Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order creating a task force to provide small and minority-owned businesses a boost, according to his office.
The Show Me Strong Recovery Task Force is forming to strengthen Missouri’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and provide businesses with access to the state’s vital economic development tools.
Since the pandemic began last year, there have been 488,455 cases of the coronavirus and 8,440 deaths statewide with 24.4% of the overall population having been inoculated with one dose of a vaccine, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and media reports.
“As the COVID-19 vaccine continues to become available to more Missourians, our state must begin to turn our focus toward doing everything we can to strengthen our recovery and help Missourians get back to work,” said Daniel P. Mehan, president, and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a statement online.
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is charged with suggesting people who can serve on the task force within the next 30 days but no one has been selected yet, according to Jacob Luecke, director of communications for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“We are reviewing potential names for the governor to consider adding to the task force,” Luecke told the St. Louis Record. “Moving forward, we look forward to working with this new group and helping in any way possible.”
According to the executive order signed on March 22, the task force will include one member of the restaurant or hospitality industry, three members of organizations that represent minority business owners, a designee from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, and a designee from the Missouri Office of Equal Opportunity within the Missouri Department of Administration.
“We support the idea to bring together experts who can focus on making sure the state’s economic development tools are being used to their strongest, broadest potential to help in this recovery,” Luecke said.
Gov. Parson is expected appoint a chair and co-chair.
In his order, Gov. Parson also rescinded Executive Order 05-43, which had established the Hispanic Business, Trade and Culture Commission in November 2005 but the commission has been inactive since 2008.