Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission Quarterly Meeting

Missouri Secretary of State Building 600 West Main Street — Jefferson City, MO 65101

Monday, September 30, 2019 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Agenda

I. Call to order and establishment of a quorum Bob Hagedorn, Chair

II. Welcome to Advisory Group members, presenters and guests Chair

III. Approval of the minutes from the June 4, 2019 MMPEC meeting Chair

IV. Reports and Briefings

A. Military installation reports Whiteman AFB, FLW, Rosecrans ANG Base

B. Community updates: St. Joseph Community Alliance; Community Leaders

Whiteman AFB region; and Fort Leonard Wood Region/Sustainable Ozarks Partnership

C. Report from the Missouri Veterans Commission Colonel Grace Link, MVC Executive Director

D. Report from the Missouri National Guard Don Koonce, Military Exec

E. Report from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Scotty Allen, Military Legal Assistance Team (MLAT)

F. Quarterly update from the Military Advocate Joe Driskill

G. Consultant report on Congressional and Pentagon issues Mike Dubois affecting the Missouri military sector and defense interests Kit Bond Strategies

V. Old Business

A. Consideration of a draft “2020-2022 Missouri Military/Defense Strategic Plan”, which satisfies the

requirement for an MMPEC “biennial plan”, pursuant to § 41.1010.6 (8) RSMo. Proposed Commission Action: Presentation and discussion only. Final approval of the plan be on the agenda for the December 3, 2019 MMPEC meeting.

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B. Consideration of the draft report, “Economic Impact of Military and Defense Spending in

Missouri”, which is being prepared by Development Strategies, St. Louis, Missouri Proposed Commission Action: Presentation and discussion only. Final approval of the report and a communications plan will be on the agenda for the December 3, 2019 MMPEC meeting

C. Consideration of recommendations to the Veteran Innovation Task Force (VITF) of the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) for policy changes to help attract and retain military service members and their families when they separate from the military Proposed Commission Action: Approve recommendations and authorize the Military Advocate to work with the Governor’s Office, General Assembly and MVC to pursue the recommendations.

D. Consideration of ideas for additional legislation and/or policy changes for recommendation to the Governor and General Assembly Proposed Commission Action: Discussion only and direction to staff for further research and work with the Governor’s Office, Department of Economic Development and General Assembly.

E. Consideration of a Military Appreciation Day on February 5, 2020

Proposed Commission Action: Give guidance and direction to the Executive Director regarding the structure of the Military Appreciation Day.

VI. New Business

A. Presentation of Missouri Military Community Reinvestment Grant Program FY 2020 Guidelines & Application by the Missouri Department of Economic Development Proposed Commission Action: Presentation and discussion only. MMPEC decisions on DED recommendations will be made at a special meeting called by the MMPEC Chair in October 2019 on a date yet to be determined.

VII. Good of the Order A. Other

VIII. Adjournment

For those who wish to join the MMPEC meeting by teleconference, the instructions are: Dial Toll Free: 1-877-820-7831 Enter Participant Passcode: 497032#

Draft Minutes Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission

Regular Quarterly Meeting Jefferson City, MO

June 4, 2019 – 10:00 a.m.

The meeting was held at the Department of Natural Resources, Roaring River Conference Room, 1730 East Elm Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101. MMPEC Members: Bob Hagedorn, Royal Turner, Hart Nelson, Steve Ehrhardt, Representative Steve Lynch, Col. Grace Link (Missouri Veterans Commission designee), and Military Advocate Joe Driskill (DED Director designee) Guests: Emma Dillon, Mike Dubois, Scotty Allen, Brett Cox, Normal Lucas, Keith Crumley, Scott Miller, Lt. Nathaniel Dampf, Eric Bergrud, Randell Gelzer, Dorsey Newcomb, Kent Thomas, Suzanne Taylor, Gregg Thompson, Kasie Lercher, Steve Standifird, Dr. Jerrod Wheeler, Ray Bozarth, Grace Twehous, Abe Forney, Tama Wagner, Col. Chris Callis, Bennie Cook, Rachel Gilroy, Lorie Steen, Bryan Parker, Rob Dixon, Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe WELCOME The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. and roll was called. A quorum was established with five statutory members and two ex-officio member designees participating. Guests were introduced. APPROVAL OF MINUTES RESOLVED, the Commission hereby approves the minutes of the March 11, 2019 meeting, as submitted. Motion made by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Chair Hagedorn. Motion passed unanimously by voice vote. REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS Whiteman Installation Report – Lt. Nathaniel Dampf gave a brief update about the upcoming events at Whiteman and the initiatives his office has recently given attention. He mentioned the Missouri National Guard’s vigilant guard exercise and his work to reestablish Jefferson Barracks Base Community Council. Lt. Dampf also mentioned the Whiteman Air Show in June 2019. Fort Leonard Wood – Gregg Thompson, Deputy to the Commanding General, gave the Commission and advisory members some information about his background and career. Thompson mentioned that his office has largely focused on training issues at Fort Leonard

Wood, including the transformation of AIT and basic training and the installation’s attempt to bring Marines and Air Force training to Fort Leonard Wood. He mentioned the housing issues being addressed by the Army and said while the issues don’t impact FLW as much as other installations, it is working on a reinvestment effort. Thompson also addressed the progress of the GLWACH and staffing situation and said the installation is focusing on quality of care for active duty service members and retirees. Rosecrans, 139th Airlift Wing – Abe Forney, General Manager of the Rosecrans Airport, gave the Commission an update about MILCON and other projects happening at Rosecrans. Forney mentioned that all engines of the C-130s at Rosecrans have been updated and that the installation is awaiting a new communications and simulator building. Forney also spoke about the importance of the 139th Air Wing in helping to combat the flooding across Missouri around the time of the meeting. Forney also discussed some of the Russian planes landing at Rosecrans lately. Tama Wagner, Director of the St. Joseph Community Alliance, also gave a brief update to the Commission and underscored the importance of the 139th helping with the floods in Missouri. She also spoke about community member visits with congressional leaders in Washington, D.C. Finally, Wagner mentioned that the community is hopefully that Rosecrans will make the short list for the AEROVAC unit and briefly discussed the benefits of the St. Joseph/Buchanan County communities for the project. Whiteman Air Force Base – Colonel Callis, commander of the 509th Mission Support Group, gave a brief update to the Commission about Whiteman Air Force Base. Col. Callis echoed some of Lt. Dampf’s updates, especially about the Whiteman Air Show. Col. Callis also mentioned that the installation recently welcomed Col. Schreiner as commander of the 509th Bomb Wing. Col. Callis also updated the Commission about the progress of the combined operations building on the installation. Fort Leonard Wood – Kent Thomas, Executive Director of the Leonard Wood Institute and Sustainable Ozarks Partnership, updated the Commission on a community member trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with congressional leaders and other stakeholders. Thomas also mentioned the Salute to Service event, which recognized high school seniors entering the military, National Guard, or military academy following their graduation this year. Thomas went on to discuss the work at Fort Leonard Wood to promote technology for Army missions. He also mentioned work the installation is doing within the communities, including producing several professional videos to highlight FLW and the surrounding communities. Thomas mentioned many other initiatives currently underway by the installation, including: support for commercial flights, veteran outreach efforts, training opportunities for service members and their families, Army credentialing program based on MOS (effective October 2019), neurotrauma research, and work with Jefferson Barracks. Thomas finally mentioned that there is a strategic analysis of the opportunities of FLW underway, which may help add federal departments onto military bases through NDAA language and intergovernmental support agreements with FLW and surrounding communities. Commissioner Ehrhardt mentioned that Kent Thomas is retiring this summer. Commissioners and advisory group members thanked Thomas for his service.

Missouri Veterans Commission – Col. Grace Link updated the commissioners and advisory members about the Veteran Innovation Task Force, which will have its next meeting on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. Col. Link also spoke about veteran homes and said that the waiting lists have significantly declined to lower than 400. Col. Link mentioned the feasibility study underway in Missouri regarding adult day health care programs. Col. Link also mentioned a national veteran legal services program, which assigns lawyers during the appeal process for veterans. Finally, Col. Link mentioned the new Missouri Veterans Commission app and outreach events throughout the state, specifically citing the veteran services offered at places like Mizzou Law. Commissioner Turner asked if MVC is looking to build any new veteran homes in light of the wait lists. Col. Link said it is not because Missouri is only licensed for Long Term Care and there is a severe nurse shortage. Commissioner Lynch spoke briefly about the wait list and the VA contracting with local nursing homes. Commissioner Nelson asked where nursing jobs for veteran homes are being posted. Col. Link said she will connect with Commissioner Nelson regarding the St. Louis Community College nursing program. Ray Bozarth, of Senator Josh Hawley’s office, asked about federal funding for the veteran homes. Col. Link approximated about 85% of funds come from the VA and the rest are provided from the MO Gaming Commission. Col. Link mentioned that the veteran home costs about $2,050 per month and is all inclusive. Missouri National Guard – Scott Miller, Military Executive at the Missouri National Guard, told the Commission about a data mining project underway regarding unemployment and underemployment for veterans in Missouri and mentioned that the first phase of the study will be presented soon. Miller mentioned the sandbagging efforts for flooding in nine Missouri communities during the severe flooding around the time of the meeting. Miller told the Commission that Missouri is ranked among the top three to five states for National Guard recruiting nationally. Miller mentioned the Vigilant Guard activity around the state at the time of the meeting. Finally, Miller spoke about the new State Defense Force, which is recruiting candidates from around the state to participate. Missouri Attorney General’s Office – Scotty Allen, Managing Attorney for the Military Legal Assistance Team (MLAT), gave a brief update about the Military Legal Assistance Team sponsored by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Allen did a broad overview of the program, including which issues qualifying service members could use the MLAT for and how veterans and service members could access the services. Allen said the MLAT helps to combat predatory commercial practices which target military personnel and veterans and aims to educate the public on the military and the legal protections available to them. Missouri Military Advocate Update – Joe Driskill, the Missouri Military Advocate and Executive Director of MMPEC, gave the Commission an update on his efforts and initiatives within the Department of Economic Development and on behalf of MMPEC. Driskill began by mentioning some vacancies in the Commission and suggested they should be filled by the Commission’s next meeting in September. Driskill gave an overview of his office and the bulk of

the work he does on a weekly and monthly basis. He spoke about his travel and engagements with defense communities in Missouri and the consultants he works with on a regular basis since the last meeting in March. During the briefing, Commissioner Nelson, Randell Gelzer, and Gregg Thompson mentioned the success of the first class of graduates from STLCC to work on Boeing planes, career skills programs, and how FLW is a perfect spot to grow the program. Driskill went on to highlight several key initiatives and issues being pursued by his office, including: the DED reorganization and new legislation with flexible incentives, participation in the Association of Defense Communities, a focus on quality of life issues faced by service members, their families, and veterans, a defense/military impact report update, Kansas City and St. Louis Military Affairs Committees, the National Security Crossroads, Midwest Defense Alliance, and support for the Jefferson Barracks community support organization. Commissioner Lynch spoke briefly about SB180, which he helped push through and pass on the last day of 2019 legislative session. Commissioner Turner asked who is overseeing the bill and Driskill said DED plans to oversee it. Mike Dubois mentioned that Driskill’s office is wasting no time informing people about the legislation. At the end of Driskill’s briefing, Commissioner Turner inquired about the term length of Driskill’s position as President of ADC. Driskill said his term will be two years. Finally, Driskill gave an overview of some dates of interest to the Commission. Consultant Update – Mike Dubois, of Kit Bond Strategies, gave the committee an update about the priorities his team has worked on to support the Office of the Military Advocate and MMPEC since the last meeting. Dubois provided an overview of the FY20 priority initiatives at each of the major military and defense installations in the state and briefed the Commission of the key MILCON priorities for FY20. Dubois spoke about the FY20 federal budget and continuing resolution to fund national defense spending. Dubois mentioned specific priorities at the Missouri National Guard, Rosecrans, Whiteman Air Force Base, Fort Leonard Wood, and NGA – N2W. During Dubois’ briefing on Fort Leonard Wood, Gregg Thompson mentioned a meeting he had with the Army Corps of Engineers regarding GLWACH and Commissioner Turner mentioned funds being given to the Missouri Western nursing program. Finally, Dubois addressed the geospatial “ecosystem” development, including a discussion about the STL coalition that attended the GEOINT conference. Lt. Governor’s Office – Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe spoke to the Commission briefly about his background and his appreciation of the military. Lt. Governor Kehoe went on to discuss all of the opportunities and resources Missouri has to offer service members, veterans, and their families, mentioning specifically the military family campout at the Governor’s Mansion in May. Kehoe said many service members and veterans are unfamiliar with the programs Missouri has to offer and voiced his support for programs or campaigns to help spread awareness of the programs already in place. Dorsey Newcomb spoke about the importance of the quality of Missouri schools, especially surrounding installations, and Kent Thomas mentioned the Army career service program. Joe Driskill mentioned how timely Lt. Governor Kehoe’s remarks were, especially considering Driskill’s participation in a work group specifically focused on issues affecting transitioning service members.

Department of Economic Development – Director of the Department of Economic Development, Rob Dixon, gave an update to the Commission about many of the events, initiatives, and programs being pursued by DED in 2019. Director Dixon especially underscored the importance of the Department’s reorganization this year and presented the strategic placemat to the Commission. After the presentation, Commissioner Nelson asked about whether DED is focusing on industry clusters. Director Dixon said the Department is focusing more on regional clusters and not specific industries. Commissioner Turner mentioned the animal health corridor and Director Dixon said the Department will continue to focus on it and similar corridors, but with less emphasis. Eric Bergrud, of Park University, asked about the fast track legislation and how to spread the info around. Director Dixon called on Joe to follow up. OLD BUSINESS 2019 MMPEC Strategic Plan Update – Joe Driskill briefed the Commission on his office’s plan to host a virtual town hall to gather input for MMPEC’s new 2020/2021 strategic plan. He reviewed the Commission’s current strategic plan and provided an overview of how the virtual town hall platform, called MindMixer, would work. Driskill mentioned that he would host a virtual kickoff for the virtual town hall using WebEx and asked that all Commission members join. Driskill told the Commission how his office plans to promote the website and about all of the analytics the platform provides. Commissioner Turner asked about the reach for participants. Driskill responded that his office has a comprehensive list of people they are inviting to the website, but will rely heavily on sharing to increase the reach to hopefully engage more than 1,000 people. Chair Hagedorn asked about the process of analyzing feedback, to which Driskill responded that he hopes to have a new strategic plan by the September MMPEC meeting. Chair Hagedorn suggested focusing the new strategic plan more than the current, Driskill agreed. Dorsey Newcomb asked about the timeline, which Driskill shared. Commissioner Ehrhardt asked about the sharing ability of the Save the Date send out by DED, to which Emma Dillon responded that it will definitely be sharable. Veteran Innovation Task Force – Military Transition Assistance Work Group Update – Joe Driskill gave some background on the larger Veteran Innovation Task Force and his position on the smaller Military Transition Assistance work group. He provided a list of members on the work group and shared their mission to provide specific ideas regarding the best ways to support, connect, retain, and attract transitioning military service members, veterans, and families in Missouri. Driskill also mentioned that his office has engaged the services of Dr. Chris Stockdale, a professor at the University of Central Missouri, to conduct research on the group’s recommendations and author a comprehensive plan based on his findings. Driskill provided a broad overview of the group’s current recommendations and a timeline for when he expects the recommendations to be formally presented to the Veteran Innovation Task Force. Commissioner Nelson asked if OTC is part of the work group. Driskill said they are not, but he might consider it because of the focus on licensing issues. Commissioner Link thanked Driskill and mentioned he should connect with Lori Steen regarding the larger VITF meetings. Dorsey Newcomb said

the one-stop concept is crucial for retaining transitioning service members. Commissioner Ehrhardt mentioned that if the Missouri Veterans Commission could track positive analytics from initial recommendations, they could perhaps make the case for more resources. Col. Callis mentioned that service members want to continue to serve and be part of a team, which could be a selling point for many of the recommendations. Commissioner Lynch mentioned that he thought the licensure issue would be resolved this year via legislation, but that it didn’t happen. National Security Crossroads Update – Joe Driskill provided a brief update about the National Security Crossroads initiative. Driskill mentioned the many partners in the coalition pushing for the National Security Crossroads and went over the objectives of the initiative. Eric Bergrud mentioned the importance of recruiting across state lines. Driskill also mentioned a security clearance issue, which has been known to plague applicants to national security and defense related jobs. Randell Gelzer mentioned that the process is changing, but that it’s still not great. Rachel Gilroy, of Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler’s office, mentioned that the issue is on Congresswoman Hartzler’s radar and she is actively trying to make the situation better. NEW BUSINESS Evaluation Action Item – Joe Driskill began by explaining to the Commission that many places want a check on performance in commissions, but because his role is appointment and he doesn’t technically have an “employer,” his position needed a check. Commissioner Ehrhardt said that a subset of the Commission performed an evaluation of Driskill, which attempted to measure metrics. Commissioner Ehrhardt praised Driskill for involving stakeholders and forming partnerships for the Commission. Commissioner Ehrhardt said the MMPEC review committee decided that Driskill has been “fully successful” in his service to the Commission. Chair Hagedorn and Commissioner Nelson also agreed. Driskill responded to their evaluation and mentioned that although the Commission was unable to sponsor a Military Appreciation Day event this year, Lt. Governor Kehoe will champion the effort in the future. RESOLVED, the Commission hereby approves the performance evaluation of Joe Driskill, Executive Director of MMPEC and Missouri Military Advocate, as presented. Motion made by Commissioner Turner, seconded by Commissioner Nelson. Motion passed unanimously by voice vote. GOOD OF THE ORDER Joe Driskill mentioned the member roster and again said that he hoped the Governor’s Office would fill Commission vacancies by the September meeting. Commissioner Nelson asked about the date of the next meeting. Driskill reminded the Commission that the September meeting will be on Tuesday, September 3, 2019. Commissioner

Turner expressed concern that the next meeting is the Tuesday after Labor Day, but ultimately the Commission decided not to reschedule. ADJOURNMENT Having no further business on the agenda, the meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

HB Section(s): 7.030

Program is found in the following core budget(s): Office of the Military Advocate1a. What strategic priority does this program address?

1b. What does this program do?

2a. Provide an activity measure(s) for the program.FY2020 FY2021 FY2022

Projected Actual Projected Actual Projected Actual Projected Projected Projected

N/A 35 47 45 57 95 100 118 120

N/A 0 600 475 3,047 2,153 5,103 6,352 6,749

N/A 8 12 14 20 19 24 35 40

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Department: Economic DevelopmentProgram Name: Office of the Military Advocate

FY2017 FY2018 FY2019

Interactions with key military installation and agency influencersNew contacts with separating Military Service members

Interactions with key decision-makers at Missouri defense businesses

Leads state economic development efforts to:● assist communities in preserving and enhancing military installations, missions and agencies;● increase the number of transitioning military service members and families who stay in Missouri after separation;● support the retention and growth of Missouri defense and national security businesses;● prepare the state for a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

Customer Centric and Regionally Targeted

Note 1: Measure 1 is calculated based on the number of in-person or telephone interactions with military and federal agency leaders, community/installation support organizations, members of Congress, Congressional Committee staff, and leaders of advocacy and education organizations who are key to influencing whether military installations, agencies and missions are retained or grow in Missouri.Note 2: Measure 2 aims at achieving contact with 80% of separating Service members in FY 2021 and 85% in FY 2022.Note 3: Measure 3 was calculated based on the number in-person and telephone interactions with key leaders representing 40 Missouri defense businesses.

HB Section(s): 7.030

Program is found in the following core budget(s): Office of the Military Advocate

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Department: Economic DevelopmentProgram Name: Office of the Military Advocate

2b. Provide a measure(s) of the program's quality.

2c. Provide a measure(s) of the program's impact.

An annual customer satisfaction survey of the community-installation and agency-support organizations that the Military Advocate works with will be administered in the 3rd and 4th quarter of each fiscal year, and reported to MMPEC at its June quarterly meeting.

Note 1: Reflects the percentage of the identified key influencers with whom the Military Advocate and its consultants have in-person and telephone interactions regarding opportunities and threats related to Missouri military installations, agencies and missions. The contacts occur both inside and outside of Missouri. Note 2: For FY2021, the Office of Military Advocate and its consultants have identified 120 military and federal agency leaders,community/installation support organizations, Members of Congress, Professional Staff of Congressional Committees, and leaders of advocacy and education organizations who are key to influencing whether military installations, agencies and missions are retained or grow in Missouri.

61%77% 83%

96% 100%92% 98% 100%

47%64%

95%

0%

50%

100%

FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022

Interactions with Military Influencers

Base Stretch Actual

HB Section(s): 7.030

Program is found in the following core budget(s): Office of the Military Advocate

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Department: Economic DevelopmentProgram Name: Office of the Military Advocate

2c. Provide a measure(s) of the program's impact.

15%50% 60%

82% 82%60% 70%

85% 85%

8%35% 48%

0%

50%

100%

FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022

Defense Companies Contacted

Base Stretch Actual

Note 1: Reflects the percentage of 40 Missouri defense companies where the Military Advocate and its consultants have had at least one quality interaction with key influencers. Key influencers are those company leaders who can influence decisions regarding growth and expansion of defense business investments and/or jobs in Missouri.

Note 1: The percentage estimates are based on the number of those Service members with Missouri homes of record who left the military at locations anywhere in the world, plus the number of Service members who left the military at Whiteman AFB and Fort Leonard Wood. For FY 2021 and FY 2022, the estimate of those separating is 7,940.Note 2: It is assumed that 33% of those who leave the service chose to relocate to or stay in Missouri last year. Better sources of information will be developed in FY2020 to track these Service members who leave the military as to whether they are present and working in Missouri.Note 3: The Military Advocate is working with the Division of Workforce Development and other agencies to develop a statistical method using state employment records to estimate the percentage of those contacted who choose to stay in Missouri.

33% 40%50% 55% 55%

40%50%

75% 75% 75%

33% 33%

0%

50%

100%

FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022

Service Members Who Choose to Stay in Missouri after being Contacted by the Military Advocate

Base Stretch Actual

HB Section(s): 7.030

Program is found in the following core budget(s): Office of the Military Advocate

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Department: Economic DevelopmentProgram Name: Office of the Military Advocate

2d. Provide a measure(s) of the program's efficiency.

$187.17 $111.87 $95.03 $81.67 $98.27 $93.51 $80.00

$991.33

$271.59

$- $200.00 $400.00 $600.00 $800.00

$1,000.00

FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022

Military Advocate Expenditure per Customer

Base Stretch Actual

Note 1: This is a new measure; therefore, data from previous years is not available.Note 2: Assumes interactions with 118 key military installation influencers; contacts with 35 defense business influencers; and direct outreach to 6,000 separating Service members.

HB Section(s): 7.030

Program is found in the following core budget(s): Office of the Military Advocate

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Department: Economic DevelopmentProgram Name: Office of the Military Advocate

4. What are the sources of the "Other " funds?

5. What is the authorization for this program, i.e., federal or state statute, etc.? (Include the federal program number, if applicable.)

6. Are there federal matching requirements? If yes, please explain.

7. Is this a federally mandated program? If yes, please explain.

3. Provide actual expenditures for the prior three fiscal years and planned expenditures for the current fiscal year. (Note: Amounts do not include fringe benefit costs.)

Section 41.1012 RSMo (Office of Military Advocate) and Section 41.1010 RSMo (Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission)

No.

No.

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

FY2017 Actual FY2018 Actual FY2019 Actual FY2020 Planned

Program Expenditure History

GR

FEDERAL

OTHER

TOTAL

Note 1: Planned Expenditures for GR reflect 3% Governor's Reserve. Note 2: Funding for the Office of Military Advocate and "BRAC Study" funding were combined into a Military Advocate Core with FY2018 budget.

N/A

Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission

Adopted by the Commission

December 3, 2019

Missouri Military and Defense

Strategic Plan

2020-2022

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December 3, 2019 To Governor Parson, the Missouri General Assembly and Missouri’s Citizens: On behalf of the members of the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission (MMPEC), it is my pleasure to present you MMPEC’s 2020-2022 Military and Defense Strategic Plan. The plan is a statutorily mandated, biennial effort to chart a course for Missouri to be successful in retaining and growing the value of US Department of Defense bases, military mission, and defense agencies that operate in our state. We also have the responsibility to ensure that Missouri is a good home to the tens of thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who serve and live in our state, and to see to it that we are an attractive place for them to stay or return to when their military service ends. Finally, we believe Missouri has a significant role to play in supporting our nation’s defense through the successful work of defense companies like Boeing Defense, Space and Security in St. Louis, and the hundreds of other defense contractors that exist across our state. While state-led efforts are important, we want to recognize and show our appreciation for our many local and regional partners around the state who contribute so much to keeping our defense sector strong. The role of defense community leader has become a nationally-recognized profession, and we certainly could not be successful without this strong leadership. We believe this Military and Defense Strategic Plan will enable and empower these strong leaders to better serve the military and achieve even more for our state. This strategic plan is based on the input of hundreds of defense community and civic leaders, state legislators, chambers of commerce and economic developers, installation support organizations, defense business leaders, educators and researchers. We want to thank them for all their hard work and willingness to share their thoughts. Many new ideas we obtained are reflected in this 2020-2022 strategic plan but the basic framework—especially the three key goals—have been retained from our prior plan. As required by law, this plan will serve as a guiding document for the state government’s efforts over the next two years. We hope it will also provide guidance and inspiration for all our key partners across the state who are working to strengthen our bases, create a higher quality of life for those in uniform and their families and support the growth and success of our defense businesses. On behalf of our MMPEC Commissioners and the Missouri Military Advocate, we thank those who read this report for their partnership and we look forward to building an even stronger military and defense sector in our state. Very respectfully, Robert D. Hagedorn, MMPEC Chair

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Military and Defense Strategic Plan 2020-2022

1. Introduction. This is a Strategic Plan for the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission (MMPEC) that was adopted by the MMPEC Commissioners in their meeting on December 3, 2019. It is a statement of why MMPEC was created by the state legislature, what goals it is trying to achieve, how it is working, and how it will know whether it is achieving its desired outcomes. This Strategic Plan satisfies the provision of Section 41.101.6 (8) that requires MMPEC to prepared a biennial strategic plan that:

a) Fosters the enhancement of military value of the contributions of Missouri military installations to national defense strategies;

b) Considers all current and anticipated base realignment and closure criteria; and

c) Develops strategies to protect the state's existing military missions and positions the state to be competitive for new and expanded military missions and defense industries

2. Purpose. This Strategic Plan is intended to guide the actions of MMPEC and the Office of the Military Advocate in achieving their legislative mandates and adopted policies. It is also intended to communicate its plans and actions to the General Assembly, the Governor and stakeholders around the state.

3. Background. Established in 2005 by the Missouri General Assembly, the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission (“MMPEC”) is an eleven-member commission that has a statutory charge to preserve and expand the military’s presence and success in Missouri, and preserve the economic, social and societal benefits the military provides for our state. MMPEC is governed by Section 41.1010 RSMo.

As defined by Missouri law and adopted policies, MMPEC’s responsibility is to:

a) Ensure that Missouri is seen as a military friendly state by the Department of Defense; all branches of the military; the Department of Homeland Security; and related agencies and organizations;

b) Promote economic development related to military issues in Missouri by fostering the development of defense related industries;

c) Position Missouri to retain its existing military installations and facilities and to acquire additional missions for our military installations;

d) Function as a clearinghouse by providing military installation information and recommendations to enhance the military value of Missouri defense installations to the

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Governor, General Assembly, Congressional Delegation, and state and federal government officials;

e) Further educate Missourians and public officials on the missions and responsibilities of the Missouri military armed forces and citizen soldiers, and the significance and the crucial economic impact of the military installations and defense industries located in the state;

f) Assist communities by preparing them for Base Realignment and Closure (“BRAC”) or other Department of Defense (“DoD”) actions, and provided needed assistance to those communities negatively affected by those actions;

g) Assist communities in retaining and recruiting defense-related businesses;

h) Improve the lives of military families in Missouri; and

i) Increase employment opportunities for former members of the military.

4. Process. The MMPEC’s first biennial strategic plan was adopted in March 2017 and guided the work of MMPEC and the Office of Military Advocate from 2017 through 2019. The first plan drew heavily upon public input received through a series of regional public meetings to gather key stakeholder input on how Missouri could best prepare for an uncertain future affecting our military bases and defense agencies, our defense procurement businesses, and defense-related research and innovation. The public meetings brought together wide range of community and civic leaders, chambers of commerce and economic developers, installation support organizations, defense businesses, educators and researchers to provide input.

This 2020-2022 strategic plan borrows heavily from the intent of the prior plan, but contains new ideas and strategies that are based on input received from a “Virtual Town Hall Meeting” that was conducted by the Office of the Military Advocate. This Town Hall format was an interactive, internet-based set of questions that allowed stakeholders to vote on a set of issues and questions posed by the Military Advocate and allowed great flexibility for open-ended responses. There was a kickoff Town Hall webcast on June 26, 2019 and the site remained live for input through July 25, 2019.

Several hundred responses from all parts of the state were received, and they were prioritized and integrated into this new document.

5. MMPEC’s mission, vision and values. These are statements of purpose and manner of operating that are consistent with the law that created MMPEC, and with the expectations and aspirations of those we work with across the state and in other places. Missouri law requires MMPEC to advise the Governor and the General Assembly on military issues and economic and industrial development related to military issues; make specific recommendations to policy makers regarding a broad range of military and defense challenges and opportunities in Missouri; provide information and assistance to communities and other

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stakeholders; foster strategic regional alliances that may extend over state lines; and encourage economic development by fostering the development of industries related to defense affairs. To enable MMPEC and to show clear purpose, MMPEC hereby adopts the following:

Vision

To make Missouri the preferred location for national defense-related installations, missions, agencies and businesses, and the destination of choice for Service members and veterans.

Mission

MMPEC’s mission is to provide leadership in the state’s efforts to preserve and enhance military installations, missions and agencies; to encourage the growth of defense businesses; and create a supportive environment for Service members that includes opportunities for employment when they leave the military.

Values

− We value our responsibility as the state’s leader in making Missouri the best possible place for the U.S. Department of Defense and its Service, and other defense-related entities to carry on their work in defending our Nation.

− We value our role in ensuring that Missourians have good jobs that are connected to defense-related companies and military installations, missions and defense agencies.

− We work in a true collaboration with local, regional, state and federal partners and stakeholders.

− We conduct our work with the highest ethical standards, and our actions are transparent.

6. Goals. Based on input from our Virtual Town Hall meeting, and the solid foundation of our prior strategic plan, we have adopted three (3) overarching strategic goals that will focus MMPEC’s efforts in the performance of its mission, and give guidance to the Governor and General Assembly.

Each goal has strategies associated with it that MMPEC believes is achievable and advances the mission and vision of MMPEC. Since this plan is intended as a set of policy recommendations for all of state government, accomplishing many of the strategies will fall outside the abilities of MMPEC, the Military Advocate, and the Department of Economic Development where the Military Advocate resides.

However, since this plan must be actionable and measurable, the Military Advocate, on behalf of MMPEC, will establish specific actions, timelines and measures of success to allow MMPEC, the

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Department of Economic Development and the General Assembly to judge whether our state—including MMPEC and the Military Advocate—are achieving the goals we adopted. It is the position of MMPEC that if each of these goals is accomplished, the state of Missouri, MMPEC and the Military Advocate will be fully successful in achieving their shared vision.

MMPEC’s Goals are the following:

Goal #1: (Bases) Retain and grow Missouri’s military installations and missions, and defense agencies

Missouri should work in a coordinated and determined way to protect and enhance its current military and defense assets, and attract new missions and opportunities.

Outcome measure: The jobs and economic impact attributed to military installations, missions and agencies as determined in biennial economic impact reports

Strategies:

1.1. Maintain a strong and aggressive state advocacy with Congress, military leaders, policy organizations and others who can influence decisions about Missouri’s military installations, agencies, and missions in Missouri;

1.2. Provide technical and financial assistance to installation support organizations and local and regional governments that can implement strategies for mission retention and expansion, and prepare for BRAC or other force realignments;

1.3. Increase communications and interactions between Missouri’s military and defense leaders, and Missouri’s governmental leaders;

1.4. Update the state’s economic impact analysis of Missouri’s military/defense sector on a biennial basis and communicate the value of the sector to Missouri’s leaders and citizens;

1.5. Create and utilize state and local economic development incentives to attract or retain military installations and missions, and defense agencies

1.6. Engage in joint planning with military installations and defense agencies to ensure military and community resilience

Goal #2: (People) Make Missouri the most supportive place in the nation for Service members and their families, and provide opportunities for them to stay or return when their military service ends.

Missouri should work to develop and support initiatives that improve quality of life and opportunities for Missouri military personnel and their families, and increase the attractiveness of our state as a location for them to stay or return to when their military service ends. The impact of these initiatives will be to increase the chances that Service members will choose to serve at

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Missouri’s installations, and our workforce will be increased as those who leave the military choose to live and work here.

Outcome measure: The number of service members and their families with a connection to Missouri who choose to live and work in this state after separation from the military.

Strategies:

2.1. Create and execute a marketing campaign aimed at better acquainting Service members and their families with Missouri’s amenities, including the programs and preferences designed to support military families;

2.2. Improve the quality and rigor of K-12 instruction in schools that serve military connected students;

2.3. Standardize the process among higher education institutions for awarding postsecondary credits and professional credentials for military education and experience;

2.4. Enact full professional license reciprocity for military spouses who are transferred to Missouri;

2.5. Create a comprehensive method that better connects military service members and their families with available employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in Missouri when they leave the military;

2.6. Advocate for increased availability of affordable, high quality housing and child care facilities for Service members and their families

Goal #3: (Businesses) Support the success of Missouri businesses that provide services or products for defense and national security

According to Missouri’s last economic impact report, defense spending in Missouri totals about $14 billion (12th among states), with more than 60% of the total going to contracts with Missouri- based companies. Additional economic development opportunities exist for the strengthening and expansion of these defense companies that support our national defense interests.

Outcome measures: The jobs and economic impact attributed to defense businesses in Missouri.

Strategies:

3.1. Communicate the job and economic impact that Missouri’s defense businesses have on Missouri’s economy;

3.2. Support the growth of research and development expertise among Missouri’s universities that aligns with DOD modernization priorities, and create additional opportunities for technology transfer to the private sector;

3.3. Create a business-university collaborative that focuses on developing new ideas, systems and products for the military and catalogues existing patents and technologies at Missouri universities and companies that have potential defense-related uses;

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3.4. Define, promote, connect and exploit defense-related business clusters that exist in Missouri and integrate the efforts of economic developers to help retain and grow jobs and capital investments in those businesses;

3.5. Create a multi-state defense/military sector education, talent recruiting and marketing effort focused on high demand jobs and skills;

3.6. Create collaborations among Missouri defense contractors, high schools and the military in robotics, engineering and other STEM-related areas.

MMPEC 2019 Virtual Town Hall Results KEY Open Ended (OE) Responses OE #1: Protecting and supporting the growth of Missouri military installations, missions and agencies OE #2: Quality of life issues for Service members and their families OE #3: Service members who leave the military and choose to live and work in Missouri OE #4: Supporting the success of Missouri's defense and national security-related businesses OE #5: Increase in funding for defense and national security-related research and development Survey Responses Survey #1: Survey questions related to military installations, missions and agencies Survey #2: Survey questions related to Service member and family quality of life Survey #3: Survey questions related to Service members who leave the military and choose to live and work in Missouri. Survey #4: Survey questions related to defense and national security-related businesses. Survey #5: Survey questions related to defense and national security-related research and development

Veterans Innovation Task ForceMilitary Transition Assistance Work Group

Joe Driskill, Steven Beem, Darcella Craven, Will Foy, Tammy Long, David Spadavecchia, Chris Stockdale; MVC Staff: Kevin

Colyott, Jamie Melchert, Lorie Steen, Randall Watson January 2020

What do we know about military transition?

(Missouri Department of Economic Development, 2018)

So, are we getting these servicemembers employed in Missouri as they transition out?

Missouri employers want to hire veterans...

“...they’ve got reliability, they’re gonna be at work on time, they’re gonna catch up to speed pretty quick…you’re gonna have a fantastic employee who’s gonna be loyal and stay with you forever.”

...but 68% of Missouri veterans are age 55+ with the majority either fully-employed or retired.

Then, how are we doing with the younger veterans transitioning out?

The post-9/11 veteran has “highly advanced technology training,”and is likely to purse “academically rigorous degrees in the fields of business, the health professions, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

But Missouri only retains about ⅓ of this demographic of veterans in the state.

If these transitioning servicemembers aren’t staying in Missouri, where are they going?

"We want to show them Florida's great economy, the high quality of life here and our great schools. There are a lot of benefits for veterans in our state, but many people don't know about them” (Florida launches effort to lure veterans from other states, Orlando Sentinel, 2016).

“We don’t wait for veterans and their families to find out on their own why Wisconsin is the ideal place to be. We are going out to where they’re stationed and…[getting them] jobs before they leave” (New Wisconsin campaign aims to attract veteran workers to state, Green Bay Gazette, 2018)

Missouri needs a comprehensive plan to better support military

families as they transition

Recommendations• Launch a state marketing campaign for the recruitment and

retention of military service members, veterans, and military families.

• Create a comprehensive, user-friendly web portal for military service members, veterans, and military families.

• Create, brand, and market an employment program for military service members, veterans, and spouses.

• Encourage and enable Missouri’s institutions of higher education to accept credit for military learning as evidenced by Joint Service Transcripts provided by the Army University.

• Enact legislation to provide full professional license reciprocity for military spouses who PCS to Missouri.

• Amend Missouri property tax law to increase attractiveness of living in the state.

A PLAN FOR MISSOURI TO RECRUIT, RETAIN, AND BETTER SERVE ITS MILITARY

SERVICEMEMBERS, VETERANS, AND MILITARY FAMILIES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE

THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND SUPPORT THE STATE’S ECONOMIC GROWTH

Missouri Veterans Innovation Task Force

Military Transition Assistance Work Group

September 9th, 2019

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From the 1826 founding of Jefferson Barracks—the oldest operating military installation

west of the Mississippi River—to the addition of Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force

Base during WWII, and the evolution of the Missouri Militia into the Missouri National Guard

and Air National Guard—the state of Missouri has long been the home to a large population of

full- and part-time military servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Missouri’s military mission remains critical today, with 17,072 active duty military

personnel; 18,467 reservists; nearly 12,000 national guard members; and 7,424 military-

employed civilians serving and living in the state (DoD Defense Manpower Data Center, 2017;

Missouri National Guard, 2019). Missouri is also home to 479,828 military veterans and an even

larger number of their immediate and extended family members (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015).

Military servicemembers and their families face a host of challenges and opportunities

while transitioning into their post-military lives. While the Department of Defense is actively

reimagining its Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to improve outcomes for transitioning

servicemembers and their spouses (DoD, 2019), gaps remain between the services provided at

the federal level and the resources available locally post-transition. Several states have identified

a number of these gaps and instituted state policies and programs designed to bridge them. These

efforts have increased the visibility of these proactive, “military friendly” states on the national

scene, resulting in increases in the number of veterans and their families who migrate to them.

Missouri lawmakers are well-situated to identify similar gaps in service for transitioning

servicemembers and their families, and institute the policy changes needed to better serve this

population while simultaneously encouraging more veterans to call Missouri their home.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Military veterans have skills that are often sought out by employers, but Missouri’s veterans tend

to be older and employed at rates similar to the non-veteran population.

Research in the workplace suggests “veterans often do more than is expected, they know

how to ‘play’ well with others, are problem-solvers, and are able to work independently to get

the job done, if needed” (Institute on Employment and Disability, 2016). Employers have also

reported hiring veterans for their skill sets that include “leadership, teamwork, character,

discipline, expertise, and ability to perform in a dynamic environment” (Center for a New

American Security, 2012). These so-called “soft” skills are, at times, more sought after than the

more technical or “hard” skills. One Missouri-based employer described his preference for hiring

veterans with these skills as such:

I have found as a hiring manager...that most servicemembers do not have the skills of the tradesmen that I’m looking for...but they do have the [soft] skills. So...I’d rather take them, pay them higher because they’ve got reliability, they’re gonna be at work on time, trainability, they’re gonna catch up to speed pretty quick….Look at it as a 6-month to a year-long investment, and then you’re gonna have a fantastic employee who’s gonna be loyal and stay with you forever…. (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

Although employers might be interested in the veteran’s skill set, in Missouri the largest

demographic of veterans are those over the age of 65 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). In fact, 68%

of all Missouri veterans are age 55 or older (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). The highest percentage

of these individuals—who represent more than ⅔ of all veterans in Missouri—are either fully

employed or retired and, therefore, less likely to be interested in currently vacant employment

positions. Unsurprisingly, unemployment rates among this demographic trend lower than the

overall 5.8% unemployment rate for all veterans in Missouri (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017).

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Younger veterans, particularly those who have recently separated or are in transition, have the

most in-demand skills, but Missouri only retains approximately ⅓ of them in the state after their

separation.

Missouri veterans aged 18-29 currently represent only 4.2% of the overall veteran

population in the state (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). Yet, as prediction models suggest, the

military veteran population in the United States will begin to skew younger, “even as the overall

U.S. population continues to age” (Pew Research Center, 2017). Missouri can expect this

demographic of younger veterans—as well as those aged 30-44—to consistently grow in size.

In addition to the soft skills that veterans of any era may bring to the workforce, recent

research shows that these younger, Post-9/11 veterans are also bringing higher levels of technical

knowledge and professional education to their prospective employers than their civilian

counterparts. Military experience in the Post-9/11 era “exposes individuals to highly advanced

technology and technology training at a rate that is accelerated relative to non-military, age

group peers” (Institute for Veterans and Military Families, 2012). Additionally, Post-9/11

veterans who enter higher education settings are more likely to graduate and pursue

“academically rigorous degrees in the fields of business, the health professions, science,

technology, engineering, and mathematics” than similar students without military experience

(Student Veterans of America, 2017). The combination of technological experience and

professional education should make this growing population of veterans an important human

resource for the state of Missouri.

Despite the strengths and employment potential this younger population of veterans can

bring to the workforce, Missouri currently only retains approximately ⅓ of such veterans and

their families in the state (Office of the Missouri Military Advocate, 2019). In a recent survey of

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servicemembers stationed in Missouri, 52% reported they were not planning to reside in the state

following their military separation, and an additional 18% reported that they were unsure of their

plans (Missouri Department of Economic Development, 2018). To add to this projected loss,

many separating servicemembers at installations across the country or stationed abroad—and

who claimed Missouri residency at their time of enlistment—do not ultimately return to the state.

Better strategies are needed to retain more of the roughly 7,000 “new” veterans who separate

each year, including a better mechanism to connect them—and their spouses—with Missouri

jobs.

In a survey of Missouri military servicemembers and their spouses, respondents

consistently ranked “employment” as their highest priority when deciding where to reside upon

separation from the military (Missouri Department of Economic Development, 2018). These

state results mirror data collected nationally which points out that “finding adequate employment

is frequently named as a top concern among service members transitioning from military to

civilian life (Military Family Lifestyle Survey, 2014). Yet, during focus group discussions with

military servicemembers, their spouses, and other military stakeholders throughout Missouri,

challenges with employment presented the greatest level of frustration among participants. One

Missouri military stakeholder described the disconnect between a veteran’s military experience

and civilian employment opportunities as follows:

Employers say, ‘Well, we would hire veterans if they just had the skills that we need.’ And I said, ‘Well, have you looked at their resume?’ And they said, ‘Well, of course we have.’ I said, ‘No, have you really looked at their resume to see how they're qualified? Have you had a conversation with them so that you can understand fully what their qualifications are? (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

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While most transitional programs are targeted to the servicemember, it’s also important

to note that 67% of the survey respondents in Missouri reported that their spouse and family

would make the ultimate decision of where to move after the military (Missouri Department of

Economic Development, 2018). Or as one Missouri servicemember stated: “Whatever

opportunities are there for my wife—it’s totally her decision where we go” (Missouri

Department of Economic Development, 2018). While it will continue to be important to assist

transitioning servicemembers with finding post-military employment, ignoring the parallel needs

of military spouses—who often find themselves in the driver’s seat for the first time following

their spouse’s military separation—would not only be a disservice, but it would also miss the

opportunity to retain the family unit within the state.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation #1: Design and launch a state marketing campaign for the recruitment and

retention of military servicemembers, veterans, and military families.

A comprehensive review of all Missouri policies and programs that support military

servicemembers, veterans, and military families found the state to be quite “military friendly” in

its approach to supporting this population (Missouri Department of Economic Development,

2018). Yet, despite the quantity and quality of programs available, military servicemembers and

their spouses reported low levels of awareness of these benefits of living in Missouri (Missouri

Department of Economic Development, 2018). At times, as few as 15% of survey respondents

had even heard of a given policy or program for which they qualified (Missouri Department of

Economic Development, 2018). As one Missouri military spouse suggested:

Everything’s kind of boiling down to awareness. I think there's programs for everything. Everything may not be at a level 10 or where it needs to be, but there’s still a place for everything. But awareness and some of the processes are a little overwhelming (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

Publicly marketing these state military benefits, in addition to the other advantages of living and

working in Missouri, would ensure that military families are better informed when making their

decision of where to reside following their separation from the military.

A marketing campaign would place Missouri alongside several other states that have

already launched similar efforts designed to attract military families. The state of Florida is a

case study in such an approach, which is not only aimed at retaining those currently stationed at

military installations throughout the state or ensuring servicemembers with Florida listed as their

“home of record” do, in fact, return home; but the state’s campaign is also an “effort to lure

veterans from other states,” particularly “younger veterans as they prepare to leave the military”

(Orlando Sentinel, 2016). Realizing a trend that mirrors the demographic shift in Missouri, in

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particular that “Florida's retired military population continues to grow older,” their efforts are

“aimed at attracting ex-military members nationwide” (Orlando Sentinel, 2016).

Florida’s approach “uses digital and

print advertisements to attract veterans at

bases across the nation, including in Texas,

New York, Kentucky and Washington, by

connecting them with employment, training

and educational opportunities around the state,

along with touting the state's tax breaks,

homestead-exemption perks and tuition

discounts for military members and their

families” (Orlando Sentinel, 2016). And this

approach is working. Even as “the veteran

population nationwide has shrunk 17 percent

since 2010 because of deaths among the largest segments of veterans from World War II and the

Korean and Vietnam wars...the number of veterans moving to Florida continues to rise” (Orlando

Sentinel, 2016). Much of the increases seen in Florida’s veteran population can be attributed to

its efforts to “brand” the military friendliness of the state.

Wisconsin has taken a slightly different—and less expensive—approach, but with the

very same intent. In 2018, the state of Wisconsin “launched a comprehensive talent attraction

campaign aimed at military personnel and spouses,” realizing that “military spouses are heavily

involved in post-military decisions and bring unique and valuable skills to the workplace

(Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, 2018). Unlike Florida, which employed more

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traditional marketing methods, Wisconsin used “social media, online ads and personal

engagement with veterans” in order to “share the message that there is no better place than

Wisconsin for veterans to start their post-military lives” (Wisconsin Economic Development

Corporation, 2018).

Through a unique partnership with the

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes

organization, Wisconsin delegates visit

“transition summits at more than a dozen military

installations throughout the U.S. and overseas”

(Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation,

2018). One such delegate described the rationale for the out-of-state visits as such:

We don’t wait for veterans and their families to find out on their own why Wisconsin is the ideal place to be. We are going out to where they’re stationed and, in collaboration with Wisconsin’s great employers, will get service members and their spouses jobs before they leave military service and help them transition their families into Wisconsin’s communities (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, 2018).

The delegation also engages directly with military spouses at events across the country

(Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, 2018). In fact, the state’s efforts to improve the

quality of life for military spouses have resulted in Wisconsin being the first state designated as a

Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zone by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Milwaukee

Independent, 2019).

While the state of Missouri has programs and policies in place to support military

servicemembers, veterans, and military families, many of these individuals are unaware of their

existence. Several states have adopted proactive approaches to directly marketing their military

friendliness to transitions servicemembers and spouses. Missouri leaders should investigate these

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and other marketing practices which may best reach 1) the military families currently stationed in

Missouri, 2) servicemembers and their families who listed Missouri as a home of record at the

time of their enlistment, and 3) servicemembers stationed across the country and abroad who

have the skills sets most sought after by Missouri employers. Such a marketing campaign would

not only promote Missouri’s military friendly programs and policies, but the other reasons—low

cost of living, recreational opportunities, etc.—which make the state a great place to live. State

agencies could be charged with adopting the marketing devices—logos, slogans, etc.—when

delivering their services.

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Recommendation #2: Create a comprehensive, user-friendly web portal for military

servicemembers, veterans, and military families.

One contributing factor to the lack of awareness of Missouri’s military programs and

policies by the population they’re designed to serve is the difficulty in locating the information

needed to access them. In fact, there are so many supports available to military families—

whether they be federal, state, local, or nonprofit—that searching through them can be

overwhelming. As one Missouri military spouse stated:

It's almost information overload. And the states that have been successful have taken the overload and focused it down into having something where it's made it easy to enter into the lane you're looking for—whether it be employment, whether it be services, whether it be nonprofits, etc. (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

Developing a so-called “one-stop-shop” military web portal would add Missouri to the growing

list of states who have successfully employed this strategy to better inform servicemembers,

veterans, and military families of the resources available as well as of the advantages of living

and working in the state.

One such example, the Texas Veterans Portal (https://veterans.portal.texas.gov/),

presents a straightforward approach to “[connecting] veterans, their families, and caregivers to

the benefits and services earned through their military service” (Texas Veterans Portal, 2019).

This state-run landing page—and its accompanying mobile applications—prominently display

large, “clickable” boxes that link the user to the most sought after resources the state offers such

as employment, education, disabilities, housing, etc. A single click on any one of the 12 boxes

on the home page takes the user to a subpage that lists the services available in that category, in

addition to identifying the organization that provides each given service (i.e. Texas Veterans

Commission, etc.). From here—and with only a second click from the homepage on any one of

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the services displayed—the user is provided access to the information needed to take advantage

of a particular program or benefit. With the understanding that “users often leave Web pages in

10–20 seconds,” this streamlined approach is a better assurance that veterans and their spouses

are able to access the information they need (Nielsen Norman Group, 2019).

While there are several strengths to the Texas Veterans Portal, it lacks information more

relevant to current or transitioning military servicemembers and spouses. It also does not make

the case as to why a servicemember or military family should choose Texas when considering

where to reside upon separation from the military. At its best, the website is a tool to inform

veterans already living in the state about the benefits for which they may qualify.

While keeping veterans informed should be a high priority for any state, both Florida and

Wisconsin have realized the additional economic benefit of packaging their military programs

and services in such a way as to attract new veterans and their families. These states’

comprehensive web portals (https://www.veteransflorida.org/; https://inwisconsin.com/veterans/)

combine state-sponsored veterans programs and services with additional information about the

state’s cost of living, recreational opportunities, professional sports teams, veteran-friendly

employers, and a host of additional “selling points” that might entice a servicemember, veteran,

or military family to consider a relocation. The websites are user-friendly, visually pleasing, and

their content and style are written directly to their target demographic. Take one of Wisconsin’s

selling points, for instance:

Wisconsin is famous for beer (but you probably knew that already). You’ll find over 100 craft breweries and brewpubs along with dozens of fresh-air beer festivals each summer. But we’re equally proud of our traditional Friday fish fries, farmers markets and award-winning restaurants in every corner of the state (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, 2019).

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While Missouri might not be able to advertise sunny beaches and offshore fishing like Florida,

similar to Wisconsin—Missouri has plenty of social, cultural, and recreational opportunities to

package together alongside its military friendly programs and services.

Designing and launching an innovative military and veterans web portal for the state of

Missouri would—for the first time—bring together all programs and services that support

servicemembers, military spouses, and veterans into a single, user-friendly digital interface.

Taking cues from Florida and Wisconsin, Missouri could also market the additional advantages

of living and working in the state on the same website. The combination of these resources—in

addition to linking directly to federal, regional, and local programs; nonprofit organizations;

National Guard and Reserve components; and other relevant agencies that serve this

population—would address the repeated concerns expressed by Missouri’s military stakeholders.

In particular:

We have a lot of great initiatives and organizations, but we don’t have one that is bringing everyone together. I hear a lot of people talk about, well...I don't know...I don't know where to go to get credible information. There's services out there that nobody knows about... ...and then having good information sites that are available online. That’s how people look now. Nobody uses the telephone anymore, right? They go online to find whatever they want, so it has to be the right site with good information on there (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

A state agency, such as the Office of Administration, would host and maintain the portal,

partnering with other state agencies, divisions, and departments—especially the Missouri

Veterans Commission, as well as other federal, regional, and local organizations to stay up to

date with current and accurate information. This is particularly true of the Missouri Veterans

Commission, which will have the most information to contribute.

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Recommendation #3: Create, brand, and market a Missouri military servicemember, veteran,

and spousal employment program.

The key to recruiting and retaining transitioning military servicemembers, veterans, and

military families in Missouri will be bridging the employment gap. Of those servicemembers and

their spouses surveyed, both in Missouri and across the nation, “employment” was consistently

ranked as the greatest consideration when choosing where to reside upon separation from the

military (Missouri Department of Economic Development, 2018). Even servicemembers who

reported that they did not plan to reside in the state of Missouri reported that they could be

convinced to stay for the right employment opportunity (Missouri Department of Economic

Development, 2018). One transitioning Missouri servicemember put it as such: “I said that I

wasn’t going to stay in Missouri, but if there was something like a reliable job that can definitely

help pay the bills...then I would reconsider” (Missouri Department of Economic Development,

2018).

Fortunately, the job outlook in the state of Missouri is not only positive, but it is also in

need of the types of skills veterans and military spouses can bring to the workforce. In a recent

survey of 1,657 Missouri employers, “One-third of companies indicated a positive outlook over

the next year and are planning to increase employment levels” (Missouri Employer Survey,

2019). Although “Eighty-five percent of employers reported they had some positions available

for workers with low-skill education”—which could be one accessible entry point for a veteran

or spouse seeking to begin a new career path in the civilian sector—the greatest employment

need reported is in the so-called “middle-skill” positions (Missouri Employer Survey, 2019).

Military veterans and their spouses often make great candidates for middle-skill jobs which may

“require training or education beyond high school, but less than a four-year degree (Missouri

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Employer Survey, 2019). Creating a pipeline of qualified veteran and military spouse candidates

into such vacant middle-skill positions could also help address the growing concern that “over

90% of surveyed employers reported” as a shortcoming: the lack of soft skills in job applicants;

specifically, “poor work habits, followed by lack of communication skills and lack of critical

thinking and problem solving”—all of which happen to be areas in which veterans are known to

thrive (Missouri Employer Survey, 2019).

As it has now been established that 1) transitioning military servicemembers, veterans,

and military spouses have a high interest in employment, 2) they have the skills Missouri

employers desire, and that 3) Missouri has compatible employment opportunities—it remains to

be seen how the state will address questions such as those raised by one Missouri

servicemember: “I have this degree; I have these skills—what would that qualify me to do in

Missouri? What kind of opportunities are available?” (Missouri Division of Workforce

Development, 2018).

Utilizing the “one-stop-shop” web portal outlined in Recommendation #2 above,

Missouri could house a dynamic, military employment website that is easily accessible from the

main landing page. In fact, several states have already adopted such an approach. Wisconsin

presents one of the better examples. From both its main state veterans landing page, as well as

from multiple subpages, users can quickly and easily search for jobs posted by employers

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seeking to hire veterans, even using their Military Occupation Speciality (MOS) code as a search

category

(https://inwisconsin.com/veterans/).

In contrast, Missouri’s veterans home page (https://www.mo.gov/veterans/) provides so

many employment-related links, that it is unclear where the user should go in order to search for

jobs. In fact, a veteran searching for benefits in Missouri might just as easily land on the

Missouri Veterans Commission home page (https://mvc.dps.mo.gov/), which houses both a tab

labeled “Jobs” near the top of the screen and a link labeled “Employment” at the bottom—both

of which take the user to a list of existing job opportunities within the MVC itself.

While improving the ease and accessibility of searching for employment opportunities

within the state should be a high priority, it is not the only viable strategy to address the

employment concerns expressed by Missouri’s military stakeholders. A better mechanism is

needed to match interested employers with qualified military-connected applicants. Placing the

majority of the responsibility for the job search process onto the veteran is actually one of their

chief causes of frustration. As one Missouri military servicemember stated:

Every time I go to a job fair, every time I go to a session, I hear, ‘You've got to get your resume. You have to learn how to interview. You have to be able to research this.’ It's always on the individual, and it's never on the company to meet them halfway (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

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And even in those instances when a veteran is successful in the job search, recent research has

demonstrated that “44% left their first job within a year, and that 65% left within two years”

(Syracuse University, 2014). One of the major complaints among these workers were that

civilian jobs were “poorly matched with their skills” (Syracuse University, 2014).

A military/veteran/spouse job matching program would move Missouri past those states

that “just keep handing veterans lists” (Hiring Our Heroes, 2019), and into an innovative territory

where military skills are understood and translated into their civilian equivalents—after which,

well-informed employers align these translated skills with available opportunities within their

organizations, coach the prospective employees on how to successfully move through the

application process, and mentor them once they’ve been hired.

And these efforts should start long before transitioning servicemembers and their families

separate from the military. While efforts in Missouri are already underway to better coordinate

with military transition assistance offices and communicate earlier with transitioning

servicemembers—continued work will be needed in order to 1) identify the servicemembers who

might be interested in residing in Missouri upon separation from the military, 2) gain access to

statistical data on the military occupational specialties these separating servicemembers

represent, and 3) improve the mechanisms used to channel such servicemembers into the

Missouri employment pipeline in order to provide job matching and other employment

assistance.

Of equal importance will be the support the state of Missouri provides to military

spouses. In a recent survey, “Eighty-four percent of employed spouses indicated that the military

lifestyle had a negative impact on their ability to pursue a career” (Military Family Lifestyle

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Survey, 2014). Being subject to multiple military moves is one of the reasons military spouses

are often frustrated with their employment pursuits. As one Missouri military spouse relates:

It’s not necessarily finding employment. It is upward mobility in your employment...not losing ground in your career every time you relocate and someone doesn’t know your credibility or your work ethic to bring you in at a higher level (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

And these difficulties often continue when their servicemember separates from the military. As

another Missouri military spouse wondered:

So, what does Missouri have for the spouse and employment? So much you hear, ‘Well, [we have] a program for the veterans workforce. We're going to put the veteran to work.’ Well, what happens when...it's the spouse that is working, and we don't get any help at the jobs? (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

If the unique needs of military spouses were to be included in the comprehensive resources

available through the to-be-developed military web portal—including the job matching service—

Missouri would become a much more attractive state to those military spouses who will, most

often, make the decision of where to reside upon separation from the military.

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Recommendation #4: Amend Missouri property tax law.

Most states have realized the benefit of providing property tax exemptions for active duty

servicemembers, veterans, and military families as both a show of appreciation for their military

service, and as a way to recruit and retain veterans in the state. A state-by-state comparison (see

table below) of the qualifications and amounts of property tax exemptions offered demonstrates

Missouri’s lack of competitiveness in this area. Only the state of Delaware is less attractive for

veterans, since “There are currently no state-mandated property tax exemptions for disabled

veterans in Delaware” (Veterans United, 2019).

In order to qualify for an exemption in Missouri, a veteran must be “a former Prisoner of

War as defined by law, and who has a total service-connected disability, shall be exempt from

owing taxes on all real property used as a homestead as defined by law” (Missouri Veterans

Commission, 2019). Although more than half a million military servicemembers have been

captured since the American Revolution, less than 40,000 former POWs are believed to still be

living, 90% of whom are WWII veterans (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2019). In Post-

9/11 conflicts, only 10 total U.S. servicemembers have been captured and interned

(Congressional Research Service, 2014). Understanding that not all former POWs also have a

100% disability rating, it should stand that very few veterans would qualify for Missouri’s

stringent property tax exemption.

While property tax exemptions vary widely, many states provide a full exemption for

veterans with a 100% service-connected disability. States that offer such an exemption include

Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey,

Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia (Veterans United, 2019).

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Depending on the value of the assessed home, a handful of additional states could also be

considered as providing a full exemption to qualified veterans with disabilities.

Several states also provide a partial or full exemption for partially disabled veterans.

Texas, for instance, has a sliding scale of property tax exemption amounts based upon a

veteran’s disability rating. This exemption is as follows:

In Texas, a veteran with a disability rating of: 70- 100 percent may receive a $12,000 property tax exemption. Veterans with a full 100% disability rating are fully exempt from property taxes. 50- 69 percent may receive a $10,000 property tax exemption. 30- 49 percent may receive a $7,500 property tax exemption. 10- 29 percent may receive a $5,000 property tax exemption (Veterans United, 2019).

Currently, 15.5% of veterans in Missouri have a service-connected disability (U.S. Census

Bureau, 2015). Understanding the competitive nature of state property tax exemptions, Missouri

should amend its property tax laws to provide full or partial exemptions to veterans with service-

connected disabilities and consider additional exemptions for other categories of veterans.

Alphabetical Listing of Property Tax Exemptions by State

State Minimum Disability Requirement

Alabama A disabled veteran in Alabama may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service and has a net annual income of $12,000 or less. Exemptions differ between the state and counties.

Alaska A disabled veteran in Alaska may receive a property tax exemption of up to the first $150,000 of the assessed value of his/her primary residence if the veteran is 50 percent or more disabled as a result of service. The exemption transfers to a surviving spouse if the veteran is deceased from a service connected cause.

Arizona A disabled veteran in Arizona may receive a property tax exemption of $3,000 on his/her primary residence if the total assessed value does not exceed $10,000.

Arkansas A disabled veteran in Arkansas may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is blind in one or both eyes, lost the use of one or more limbs or is 100 percent permanently and totally disabled as a result of service.

California There are two categories for full property tax exemptions in California. Eligible veterans or their surviving spouse may receive a basic exemption if the assessed value does not exceed $100,000; or a low income exemption if the assessed value does not

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exceed $150,000 when the household income does not exceed $40,000. Both categories are for full property tax exemptions.

Colorado A veteran with a 100 percent disability rating in Colorado may receive a property tax exemption of 50 percent of the first $200,000 of the actual value of his/her primary residence. A property tax deferral exists for eligible veterans over the age of 65 and for active duty personnel.

Connecticut All eligible veterans in Connecticut may receive a property tax exemption of $1,500 from the total assessed value of his/her property if the veteran served at least 90 days of active duty during wartime and are honorably discharged. Veterans below a certain income level and/or disabled veterans are eligible for additional exemptions. Contact municipality's Tax Assessor for specific details.

Delaware There are currently no state-mandated property tax exemptions for disabled veterans in Delaware.

Florida A disabled veteran in Florida may receive a property tax exemption of $5,000 on any property he/she owns if 10 percent or more disabled from a result of service. If the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result from service then he/she may receive a full property tax exemption. Other homestead exemptions exist for veterans over the age of 65 and surviving spouses.

Georgia A disabled veteran in Georgia may receive a property tax exemption of $60,000 or more on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled, depending on a fluctuating index rate set by the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The current amount is $63,780; property in excess of this exemption remains taxable.

Hawaii A disabled veteran in Hawaii may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

Idaho A disabled veteran in Idaho may receive a property tax exemption up to $1,320 on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 10 percent or more disabled as a result of service and a reported total income of $30,050 or less for 2017.

Illinois A qualified disabled veteran in Illinois with a disability of at least 30-50 percent will receive a $2,500 reduction in EAV; those with 50-70 percent can receive a $5,000 exemption; and those with 70 percent or more pay no property tax. Qualifying returning veterans can also receive a $5,000 reduction to their homes' equalized assessed value. Contact local County Assessor's Office for details.

Indiana A disabled veteran in Indiana may receive a property tax exemption of up to $24,960 if the veteran served honorably during any period of wartime and is 100 percent disabled as a result from service, or is at least 62 years of age with at least a 10 percent service-connected disability.

Iowa A veteran in Iowa may receive a property tax exemption of $1,852 on his/her primary residence if the veteran served on active duty during a period of war or for a minimum of 18 months during peacetime. A disabled veteran in Iowa may receive a full property tax exemption if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result from service.

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Kansas A disabled veteran or qualifying family member in Kansas may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 50 percent or more disabled as a result of service. The exemption amount is determined based on income.

Kentucky Homeowners 65 and older or totally disabled as determined by a government agency in Kentucky may receive a property tax exemption of up to $37,600 on his/her primary residence.

Louisiana A disabled veteran in Louisiana may receive a property tax exemption of up to the first $150,000 of the assessed value of his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

Maine Veterans with or without service-connected disabilities and their surviving spouses in Maine may receive a property tax exemption of up to $6,000 on their primary residence if the veteran is 62 years or older or is 100 percent disabled. More exemptions exist for veterans that are paraplegic and for spouses with certain circumstances.

Maryland A disabled veteran in Maryland may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

Massachusetts A disabled veteran in Massachusetts may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if all qualifications are met. To qualify, one must be at least be 10 percent disabled, must have lived in Massachusetts for six months prior to enlisting and have lived in the state for five consecutive years. An exemption of $400 may be received if the veteran is 10 percent or more disabled, a Purple Heart Recipient or Gold Star parent. A $750 exemption may be received if the veteran lost the use of one hand, one foot or one eye; $1,250 if the veteran lost the use of both hands, both feet or a combination of the two, or if the veteran is blind in both eyes as a result of service. A veteran may receive a $1,500 exemption if 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

Michigan A disabled veteran in Michigan may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service. The state also offers a homestead tax credit and property tax relief for active military personnel.

Minnesota A disabled veteran in Minnesota may receive a property tax exemption of up to $300,000 on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as result of service. Veterans with a disability rating of 70 percent or more may receive an exemption of up to $150,000. Surviving spouses of military personnel are eligible to receive a $300,000 exclusion.

Mississippi A disabled veteran in Mississippi may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the assessed value is $7,500 or less and the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

Missouri A disabled veteran in Missouri may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is a former Prisoner of War and is 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

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Montana A disabled veteran and certain spouses in Montana may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service. The exemption amount varies based on income and marital status, as determined by the Montana Department of Revenue.

Nebraska A disabled veteran in Nebraska may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of wartime service.

Nevada A disabled veteran in Nevada may receive a property tax exemption of up to $20,000 of the assessed value of his/her primary residence if the veteran is 60 percent or more disabled as a result of service.

New Hampshire

A disabled veteran in New Hampshire may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100% disabled, blind, paraplegic or a double amputee as a result of service and owns a specially adapted home acquired with assistance from the VA. A disabled veteran that is 100% disabled may receive a tax credit of $700.

New Jersey A disabled veteran in New Jersey may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of wartime service.

New Mexico A veteran or their non-remarried surviving spouse who served a minimum of 90 days consecutive active duty (other than for training), was honorably discharged may qualify for a $4,000 reduction in the taxable value of their property.

New York A disabled veteran in New York may receive one of three different property tax exemptions on his/her primary residence. The exemption amount varies based on type of service, disability as determined by the New York State Division of Veterans Affairs and the value of the exemption as determined by the county or municipality.

North Carolina A disabled veteran in North Carolina may receive a property tax exemption of up to the first $45,000 of the appraised value of his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

North Dakota A paraplegic disabled veteran in North Dakota may receive a property tax exemption for the first $120,000 on his/her primary residence or if the veteran has been awarded specially adapted housing. A disabled veteran with a rating of 50 percent or greater may receive an exemption against the first $6,750 of the taxable valuation.

Ohio A disabled veteran in Ohio may receive a property tax exemption up to $50,000 of the market value on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

Oklahoma A disabled veteran in Oklahoma may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service. The Oklahoma 100 percent Veteran Disability Tax Exemption applies to sales tax, excise tax and ad valorem tax.

Oregon A disabled veteran or surviving spouse in Oregon may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 40 percent or more disabled

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as a result of service. The exemption amount varies annually according to income and increases by 3 percent each year. The 2016 exemption amounts are $21,386 or $25,665.

Pennsylvania A disabled veteran in Pennsylvania may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of wartime service. To be eligible a veteran must prove financial need, which according to the state is income less than $88,607. Veterans whose income exceeds that value may still be eligible.

Rhode Island A disabled veteran in Rhode Island may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence. The exemption amount varies based on county, the value of the property and the exemption category that the veteran qualifies for. There are seven categories: Veterans' regular exemption, Unmarried Widow of Qualified Veteran, Totally Disabled Veteran, Partially Disabled Veteran, Gold Star Parents' exemption, Prisoner of War exemption and Specially Adapted Housing exemption. Check what your potential exemption may be by county here.

South Carolina A disabled veteran or their surviving spouse in South Carolina may receive a full property tax exemption if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service. The disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs must include one of the following conditions: paraplegia, hemiplegia or quadriplegia, Parkinsons, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A Homestead exemption is available for all persons over 65 and/or totally and permanently disabled.

South Dakota A disabled veteran in South Dakota may receive a property tax exemption of up to $100,000 on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service. Paraplegic veterans may receive a full property tax exemption.

Tennessee A disabled veteran in Tennessee may receive a property tax exemption on the first $100,000 of his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled and has lost the use of two or more limbs or is blind in both eyes as a result of service. The exemption amount varies by county.

Texas In Texas, a veteran with a disability rating of: 70- 100 percent may receive a $12,000 property tax exemption. Veterans with a full 100% disability rating are fully exempt from property taxes. 50- 69 percent may receive a $10,000 property tax exemption. 30- 49 percent may receive a $7,500 property tax exemption. 10- 29 percent may receive a $5,000 property tax exemption.

Utah A disabled veteran in Utah may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 10 percent or more disabled as a result of service. The maximum taxable value of a property is $260,370. Active duty armed forces personnel may receive a full property tax exemption if he/she is deployed out-of-state for military duty.

Vermont A disabled veteran in Vermont may receive a property tax exemption of at least $10,000 on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 50 percent or more disabled as a result of service. The exemption amount varies as each town votes on the amount. The maximum exemption amount allowed by the state is $40,000.

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Virginia A disabled veteran in Virginia may receive a full property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service.

Washington A disabled veteran in Washington may receive a property tax exemption on his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service. The exemption amount is based on income, as determined by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans with less than a 100 percent disability rating may receive a partial exemption.

West Virginia A 100 percent disabled veteran or any veteran over the age of 65 in West Virginia is exempt from paying taxes on the first $20,000 of assessed value on a self-occupied property if the veteran was a resident of the state at the time they enter military service.

Wisconsin A disabled veteran or their surviving spouse in Wisconsin may receive a property tax credit on their state income tax return for his/her primary residence if the veteran is 100 percent disabled as a result of service or has a 100 percent SCD rating. The veteran must have lived in Wisconsin when they entered into service or for a 5 year period after entering. The exemption amount varies.

Wyoming A veteran in Wyoming may receive a property tax exemption of $3,000 of the assessed value of his/her primary residence if the veteran has lived in the state for 3 or more years and served during a period of war. Disabled veterans are eligible for the same exemption. If the exemption is not use, it can be applied toward their vehicle's license fee.

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Recommendation # 5: Perform a comprehensive analysis of Missouri’s laws, regulations and

practices regarding the granting of educational credits and professional credentials based on the

Professional Military Education (PME) and military experience of transitioning military

servicemembers and veterans.

As it has been established above, employers are interested in hiring veterans, and

veterans bring a great number of both hard and soft skills to the workforce, in addition to

“applied work experience, education, licensures and credentials” (Institute for Veterans and

Military Families, 2016). Unfortunately, employers “have difficulty translating individual

military experiences into corporate or business proficiencies” (Society for Human Resource

Management, 2018). Veterans, themselves, may also “have trouble translating their work

experience into civilian terms (Institute for Veterans and Military Families, 2016). As one

Missouri military servicemember wondered aloud: “I have this experience. I have this skill set.

How am I gonna sell that to a potential employer?” (Missouri Division of Workforce

Development, 2018).

While certain military occupations have direct civilian equivalents (nurse, firefighter,

police officer, etc.), veterans still face difficulties in having their military experience and

credentials granted by an employer. A Missouri military stakeholder discussed the problem:

People get out of the military with no paper, so it doesn’t matter if they know 42 computer systems in the Navy, or if they can drive any kind of truck. They don’t have any paper to prove it to a civilian employer (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

While there are some efforts underway by military branches, individual states, private

corporations, and nonprofit organizations to assist veterans and employers with better translating

military experience and credentials into the civilian workforce, it remains unclear the extent to

which these efforts have been successful, particularly for stakeholders in Missouri.

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Missouri should examine existing state laws, programs, and practices—along with

investigating newly adopted federal policies and best practices from other states—in order to

make recommendations for improving the translation of military experience and education into

the civilian workforce for all servicemembers and veterans.

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Recommendation #6: Perform a comprehensive analysis of professional license reciprocity laws

and regulations affecting military spouses who PCS to Missouri as part of a military family, and

make recommendations for needed changes.

Nationally, the awareness of employment challenges for military spouses is increasing

rapidly. Military stakeholders in Missouri have taken note as well. One such stakeholder

expressed the concern as such:

[Military spouses who are] teaching, nurses, physicians assistants, EMTs, EMS—all people who come with these credentials from another state can’t get a job here. Because of whatever state requirements are, the hurdles are so big, or they don’t know what the hurdles are (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

Anecdotally at least, it would appear that the state of Missouri is not as far ahead in this area of

concern as are other states. One Missouri military spouse related that “We came from [another

state], and if you were a military spouse, they waive all fees for your licensure” (Missouri

Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

In addition to the cost of re-licensing in a new state, military spouses often face wait

times due to the request for and processing of the necessary paperwork needed to renew a given

license. One Missouri military spouse reported:

Reciprocity as a professional...gets tough when you’ve been licensed in eight different states and you have to get eight different states to send their information to the state you’re getting licensed in, so you gotta wait on all those eight states and then it costs money every time” (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

While another added:

When I moved here and had to get a license for [my professional field]. It took almost a full year for them to process it. So I couldn’t work until I had the license, and it took almost ten months” (Missouri Division of Workforce Development, 2018).

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Additional research is needed to investigate the ease, affordability, and communication of

professional licensure policies and practices in the state of Missouri. Additionally, Missouri

should determine which best practices from other states could be adopted to improve the

reciprocity process. With this additional data, Missouri lawmakers could make recommendations

in this area, which would improve the quality of life of military spouses and their families.

DECISION REQUEST

TO: Aaron Willard

FROM: Rob Dixon

CC: Justin Alferman; Phillip Arnzen

DATE: August 25, 2019

DESCRIPTION:

The Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission (MMPEC) and the Military Advocate request the assistance of the Governor’s Office in scheduling of a “Military Appreciation Day” in the Missouri State Capitol during the 2020 legislative session.

The event is intended to attract Missouri’s military leaders and key officials from Washington, DC to the Missouri Capitol to meet with and be recognized by the General Assembly, and to meet with the Governor and other state leaders. Similar events were held in the Capitol each legislative session from 2014 to 2017. The tradition was broken in 2018 because of difficulties securing the participation of military leaders and in 2019 due to unavoidable conflicts between the availability of senior military leaders and the legislative calendar. MMPEC believes that it is imperative to hold such an event in 2020.

The purpose of the event is to call attention to the importance of the military (Active, National Guard, Reserve, Defense Agencies, and Defense businesses); give legislators and the Governor an opportunity to interact with military/defense leaders; and send a message to the Pentagon that Missouri is a military and defense friendly state.

I. NATURE OF REQUEST The request is that the Governor approve of holding the event in the Capitol, and that the Governor’s Office provide assistance in scheduling and coordinating the event. Needed specific actions are: • Secure the Governor’s participation in the Military Appreciation Day events • Governor’s Office be in contact with legislative leaders and the Lt. Governor to secure a

target date or dates for the event that is placed on the shared calendar between the House and Senate, and to stress that it is a priority

• Encourage the Hawthorn Foundation to provide fiscal coordination

II. TIMELINE No request has been sent to the Speaker nor the President Pro Tem. There is apparently interest in accommodating the military leaders if a date can be found that minimally disrupts legislative business. Based on feedback from the Governor’s Scheduling Office (Tammy Allee’s response to Maggie Kost on August 9), it appears that Wednesday, February 5, 2020 should be our target date. The Governor is currently scheduled to be in his office that day.

III. CONTEXT The last Military Appreciation Day in February 2017, and it was supported by the leadership of the House and Senate, and the Governor. In 2017, the Governor was personally involved in meeting with military leaders who participated in the events, and there were significant

interactions with House and Senate members. Several hundred stakeholders from around the state attended and the event was judged to be a great success. The event is an opportunity for the leaders of our major military installations and agencies in Missouri to meet with legislators from across the state and to discuss Missouri’s important role in providing for our national defense. It also provides an opportunity for local and regional leaders to travel to the Capitol to underscore the importance of our military facilities in their areas. The event enables all Missouri citizens to better understand the huge impact the military has on our state, in terms of social, patriotic and economic benefits. There is a high degree of support from our state’s military leaders for a 2020 event. We have been able, tentatively, to secure commitments to attend (depending on date) from BG Levon Cumpton, the Governor’s nominee to be Missouri’s Adjutant General; MB General Donna Martin, Commanding General of the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood; Col. Jeff Schreiner, Commander of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base; and an as yet unnamed senior leader of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and Senior Executive at NGA-West in St. Louis. To add a national perspective to our state’s role in supporting our military, we have extended tentative invitations to senior leaders in the Pentagon, and have also received expressions of interest, particularly from Air Force and Army Assistant Secretaries. We also have a tentative acceptance from the Honorable John McHugh, former Secretary of the Army (2009-2015). In addition to these Senior Leaders, we intend to invite other military and defense agency leaders from the MO National Guard; the National Guard Bureau; the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps Reserves; Commandants of the major schools and Inter-Service Training units at Fort Leonard Wood, including the Marine Corps, the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard; the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant; Fort Leavenworth, KS; and Scott AFB, Il.

IV. OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATION A tentative agenda for the Military Appreciation Day is attached in the Supplemental Materials. The agenda is drawn in such a way as to: • maximize contact between legislators and military leaders; • create a time when the Governor can interact with the military leaders; • call public attention to the importance of the military in Missouri; and • give community and business leaders an opportunity to interact with their legislators and

the Governor to underscore the importance of the military in Missouri.

V. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR FOLLOW UPS Joe Driskill Missouri Military Advocate Joe.driskill@ded.mo.gov 573-526-0186 M 573-680-0949

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

Draft Schedule for Military Appreciation Day events

Schedule Event Comments

7:45 a.m. Guests and participants arrive at the Capitol

VIP Parking for military leaders arranged in the Senate Garage

8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

Reception with state legislators, and invited military and community guests in the 3rd Floor Rotunda

Reception in 2017 was in the Senate Gallery above the Chamber, but there was insufficient room for all the attendees.

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Joint meeting of the Missouri Senate Veterans & Military Affairs Committee and the House Veterans Committee, comments/testimony from military leaders, especially related to Service member, spouse and family issues

In 2017 this hearing was held in the House Lounge.

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Military leaders address the House during session

This should be limited to just a few words by the TAG, Commanders of WAFB and FLW, and the Senior Pentagon official in attendance.

10:40 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Military leaders introduced to the Senate during session

The leaders were seated in the Senate Chamber and asked to stand when introduced.

11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Luncheon for senior military leaders and legislative leaders by invitation, at the Mansion, with Governor participating

Since there is not enough room in the Mansion for everyone to attend, this should be limited to senior military leaders, aides, legislative leaders, and key military supporters. Group size should be 15-20.

11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Community/defense company leaders visit their legislators and have lunch on their own Capitol

1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Press event for the Governor or the Military Advocate announcing results of a new study that details the economic impact of military spending in Missouri Capitol

2:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Event for military and regional leaders regarding the importance of the military in Missouri, address by Governor Parson and by senior Pentagon leaders

Meeting room, Truman State Office Building

3:45 – 5:00 p.m. Regional leader office calls with legislators. Capitol

5:00 p.m. End Military Appreciation Day

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM PRIOR MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY EVENTS

Missouri to celebrate service members at the state's capital

On Tuesday, Feb. 14, state officials will host Missouri Military Appreciation Day with an event at the state’s capital, Jefferson City.

With more than 95,000 military men and women in the state, several military installations, and dozens upon dozens of military vendors and suppliers, the military industry has a significant impact on the state’s economy. In fact, for every $1 invested into the state’s military, $2.50 is generated in Missouri goods and services. The day’s event will dive deeper into the economics as well as highlight the status of secondary education for military families as well as discuss future initiatives to help veterans.

Special guests include high-ranking officials from Missouri’s military installations, Lexington Institute and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The Lexington Institute will present a report assessing the performance of schools with large concentrations of children of active-duty military personnel. Military families often face certain challenges when it comes to education, and

the presentation will highlight some of the changes that can be made to improve how schools cater to military families.

For more details on the day’s events, visit the [website here].

Help us spread the news through Facebook and Twitter! If you’re looking for a great place to visit, live, get an education, or start a business, you can find

resources and information at mo.gov or ded.mo.gov.

Click here to update and add subscriptions to your DED GovDelivery account

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 29, 2016

GENERALS TO VISIT MISSOURI CAPITAL TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO LEGISLATORS

The Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission (MMPEC) announces Military Appreciation and Awareness Day at the State Capitol

Jefferson City, MO – Commanding Generals from military installations across Missouri are planning to visit the State Capitol March 3, 2016 to meet with and provide updates to key legislators.

The Generals’ visit is part of the Military Appreciation and Awareness Day hosted by The Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission (MMPEC).

MMPEC Chairman Mike Dunbar explains, “This annual event is dedicated to highlighting the significant contributions and sacrifices of this Nation’s Military Service Members and the importance of Military and Department of Defense installations and their significant economic impact on the State of Missouri”.

Legislators will hear form Major General Kent Savre, U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood; Brigadier General Paul Tibbetts, Whiteman Air Force Base and Brigadier General Greg Mason Missouri National Guard during a Joint Informational Hearing of the Missouri Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Health Committee and the House Veterans Committee that kicks off in the Senate Lounge at 8:30am.

In addition to the joint informational hearing, MMPEC Commissioners and community leaders will meet with legislators to talk about the nearly $40 billion economic impact the U.S. Department of Defense spending and related activities has on Missouri’s economy.

The Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission was established by the State of Missouri to protect, retain and enhance the present and future mission capabilities at the military posts and bases within the State of Missouri.

###

February 17th, 2015 In Jefferson City, Missouri

Missouri Military Awareness Day Agenda: Please join MMPEC in a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of Missouri’s military installations. Meet with legislators, community leaders and the Commanding Officers from our Missouri installations.

Joint Hearing Senate (Veteran’s Affairs & Health Committee) and House (Veteran’s) Committees - 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Missouri State Capitol Building, Hearing Room 7 201 West Capitol Avenue Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Distinguished Guests/Presenters Include: United States Senator Roy Blunt Major General Steve Danner, Missouri National Guard Major General Leslie Smith, Fort Leonard Wood Brigadier General Glen VanHerck, Whiteman Air Force Base Mike Dunbar, Missouri Military and Preparedness and Enhancement Commission, Chair Mike DuBois, Kit Bond Strategies

Missouri Military Awareness Day Community Leadership Meeting - 10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Harry S Truman Building, Room 493-494 301 West High Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Distinguished guests/Presenters Include: United States Representative Vicky Hartzler Major General Danner, Missouri National Guard

Major General Leslie Smith, Fort Leonard Wood Brigadier General Glen VanHerck, Whiteman Air Force Base Mike Dunbar, Missouri Military and Preparedness and Enhancement Commission, Chair Mike DuBois, Kit Bond Strategies

Missouri Military Awareness Day Community/Legislature Luncheon - 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Office of Senator Dan Brown

State Capitol Building, Outside Room 422

201 West Capitol

Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Lunch provided by the Hawthorn Foundation

Visit and update legislators on military issues in your region - 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

State Capitol Building

201 West Capitol

Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

All attendees are encouraged to visit and discuss military issues with legislators. For a list of legislators and their office locations visit senate.mo.gov and house.mo.gov.

Treasurer Clint Zweifel in conjunction with the Missouri Military Partnership and the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission

Cordially invites you to Missouri Military Awareness Day

January 22, 2014 In Jefferson City, Missouri

Distinguished Guests Include:

Major General Steve Danner, Missouri National Guard Major General Leslie C. Smith, Fort Leonard Wood

Colonel Michael J. Francis, Whiteman Air Force Base Andrew Napoli, Director, Base Realignment and Closure, U.S. Army

Missouri Military Awareness Day Agenda: Please join Treasurer Zweifel in a day dedicated to the importance of Missouri’s military installations. Meet with legislators, community leaders and the Commanding Officers from our Missouri installations. Missouri Military Awareness Day Presentation - 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Harry S Truman Building, Room 850 301 West High Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Presenters Include: Major General Danner, Missouri National Guard Mike Dubois, Kit Bond Strategies Andrew Napoli, Director, Base Realignment and Closure, U.S. Army

Lunch on your own - 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Visit and update legislators on military issues in your region - 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

State Capitol Building

201 West Capitol

Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

All attendees are encouraged to visit and discuss military issues with legislators. For a list of legislators and their office locations visit senate.mo.gov and house.mo.gov.

Reception with Treasurer Clint Zweifel - 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

State Capitol Building, Room 229

201 West Capitol

Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Refreshments provided by the Hawthorn Foundation

For Additional Information or to RSVP please contact: Spencer Girouard, 573-522-6274, Spencer.Girouard@treasurer.mo.gov, or Ollie Green, 573-526-4806, Ollie.Green@ded.mo.gov.

The Missouri Military Partnership

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SECTION A

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

1. Overview

This announcement is to solicit grant applications from eligible applicants to support

community-based activities that assist military communities in supporting and sustaining their

installations, that encourage the communities to initiate coordinated response programs and

action plans in advance of future federal government realignment and closure decisions, and that

support community efforts to attract new or expanded military missions.

The project should include a plan for ensuring close cooperation between civilian and military

authorities in the execution of the funded activities and a plan for public involvement.

2. Funding Availability

A total of $300,000 is currently available in the Missouri Military Community Reinvestment

Grant Program Fund (MCRG) for FY 2020. Grant amounts will not exceed $100,000 per

applicant. Grantees must enter an Agreement with the Department of Economic Development

(DED) to receive funds.

3. Grant Award Period

Funding through June 30, 2020.

4. Eligibility

Eligible applicants may be:

a) Any community-based organization, defined as a Missouri nonprofit corporation in good

standing with the State that is organized under Chapter 355, RSMo and which has as its

primary or substantial purpose the support and sustainment of a military installation or

installations; or

b) A local government located in a military community.

5. Eligible Activities (Section 620.3300.8, RSMo)

Uses for the grant may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

a) Developing and implementing public-to-public partnerships with military installations,

including agreements that reduce installation costs and increase funding available for

mission performance;

b) Developing local or regional marketing plans, techniques, and activities, including those that

communicate the nature and value of military installations and military service;

c) Implementing programs to assist with diversification of the military installation

community’s economy by increasing nondefense economic development and employment;

d) Performing in-depth research and analysis regarding local or regional employment, housing,

infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other factors that affect the attractiveness of the

community for future military investments;

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e) Leading or participating in programs or activities to develop or improve the quality of life in

military communities, including the areas of education, transportation, health care, and

infrastructure development and transportation; and

f) Developing plans for the reuse of closed or realigned military installations or facilities,

including any plans necessary for infrastructure improvements needed to facilitate related

marketing activities.

6. Funding Guidelines

Applicants should anticipate that all grants awarded will be paid on a cost-reimbursement basis.

Grant recipients will be reimbursed only for allowable project costs resulting from obligations

incurred during the Agreement period.

7. Matching Funds

The eligible amount for grants shall include the following match requirements:

a) For an eligible applicant in operation five or more years from the application deadline, one

dollar of state grant funds may be provided for every one dollar of funds provided or raised

by the eligible applicant, including the value of in-kind services, supplies, or equipment; or

b) For an eligible applicant in operation fewer than five years from the application deadline,

two dollars of state grant funds may be provided for every one dollar of funds provided or

raised by the eligible applicant, including the value of in-kind services, supplies, or

equipment.

Matching funds may consist of the following types:

“Cash contributions” from the grantee, or cash contributions from outside sources that are directly

applied to the MCRG activities, or a combination thereof; and

“In-kind contributions”, including donations of equipment, software, or staff valued on a

prorated basis for amount of use and fair market value.

8. Reimbursable Expenses

Grant funds are intended to be one-time funds to support specific eligible activities. Grant

dollars are not intended to support on-going operating costs. Examples of allowable expenses

include, but are not limited to:

a) Salaries/Fringe – Only a portion of one salary will be approved to provide oversight of the

MCRG project. Limited to 10% of the grant award.

b) Contracts – Paid services required for the MCRG project that are not compatible with the

hiring of staff.

c) Travel – Staff travel costs may include expenses required to participate in professional

training.

d) Equipment – The purchase, lease, or rental of equipment, furnishings, appliances, and other

related items that will be used in the MCRG project. Costs should be reasonable and

correspond to fair market values. MCRG funding of the lease/rental of equipment may be

limited or prorated.

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e) Supplies – Program supplies that are necessary to implement the project.

f) Marketing

g) Feasibility Study

h) Audit – A one-time project audit is required if the organization uses $25,000 or more in

State funds.

9. Evaluation

Applications are rated in a competitive process. DED will evaluate each application and make

recommendations to the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission

(MMPEC), which has authority to approve or reject any application. Total possible points for

the evaluation are 80 points.

10. Bonus Points (Up to 5 bonus points will be given if the project addresses one of the following

priority areas)

While many types of projects qualify for the Missouri Military Community Reinvestment Grant,

the Department of Economic Development will recognize as its key priorities projects that:

a) Improve the community’s infrastructure that supports a military installation or installations;

b) Diversify the community’s economy by creating non-defense related jobs; and

c) Develop the workforce, particularly transitioning Service members and their families, and

Veterans.

11. Vendor Registration

Prior to entering into an Agreement with DED to receive grant funds, selected grantees will be

required to register with MissouriBUYS.

The vendor registration portal is available on the MissouriBUYS website at

https://missouribuys.mo.gov

Clicking on the ‘register’ link will allow you to get a username and password. There are links to

informational documents and a training video if you need help with the process. Prior to starting

registration, please make sure you have the following information available:

a) Organization’s Taxpayer ID Number (TIN)

b) Business Type (Corporation, LLC, Sole Proprietorship, etc.)

c) Email Address

d) ACH-EFT Payment Information

e) Internal Revenue Service W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and

f) Certification

12. Reporting Requirements

For approved MCRG projects, organizations are required to submit the following items:

a) Statement of Funds Form and Cash and In-kind Match Form to be submitted each quarter;

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b) Biannual reports, due 15 days after the end of each 6 month period (detailing progress);

c) Proposed changes to the project, such as budget revisions, outcomes, project periods, etc.;

d) A Final Report (in lieu of the final biannual report) is due within 30 days of the end of the

project; and

e) A Final Budget is due within 30 days of the end of the project (if actual expenditures differ

from the original approved budget).

f) An audit is due within six months of the end of the project period if the organization uses

$25,000 or more in State funds.

13. Closed records (Section 620.014, RSMo)

Documents submitted as part of a MCRG grant application may be deemed closed records,

protected from public disclosure, if they relate to financial investments in a business, sales

projections or other business plan information which may endanger the competitiveness of the

business, or business prospects regarding which DED and the applicant are negotiating.

Applicants seeking confidential treatment of information or documents are strongly encouraged

to provide a written explanation of the need for confidentiality.

14. Repayment

If an organization fails to complete the approved project or is found to be non-compliant with

MCRG requirements, DED may require any and all amounts reimbursed to be repaid to the

State of Missouri by the grantee.

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SECTION B APPLICATION PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

Project Summary (5 points)

1) Provide a short summary of the project to be funded, including:

Purpose and summary of activities to be undertaken.

Service Area and Community Need (25 points)

2) Describe the project service area. Cite sources from which data is obtained.

a) Military community description (geographic description, demographics, socio-economic

data, crime rates, educational data, etc.); and

b) Demographics of other counties impacted within the service area.

3) Identify the community need(s) to be addressed by this project.

a) Discuss the extent to which the need has become more prevalent in the community and/or

the nearest military installation; and

b) Discuss who identified the need, how and when the need was identified.

Impact (10 points)

4) Describe the impact on the military community. This may include, but is not limited to the

following:

a) How the project might increase mission success of the local military installation(s);

b) How the project increases nondefense economic development and employment;

c) How the project enhances the community’s attractiveness for future military investments;

d) How the project develops or improves the quality of life in military communities including

in the areas of education, housing, transportation, infrastructure development and

transportation; or

e) How the project benefits other military communities.

Project Goals, Outcomes, Milestones and Verification (20 points)

5) Identify the project’s goals and outcomes, and describe specific activities the organization will

take to implement the project and achieve outcomes, including:

a) List 1-3 short term goals that are relevant to the target military community.

b) List an outcome for each goal;

c) Identify specific activity(ies), including milestones sufficient to monitor the progress of the

project;

d) The date the activity is projected to be completed and outcome(s) achieved; and

e) Describe the performance measures to evaluate the project outcomes results.

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Partners and Community Involvement (10 points)

6) Describe the extent of community involvement, including:

a) Names and brief description of the roles of project partners, (local government, civilian and

military authorities, etc.);

b) How the plan ensures close cooperation between civilian and military authorities in the

conduct of the funded activities; and

c) How the plan involves the public.

History and Key People (10 points)

7) Describe your organizational capacity, including:

a) Organization’s history and brief description of previous year’s accomplishments; and

b) Roles of key staff members, board members, and/or volunteers.

Matching Funds (Eligibility Requirement)

8) Identify all the matching funding to be used to implement the project, including:

a) Name of each funding source;

b) The amounts of funding secured or expected;

c) All yet-unsatisfied conditions to the receipt of expected funds; and

d) All restrictions on the use of funds.

9) Note: Local match funds must be paid out after the project has been approved and prior to the

Agreement end date.

Application Format

Application, narrative section and all attachments should be typed in at least a 12 point font and

include 1-inch top margins. The application should not exceed twenty (20), single-sided pages in

length.

Application Deadline

Eligible applicants must submit the application, narrative section and all attachments in full by

electronic format and one (1) signed original to:

Missouri Department of Economic Development

Military Community Reinvestment Grant

301 West High Street, Suite 770

P.O. Box 118

Jefferson City, MO 65102

tyler.trusk@ded.mo.gov

Applications must be received in DED’s office by 5:00 pm on September 30th, 2019.

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Application Attachments

Application attachments and appendices should be kept to a minimum. Where these items are

included, they should be referenced and be clearly labeled with an identifying section letter, which

corresponds to the application.

1) Attachment A – Budget

Budget Instructions

a) List estimated costs of activities and the total project cost.

b) The term for the expenditures and matching funds must be concurrent with the

Agreement period.

c) Must correlate budget/activities to the plan of action.

d) All expenses should be itemized, include detailed breakdowns and list amounts rounded

to the nearest dollar.

2) Attachment B - Letters of Support

a) Letters of support from both the State Representative and State Senator representing the

district in which the project is located are required.

b) A letter of support from the Installation Commander, Garrison Commander, Mission

Support Group/Wing Commander, or other senior leader responsible for cooperating

with the community based organization or local government applicant is optional.

3) Attachment C – Applicant Certification

This form certifies that the information contained in the application is true, correct, and

complete, and that your organization: has read and understands the Guidelines; does not

employ unauthorized workers; does not have any delinquent federal, state, or local taxes;

etc. The Certification Form must be signed (by the Executive Director or Board Chair of

Community-Based organizations or an authorized representative for a Local Government

entity ie. Mayor or Presiding Commissioner) and notarized.

4) Attachment D – Current Members of the Board, Council, or Commission

List ALL individuals who are presently serving as members of the applicant’s Board or

governing legislative body, as applicable. In addition, provide each member’s: name, day

phone, occupation, and position, and indicate whether the individual is a resident of the

project area.

5) E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

All applicants must: 1) enroll in E-Verify, and 2) provide supporting documentation. All

applicants must complete this form and attach a copy of the E-Verify Memorandum to be

eligible for MCRG.

The E-Verify Program, conducted jointly by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

(USCIS) Verification Division and the Social Security Administration (SSA), is designed to

provide employment status information to determine the eligibility of applicants for

employment. E-Verify requires that participating companies use the automated Verification

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Information System (VIS) to verify the employment authorization of ALL newly hired

employees. An employer's participation in E-Verify is currently free. To access E-Verify,

go to: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify or contact the E-Verify toll free Help line at (888) 464-

4218.

To retrieve a copy of your electronically signed MOU:

After receiving a confirmation email that your organization is successfully enrolled, log

back into the Account

Click on “Edit Company Profile” in the left menu

Click on “View MOU” button

ONLY the Program Administrator can access the electronically signed MOU

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- 9 -

Truman State Office Building

301 West High Street, Room 770

PO Box 118

Jefferson City MO 65102

Telephone: 573-751-4539

Fax: 573-522-4322

Web: www.ded.mo.gov

MILITARY COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM

FY2020 APPLICATION (Section 620.3300, RSMo)

Applicant (Official/Legal Name as Registered)

NAICS MO Tax ID FEIN

Year Established (required) Project location (Street, City, County, 9-digit Zip Code)

Contact Person/Project Administrator (First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name, Title)

Mailing Address - Street Address, P.O. Box, City, State, 9-digit Zip Code (Required)

Day Phone (include extension)

( )

Fax Number

( )

E-mail Address

Agency Director (First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name)

Date of Birth (Required)

Title Day Phone (include extension)

( )

Counties and Bases/Installation(s) affected Number of Employees

< 100

100-500

>500

*NAICS, North American Industry Classification System, is the industry classification system used by the statistical

agencies of the United States. NAICS replaces the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). The NAICS is

used for classifying business establishments to assist with gathering data related to measuring productivity, unit

labor costs, and the capital intensity of production, employment and other information. Missouri businesses are

assigned a NAICS when the company files a “Report to Determine Liability Status” with the Missouri Department

of Labor and Industrial Relations to determine Unemployment Tax Liability. Normally, a general business employer

becomes liable for the tax and responsible for providing unemployment insurance for its workers when it:

Pays $1,500 in wages (cash and in-kind) in a calendar quarter, or

Has an employee in some portion of a day in each of 20 different weeks, or

Becomes liable under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) and employs a worker in Missouri, or

Acquires and continues without interruption substantially all the business of a liable employer.

If you don’t know your NAICS code please call (573) 751-3340. If your organization is not required to have an UI

account and NAICS code, please indicate N/A on this form.**Provide the physical location where your project will

take place. If your project takes place at more than one site, submit the addresses for all sites (street, city, county, 9-

digit zip). You can find the 9-digit Zip code at: www.usps.com Click on Quick Tools, then Look Up a ZIP Code.

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ORGANIZATION ELIGIBILITY

Mark your organization’s eligibility and attach supporting documents. Choose only one.

Incorporated in the state of Missouri as a domestic not-for profit corporation under Chapter 355 RSMo on the

following date:__________________. Attach Articles of Incorporation

Missouri county, city, town or village.

Litigation History

1) Organization:

a. Has the organization ever been convicted of a violation of any state or federal laws?

Yes No

b. If yes, provide the date, the Court, the charges at disposition and the case number. Attach as a separate sheet

if additional space is required.

2) Principal (CEO, CFO, Principal, Managing Partner, and Executive Director):

a. Has any “principal” ever been convicted of a violation of any state or federal law?

Yes No

b. If yes, provide the date, the Court, the charges at disposition and the case number. Attach as a separate sheet

if additional space is required.

3) Contact:

a. Has the “contact person” or project administrator ever been convicted of a violation of any state or federal

law?

Yes No

b. If yes, provide the date, the Court, the charges at disposition and the case number. Attach as a separate sheet

if additional space is required.

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Salary $ -

Project Manager * limited to 10% of the MCRG budget

Contract(s)

Travel

Equipment

Supplies

Feasibility Study/Plan

Marketing

Other Costs

GRAND TOTAL $ - $ - $ -

*The Total Project Cost column should reflect all budget expenses necessary to implement the project, listing the total cost of each line

item.

MCRG BUDGET PAGE Attachment A

Budget Category – Provide a detailed breakdown of expenses,

showing amounts to be funded by MCRG and amounts to be funded

by local match. MCRG Grantee Match

Total Projected

Cost*

Match Eligiblity □ $1 □ $2

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LETTERS OF SUPPORT

ATTACHMENT B

A minimum of two letters of support must be submitted. Military Community Reinvestment Grant

Program staff may contact the persons listed below to verify their support for the project. Letters of

support will be accepted as part of the application only at the time of submittal.

Instructions:

1. Letters of support from both the State Representative and State Senator representing the

district in which the project is located are required.

To identify your legislators, use the Missouri Senate’s “Legislator Lookup” search at:

http://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default.aspx

2. A letter of support from the Installation Commander, Garrison Commander, Mission

Support Group/Wing Commander, or other senior leader responsible for cooperating with

the community based organization or local government applicant is optional.

3. Letters should refer specifically to the proposed project.

4. Letters must be dated within six (6) months prior to submission of the application.

Optional - Applicants may also provide letters from individuals, organizations, or institutions

identified in the proposal as support or partner agencies that assist in outcome attainment.

Name Organization Title or Position

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COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION CERTIFICATION PAGE

ATTACHMENT C I, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the Applicant named below, hereby certify and agree to the following:

The information submitted by the Applicant to the Department of Economic Development (DED) in connection with the Project is true and correct and such

information is consistent with documents provided to lenders, other government programs, or investors. The Applicant hereby authorizes DED to verify such information from any source;

Neither the Applicant, nor any person actively engaged in the management of the Applicant:

a) Has committed a felony, is currently charged with having committed a felony, or is currently on parole or probation;

b) Is delinquent with respect to any non-protested federal, state or local taxes or fees; c) Has filed (or is about to file) for bankruptcy, unless otherwise disclosed to DED; or

d) Has failed to fulfill any material obligation under any other state or federal program;

There are no pending or threatened liens, judgments, or material litigation against the Applicant or any person identified on the application which is likely to have a

material impact on the Applicant’s viability;

Neither the operations of the Project itself nor the receipt of incentives for the Project would violate any existing agreement;

The Applicant has obtained or is capable of obtaining all necessary federal, state and local permits and licenses for the Project;

I certify that the Applicant does NOT knowingly employ any person who is an unauthorized alien and that the Applicant has complied with federal law (8 U.S.C. § 1324a) requiring the examination of an appropriate document or documents to verify that each individual is not an unauthorized alien;

I certify that the Applicant is enrolled and will participate in a federal work authorization program as defined in Section 285.525(6), RSMo, with respect to

employees working in connection with the activities that qualify Applicant for this program. I certify that the Applicant will maintain, and upon request, provide to

DED documentation demonstrating Applicant’s participation in a federal work authorization program with respect to employees working in connection with the activities that qualify Applicant for this program;

I certify that the Applicant shall include in any contract it enters with a subcontractor in connection with the activities that qualify Applicant for this program, an

affirmative statement from the subcontractor that such subcontractor is not knowingly in violation of Section 285.530.1, RSMo, and shall not be in violation during

the length of the contract. In addition the Applicant will receive a sworn affidavit from each subcontractor under the penalty of perjury, attesting that the subcontractor’s employees are lawfully present in the United States. I certify that the Applicant will maintain and provide DED and the Missouri Department of

Revenue access to documentation demonstrating compliance with this paragraph;

I understand that, pursuant to Section 285.530.5, RSMo, a general contractor or subcontractor of any tier shall not be liable under Sections 285.525 to 285.550,

RSMo when such general contractor or subcontractor contracts with its direct subcontractor who violates Section 285.530.1, if the contract binding the contractor and subcontractor affirmatively states that the direct subcontractor is not knowingly in violation of Section 285.530.1 and shall not henceforth be in such violation

and the contractor or subcontractor receives a sworn affidavit under penalty of perjury attesting to the fact that the direct subcontractor’s employees are lawfully

present in the United States;

I understand that if the Applicant is found to have employed an unauthorized alien, Applicant maybe subject to penalties pursuant to Sections 135.815, 285.025, and 285.535, RSMo;

I understand that if the Applicant is found to have employed an unauthorized alien in Missouri and did not, for that employee, examine the document(s) required

by federal law, the Applicant shall be ineligible for any state-administered or subsidized tax credit, tax abatement or loan for a period of five years following any

such finding;

I have read and understand the Military Community Reinvestment Grant Program guidelines;

I will inform DED if, at any time before project completion, there is any change to any of the certifications made herein;

I hereby agree to allow representatives of DED or the Missouri Department of Revenue reasonable access to the property and applicable records as may be necessary for the administration of this program; and,

I certify under penalties of perjury that the above statements and information contained in the application and attachments are complete, true, and correct to the

best of my knowledge and belief.

I certify that I am a Corporate Officer/Member of the Applicant and have the proper authority to execute this document on behalf of the Applicant. I am authorized to

make the statement of affirmation contained herein. I also realize that failure to disclose material information regarding the Applicant, any owners or individuals

engaged in the management of the Applicant, or other facts may result in criminal prosecution.

Applicant Signature Printed/Typed Name Title Date

State __________________ County _________________ ss.

On this ____ day of _________________in the year 20____ before me, ________________________, a Notary Public in and for said state,

personally appeared _______________________________ [name of Corporate Officer/ Member], _____________________________________

[Official Title], _________________________________________ [Name of Corporation/ Agency], known to me to be the person who executed the

within Agreement on behalf of said Applicant and acknowledged to me that he or she executed the same for the purposes therein stated.

____________________________________

Notary Public Signature

My commission expires ______________________________

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITY CERTIFICATION PAGE

ATTACHMENT C I, the undersigned, acting on behalf of the Local Government Entity (Applicant) named below, hereby certify and agree to the following:

The Applicant possesses the legal authority to apply for the grant and execute the proposed Project, and has duly adopted or passed, as an official act, a resolution,

motion or similar action authorizing the filing of the application, including all understandings and assurances contained therein, and authorizing the undersigned to

act in connection with the application and to provide such additional information as may be required;

The information submitted by the Applicant to the Department of Economic Development (DED) in connection with the Project is true, correct, and consistent with documents provided to lenders, other government programs, or investors. The Applicant hereby authorizes DED to verify such information from any source;

No elected official, City Manager, or City Administrator actively engaged in the management of the Applicant of the Project:

a) Has committed a felony, is currently charged with having committed a felony, or is currently on parole or probation;

b) Is delinquent with respect to any non-protested federal, state or local taxes or fees; c) Has filed (or is about to file) for bankruptcy, unless otherwise disclosed to DED; or

d) Has failed to fulfill any material obligation under any other state or federal program;

There are no pending or threatened liens, judgments, or material litigation against the Applicant or any person identified on the application which is likely to have a

material impact on the Applicant’s viability;

Neither the operations of the Project itself nor the receipt of incentives for the Project would violate any existing agreement;

The Applicant has obtained or is capable of obtaining all necessary federal, state and local permits and licenses for the Project;

I certify that the Applicant does NOT knowingly employ any person who is an unauthorized alien and that the Applicant has complied with federal law (8 U.S.C. §

1324a) requiring the examination of an appropriate document or documents to verify that each individual is not an unauthorized alien;

I certify that the Applicant is enrolled and will participate in a federal work authorization program as defined in Section 285.525(6), RSMo with respect to

employees working in connection with the activities that qualify Applicant for this program. I certify that the Applicant will maintain, and upon request, provide to

DED documentation demonstrating Applicant’s participation in a federal work authorization program with respect to employees working in connection with the activities that qualify Applicant for this program;

I certify that the Applicant shall include in any contract it enters with a subcontractor in connection with the activities that qualify Applicant for this program, an

affirmative statement from the subcontractor that such subcontractor is not knowingly in violation of Section 285.530.1, RSMo, and shall not be in violation during

the length of the contract. In addition the Applicant will receive a sworn affidavit from each subcontractor under the penalty of perjury, attesting that the subcontractor’s employees are lawfully present in the United States. I certify that the Applicant will maintain and provide DED and the Missouri Department of

Revenue access to documentation demonstrating compliance with this paragraph;

I understand that, pursuant to Section 285.530.5, RSMo, a general contractor or subcontractor of any tier shall not be liable under Sections 285.525 to 285.550,

RSMo when such general contractor or subcontractor contracts with its direct subcontractor who violates Section 285.530.1, if the contract binding the contractor and subcontractor affirmatively states that the direct subcontractor is not knowingly in violation of Section 285.530.1 and shall not henceforth be in such violation

and the contractor or subcontractor receives a sworn affidavit under penalty of perjury attesting to the fact that the direct subcontractor’s employees are lawfully

present in the United States;

I understand that if the Applicant is found to have employed an unauthorized alien, Applicant may be subject to penalties pursuant to Sections 135.815, 285.025, and 285.535, RSMo;

I understand that if the Applicant is found to have employed an unauthorized alien in Missouri and did not, for that employee, examine the document(s) required by

federal law, the Applicant shall be ineligible for any state-administered or subsidized tax credit, tax abatement or loan for five years following any such finding;

I have read and understand the Military Community Reinvestment Grant Program guidelines;

I will inform DED if, at any time before project completion, there is any change to any of the certifications made herein;

I hereby agree to allow representatives of DED or the Missouri Department of Revenue reasonable access to the property and applicable records as may be

necessary for the administration of this program; and,

I certify under penalties of perjury that the above statements and information contained in the application and attachments are complete, true, and correct to the best

of my knowledge and belief.

I certify that I am the Mayor/Presiding Commissioner of the Applicant and have the proper authority to execute this document on behalf of the Applicant. I am authorized to make the statement of affirmation contained herein. I realize that failure to disclose material information regarding the Applicant, any owners or individuals engaged in

the management of the Applicant, or other facts may result in criminal prosecution.

Applicant Signature Printed/Typed Name Title Date

State __________________ County _________________ ss.

On this ____ day of _________________in the year 20____ before me, ________________________, a Notary Public in and for said state, personally

appeared _______________________________ [name of Mayor/Presiding Commissioner], _____________________________________ [Official

Title], _________________________________________ [Name of City/County], known to me to be the person who executed the within Agreement

on behalf of said Local Government Entity and acknowledged to me that he or she executed the same for the purposes therein stated.

____________________________________

Notary Public Signature

My commission expires ______________________________

- 15 -

CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, COUNCIL OR, COMMISSION

ATTACHMENT

List all members. DED staff may contact one or more governing body members to discuss their

role, their general level of support for the project, and knowledge of this application. Make copies of

this form if necessary.

Board Chair/President Day Phone Email Address

RESIDENT OF PROJECT AREA?

YES NO

OCCUPATION

MAILING ADDRESS POSITION TERM (From mo./yr. to mo./yr.)

NAME

DAY PHONE

POSITION

OCCUPATION

RESIDENT OF PROJECT AREA?

YES NO CURRENT TERM (From mo./yr. to mo./yr.)

NAME

DAY PHONE

POSITION OCCUPATION

RESIDENT OF PROJECT AREA?

YES NO CURRENT TERM (From mo./yr. to mo./yr.)

NAME

DAY PHONE

POSITION

OCCUPATION

RESIDENT OF PROJECT AREA?

YES NO

CURRENT TERM (From mo./yr. to mo./yr.)

NAME

DAY PHONE

POSITION

OCCUPATION

RESIDENT OF PROJECT AREA?

YES NO CURRENT TERM (From mo./yr. to mo./yr.)

- 16 -

MILITARY COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

Review your application to ensure all required information and attachments are included. Failure to

submit required documentation may result in disqualification. The applicant shall provide the

following information by electronic format and one hard copy:

Application

Initial application pages 9-10

Completed Section B - Responses to the questions on pages 5-6

A complete copy of the Articles of Incorporation

Attachment A: Budget Page

Military Community Reinvestment Budget Page

Attachment B: Letters of Support

Complete and use the form provided

Two letters of support is required – State Senator and State Representative.

Installation Commander, Garrison Commander, Mission Support Group/Wing Commander, or

other senior leader responsible for cooperating with the community based organization or local

government applicant is optional.

Attachment C: Certification for Community-Based Organizations OR Local Government

Entity

Certifications from Community-Based Organizations must be signed by the Executive

Director or Board Chair, with original signature and notary stamp.

OR

Certifications from Local Government entities must be signed by an authorized representative

of the unit of government (ie. Mayor or Presiding Commissioner), with original signature and

notary stamp.

Attachment D: Current Governing Body Members

Complete and use the form provided

Attachment E: E-Verify

Copy of page 1, the company summary page, and the signature page of the E-Verify

Memorandum of Understanding.