as a limited partner with Edward Jones. She earned a BS in Education at the University of Missouri and opened her first business, The Home Maid Shop in Mexico, Missouri in 1973. She expanded with a second store in Hannibal, Missouri in 1975. She served as President of Huck Finn Merchants Association before selling both stores in 1984.
Linda joined EF Hutton as a Financial Advisor in 1986 in Quincy, Illinois and trained in New York City. She opened an office for Edward Jones in Hannibal, Missouri in 1993 where she provided financial services for individuals and businesses. She has served on several executive boards, including the North East Missouri Community Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Hannibal Arts Council, and Hannibal Country Club. She served on the A+ Committee and was a founding member. Linda was was one of the recipients of the 1997 Community Betterment Award for raising funds for the fire department to purchase specialized helmets. She has been honored with many achievement awards by Edward Jones and the financial industry, including the National Who’s Who for Executive Professionals. She enjoys traveling, playing cards, golf and family.

Deborah Thornburg

Director

Deborah Thornburg is President of P&D Electric, Inc., an industrial and commercial electrical contracting company located in Hannibal that serves Northeast Missouri and East-Central Illinois. Mrs. Thornburg has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial & Manufacturing System Engineering from the University of Missouri – Columbia. Prior to returning to the Hannibal area Deborah worked as a Sales Engineer for a global wire and cable company in Indianapolis. She is involved in numerous organizations including serving as President for the Rotary Club of Hannibal, a member of P.E.O., an accredited representative of the National Electrical Contractors Association, a member of the Hannibal Chamber of Commerce and a proud member of the Hannibal Regional Hospital Auxiliary. Deborah enjoys time with her two children Emma & Wesley as well as volunteering, traveling, gardening and her numerous animals.

Justin Trantham

Director

Justin Trantham is the Operations Manager of the General Mills Hannibal Old El Paso Hard Shell Department. Mr. Trantham has been with General Mills for 20 years in various roles and locations and is currently a member of the Hannibal site leadership team. He also participates on the General Mills North American Business Team for Old El Paso strategic planning. Mr. Trantham graduated from Kansas State University with a Grain Science and Milling Science Degree. Mr. Trantham enjoys being active in community events and volunteer work as well as various outdoor activities. Mr. Trantham and his family reside in New London, Missouri.

Dr. Richard Valuck

Director

Dr. Richard Valuck is a native of Kirksville, MO. He earned BA and MD degrees at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has been practicing Cardiology in Hannibal for 25 years. He is a member of Hannibal Regional Medical Group and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a member of the American Medical Association and Northeast Missouri County Medical Society.