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Tyler Travers

Tyler Travers is the Policy Director & Campaign Coordinator for Renew Missouri. Originally from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Tyler has called Columbia home for nearly a decade. He has spent much of that time working in the Missouri State Capitol as legislative staff, amassing over six legislative sessions of experience.

Most recently, he served as Chief of Staff to a state senator from Kansas City. During his tenure, Tyler helped pass significant pieces of legislation, including the enforcement of the Mental Health Parity Act, expanding access to HIV medication, prohibiting texting while driving, and the Language Equality & Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) Act, among others. Drawing on this experience, Tyler will help advance Renew Missouri’s mission throughout the state.

Tyler holds an Associate’s Degree from Three Rivers College, a B.A. in History, and a Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Missouri. In his spare time, he enjoys critiquing modern film and television, as well as cheering for his favorite teams: the Mizzou Tigers, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Knicks.

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Abby Dickinson

Abby Dickinson grew up in St. Louis County. She moved to Columbia in 2020 to attend the University of Missouri for her undergrad and graduated in 2024 with a degree in International Environmental Studies and minors in Spanish and Music.

During her time studying at Mizzou, she took over leadership of Climate Leaders at Mizzou, the school’s only climate activism club. Through this organization, she lead and forwarded their campaign for the University’s divestment from fossil fuels, co-authoring a research paper to make their case in the process. She also founded the University’s first ever crochet club, which she ran for two years, and enjoys crocheting as a hobby in her free time.

She joined Renew Missouri as the Office Manager Intern in May of 2023 and was hired full time as the Development & Campaign Associate in August 2024 to further the organization’s outreach and donation efforts.

In her spare time, Abby enjoys crafts of all kinds, reading, and spending time with her partner, her best friend, and her two cats.

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Jessica-Sentell

Jessica Polk Sentell

Jessica Polk Sentell is the Director of Eastern Missouri for Renew and knows the rural region well. She grew up in Piedmont and returned in 2012, after spending several years on the east coast.

Upon graduating Missouri State University with a B.S. in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration, she received the Presidential Management Fellowship, where she was the Program Analyst for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s International Operations, Special Projects Branch. She also completed rotational assignments with the Departments of Defense and State.

At the Pentagon, Jessica worked on the Joint Staff’s Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Cell and received the Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award for coordinating/authoring the 2010 Afghanistan-Pakistan Annual Review. At the State Department, she worked in the Office of the Special Representative to Muslim Communities and traveled with the Ambassador.

Before coming to Renew, Jessica taught social studies and political science at Clearwater High School, Three Rivers College, and – most recently – Southeast Missouri State University. Jessica serves on the board of directors of the Clearwater R-1 School Foundation and the Clearwater Alumni Association, is a staff member (Small Groups Coordinator) at her church, and a member-owner of Black River Electric Cooperative.

She is married to Dr. Eric Sentell, an English professor at SEMO. They have one son, Stryder, and a menagerie of pets. In her free time, she enjoys laughing, traveling, reading, playing tennis, practicing yoga, and enjoying the rural outdoors.

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David Stokely

David Stokely grew up in Poplar Bluff, spending many of the best hours of his youth in and on the clean, gravel bottom streams of southern Missouri. He earned a B.S. in Agriculture and Masters in Vo-Tech Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Over the years, he has taught high school and college level classes in agronomy, soils, plant science, horticulture, forestry, and agricultural mechanics.

For more than 35 years, David operated a commercial equestrian facility. He consulted on wildlife habitat evaluation/improvement for private landowners. His expertise extends to surface-mined coal reclamation, where he performed vegetation, soil, and water sampling to ensure compliance with regulations for bond release.
Serving as the assessor in Christian County, David learned the value of GIS mapping and land valuation, and the critical importance of fair valuation for tax-paying public entities such as schools.

In a nonpartisan role, David recently served as the southwest and southcentral Missouri District Director for former US Senator Claire McCaskill. He actively listened to constituent issues, working with a broad range of Federal agencies to ensure that citizen concerns were addressed appropriately and efficiently.

Currently residing in Christian
County, David serves on the board of directors of the L-A-D as well as the Ozark Riverways Foundations. As a member owner of Ozark Electric Rural Cooperative for thirty-nine years, he has a strong connection to the community.

His proudest accomplishment is being the father of two awesome and accomplished adult sons. David enjoys all aspects of outdoor recreation in our Ozarks region and is passionate about protecting air and water quality for the future generations and economic vitality of Missouri.

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Emily Weber

Emily Weber grew up in rural Kansas. She attended Butler Community College and the
Kansas City Art Institute. After graduation from KCAI, Emily made Kansas City her home. Since graduating Emily built a career in communications and marketing. She
served on the policy committee for Climate Action KC and is currently the State Representative for District 24.

Emily joined Renew Missouri part-time in the Summer of 2023 as the Kansas City Coordinator/Outreach and Education Associate. During her limited free time, she enjoys spending time with her two spoiled dogs and trying to catch up on TV shows and movies.

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James Owen

James Owen

James Owen was named Executive Director of Renew Missouri in 2017. In that role, James works to ensure the organization’s mission of making Missouri a leading state in clean energy is realized through policy advocacy and formulation, litigation, public education, and general outreach such as lobbying and social media.

In addition to serving as Director, James is also a licensed attorney (in both Kansas and Missouri) and can handle legal duties for the group as well. He also serves as an expert witnesses before the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC). Prior to this role, James was appointed as Public Counsel by Governor Jay Nixon. In that role, James served as the state’s leading consumer advocate, representing the public before the PSC. Before moving to mid-Missouri, James had served as an Associate Circuit Judge in Webster County and practiced law in southwest Missouri for several years.

James obtained his BA from Drury University in Springfield and obtained his law degree from the University of Kansas. In his spare time, he likes to write and watch movies. Combining these two hobbies, James is the film columnist for The Columbia Daily Tribune and on-air critic for KFRU. He lives in Columbia with his wife, Claire, and their daughter, Cecile.

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Nicole Mers

Nicole Mers grew up in Saint Louis, where she attended Saint Louis University,
graduating with a B.A. in psychology and pre-law, with a minor in political science.
Taking her lifelong interest in environmental issues to heart and wanting to laissez les
bons temps rouler, she moved to New Orleans. During her time in New Orleans, Nicole
interned with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a renewable and low-income interest
group, advocating for policies that supported renewable energy development and
affordable rates in front of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and the New
Orleans City Council’s Utility Board. She also was a member of Tulane University’s
Environmental Law Clinic. Nicole graduated in 2013 from Tulane University, with a
certificate in Environmental and Energy Law. After graduating, Nicole spent time
practicing administrative law before the Veteran’s Administration, then began
employment at the Missouri Public Service Commission in 2015. Nicole spent 9 years
with the Commission, primarily as the Deputy Counsel in charge of electric utility case
filings, making numerous appearances as lead counsel in large rate cases, Missouri
Energy Efficiency Investment Act applications, Integrated Resource Plan filings, and
Applications for Certificates of Convenience and Necessity in various transmission and
renewable facilities cases. Nicole now serves as Renew Missouri’s General Counsel.

When not working, Nicole enjoys spending time with her family, her dog and cats, and
reading and watching anything spooky.

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Philip Fracica

Philip Fracica

Philip Fracica grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri and graduated from the University of Missouri in 2015 with a BSBA with an emphasis in Finance. Since graduating, Philip has worked as a Policy Organizer for Renew Missouri for over four years and focuses his advocacy on low-income multifamily energy matters.

In 2019, Renew Missouri opened a Kansas City office and Philip changed positions to be Renew Missouri’s Kansas City Regional Director – creating an opportunity to expand our advocacy into Kansas. In addition to working with municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives, Philip has also served as an expert witness on low-income energy policy before the Missouri Public Service Commission. In his spare time, Philip enjoys going to the movies, watching local sports, and playing video games.

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Tori Cheatham

Tori Cheatham

Tori has been at Renew for almost four years and now serves as the Director of Outreach & Education. She has her M.S. in Environmental Science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and works in the St.Louis office assisting with various advocacy efforts including policy research, graph design, communications, and coalition building. She also manages the Renew Missouri Homes program to promote homeowner energy efficiency adoption in Missouri. Tori has lived in St.Louis most of her life. She loves tennis and enjoys reading sci-fi novels and painting in her free time.

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