The Springfield City Council Tuesday chose Richard Ollis, an insurance company CEO, to fill the General Seat D post.
The seat became vacant after the April election of councilmen Ken McClure as mayor.
Ollis, 56, is the CEO of Ollis/Akers/Arney, where he serves a risk and insurance advisor. The company, according to its website, is Springfield’s largest independent insurance agency.
Ollis was chosen among five other candidates that council had interviewed for the post.
In an interview, Ollis said "To be selected out of that group I feel pretty fortunate and thankful. It is an exciting time for our community to progress. And, I hope in some small way I can contribute to that."
Ollis is a graduate from Missouri State University, and has served on the boards of the Springfield Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Safety Council of the Ozarks, and Springfield/Branson National Airport. He’s a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
In his application for the council seat, Ollis stated that he has no specific agenda except to serve his community and work with the council as a good team member to help the community prosper.
Ollis will serve the remainder of McClure’s term in seat D, which runs through the April 2019 election.