When Missouri Governor Eric Greitens officially relinquishes the executive office at 5:00 p.m. Friday, Mike Parson will take the reins and serve the remainder of the term.
Parson hails from Polk County, in southwest Missouri.
One person who’s known Parson for 40 years is Kay Williams.
Williams worked as a law enforcement officer in Polk County while Parson served as sheriff there. He described Parson as someone who was always honest with him and would never ask anyone to do something that Parson wouldn’t do himself.
“He’s had a full load thrown at him but I think he’ll take a deep breath, back up, take a look at it and he’ll come out on top—and so will the people that he’s working for,” Williams said.
That’s just up the highway from Springfield, where Ken McClure is mayor.
McClure said he met the incoming governor in 2005 when Parson was serving in the Missouri House of Representatives and McClure was beginning his service as Chief of Staff for then-Governor Matt Blunt.
“Mike Parson is a very down to earth, practical, pragmatic, dedicated public servant. He’s always been willing to do the hard work that’s been involved,” McClure said.
McClure said Parson is not a pretentious person and never assumes he’s better than anyone else.
“He’s a very humble public servant, and I think that’s one of the traits that’s made him successful over the years,” McClure said.
Among things that McClure believes Parson will bring to the table are stability, trust, confidence, and transparency.
After serving six years in the United States Army, Parson was elected as the Polk County Sheriff in 1993. He held that position until 2005, when he then served in the Missouri House of Representatives until moving on to serve the 28th District in the Missouri Senate in 2011.
He held his position in the senate until beginning his term as Lieutenant Governor in 2017.