The Coordinating Board for Higher Education was established by an amendment to the Missouri Constitution in 1972. The nine-member board oversees the Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, which serves as the administrative arm of the board and is led by the commissioner.
The board members — one from each of Missouri's eight congressional districts and one selected at large — are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. They serve six-year terms.
Hollie Elliott was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in February 2021. Elliott is the executive director of the Dallas County Economic Development Group with HME Consulting. She previously worked in public affairs and economic development for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Elliott serves on numerous boards, including the Women’s Business Center, City of Buffalo Rotary, Dallas County Community Foundation, and University of Missouri Dallas County Extension, among others. She also helps manage the family cow-calf operation.
Elliott, a Republican from Fair Grove, holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications, and a master’s degree in administrative studies, agriculture advocacy from Missouri State University.
Allen Brooks was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in July 2021. Brooks is currently the Fleet Operations Manager for McLane Livestock Transport, Inc., which he's worked for since 1997. Before joining McLane Transport, Brooks served as a Traffic Engineer II for the City of Montgomery, Ala., and is a member of the National Association of Small Trucking Companies.
Brooks, a Republican from Poplar Bluff, earned his bachelor's degree in urban studies and political science from Auburn University at Montgomery. He previously served as Chairman of the Three Rivers Endowment Trust and the Three Rivers College Booster Board as Treasurer.
Anne-Marie Clarke was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in February 2021. Clarke is retired, having most recently served as the 47th Chair of the Judicial Council Division of the National Bar Association. She previously served as judge of the Family Court and as hearing officer for the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court. Her more than 33 years of service made her one of the longest-serving judicial officers on the city bench.
Clarke, an Independent from St. Louis, attended Forest Park Community College and Northwest Missouri State University. She holds a Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law. She was the first Black woman to serve on the Board of Police Commissioners for St. Louis City, also becoming the first woman to serve as its president.
Gwendolyn Grant was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in August 2018. Grant is the president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City and is the co-founder of the League's Servant Leadership Development Program. Grant is the founder and facilitator for Destination: Wealth Creationä, and Personal Pathways to Powerful Leadership for Women.
Grant, a Democrat from Kansas City, holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Park University and an MBA from Rockhurst University. She serves as president of Kansas City Public Schools Building Corporation Board, is involved with the Urban Neighborhood Initiative Board of Directors, the National Association for Multicultural Education, and has received numerous honors and awards.
Brian Hammons was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in July 2024. Hammons is the President of Hammons Products Company in Stockton, Missouri. He is the third generation leader of the company, established in 1946, which is the leading commercial processor of American Black Walnuts.
Hammons, a Republican from Stockton, earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Missouri Southern University in 1980 and a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist Law School in Dallas, Texas. He has been actively involved in the Black Walnut company since 1987 after practicing law in Kansas City. Hammons currently serves as Chairman of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He also serves on the boards of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mercy Health Springfield Communities, and the Foundation of Evangelism.
Phil Hoffman was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in February 2021. Hoffman is retired, now working with the family cow-calf operation. Until 2018, Hoffman was the manager of Hoffman & Reed, Inc., a retail distributor of seed, feed, grain, and agricultural chemicals, which in 2014 became GFG AgServices. Hoffman has served on various boards, including the president of the Grundy County Fair Board, Trenton Rotary Club, and Trenton Board of Public Works.
Hoffman, an Independent from Trenton, attended what is now North Central Missouri College before earning his bachelor’s degree in agriculture and his master’s in agronomy at the University of Missouri.
Dudley McCarter was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in September 2019. McCarter is a founding member of Behr, McCarter & Potter, P.C. He previously served as president of The Missouri Bar and the St. Louis County Bar Association, and was a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was the first in his family to graduate with a college degree.
McCarter, an Independent from St. Louis, earned a bachelor’s degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri. He served as president of the Mizzou Alumni Association, a board member of the Children’s Trust Fund of Missouri, and the Parkway School District School Board.
Shawn Saale was appointed to serve on the CBHE by then-Gov. Eric Greitens in August 2017. Saale is a partner at Saale & Bailey, LC. He specializes in estate law, business succession planning, and charitable giving. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the American, Missouri, and St. Charles County bar associations.
Saale, a Republican from Defiance, serves on the board of directors for Enterprise Bank & Trust and the board of directors for Emmaus Homes. He is past president and Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of St. Charles - Sunrise. He also served as chairman of the board for SSM St. Joseph Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital West Foundation, and as a director for Community Living, Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and a law degree from the University of Missouri.
David Sater was appointed to serve on the CBHE by Gov. Mike Parson in February 2023. Sater serves as chairman of the Barry County Board for the Developmentally Disabled and director of the Barry County Health Department Board. He joins the CBHE with 16 years of experience as a lawmaker, including eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. While in the House, Sater was the chairman of the Health Care Policy Committee and a member of the Budget Committee. As a member of the Senate, Sater chaired the Seniors, Families and Children Committee, and was a member of the Budget Committee.
Sater earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Missouri State University in 1969 and a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Missouri – Kansas City in 1972.
For 29 years, Sater owned and operated Sater Pharmacy in Cassville.