About Us - MOCEO

About MOCEO

“We’re on a mission to turn Missouri into a place where every working person can also be an employee owner.”

The Missouri Center for Employee Ownership (MOCEO) is a non-profit organization that serves as a free central hub of education and resources on employee ownership. Our mission is to turn the state of Missouri into a place where every working person can also be an employee-owner. We're here to help and guide to see if employee ownership is right for you.

OUR TEAM

Marie Davis

Interim Executive Director

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Marie Davis, GACEO/MOCEO

In her role as Executive Director for the Georgia Center for Employee Ownership (GACEO), Marie Davis is responsible for establishing the network of partners and delivery of programming necessary for the GACEO to carry out its mission of the creation of new employee-owned companies throughout all of Georgia by providing unbiased education, outreach, and technical assistance on all forms of employee ownership. In addition to her passion for employee ownership, Marie is also passionate about providing opportunities for all children through mentoring programs.

As Interim Director for MOCEO, Marie is using her knowledge and experience to continue the amazing work that has already been accomplished as the search for a permanent Executive Director occurs.

Board Members

Steve Storkan

Vice President

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Steve Storkan, EOX

Steve Storkan has been involved with employee stock ownership plans for over 25 years, most recently as the Director of ESOP Administration for Alerus Retirement and Benefits where he worked closely with businesses in the creation of an ESOP and the technical administration and compliance required in subsequent years.

Steve spent 11 years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota-Dakotas Chapter of the ESOP Association where also served as Chapter President and VP of Government Relations. Steve holds a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation from the University of Minnesota State Mankato.

Kjersti Cory

Chair

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Kjersti Cory, SCJ Fiduciary Services

Kjersti Cory currently serves as Senior Vice President in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Client Services group, focusing on managing client relationships and ESOP transactions.

Ms. Cory joined GreatBanc Trust Company in 2016. Prior to joining GreatBanc Trust, Ms. Cory opened the Illinois office of Bankers Trust Company ESOP Services. She has worked with employee-owned companies since the 1990s, providing trustee and ESOP transactional services to clients throughout the country. Ms. Cory’s experience includes the implementation of new ESOPs, second-stage ESOP transactions, redemption and sales transactions, mergers and acquisitions, as well as refinancing, restructuring, bankruptcy and liquidation transactions.

Ms. Cory earned a bachelor of science in business administration degree, with an emphasis on finance, from the University of Missouri, and a master of business administration from Quincy University. She is a member of the ESOP Association and its Administrative Advisory Committee. Ms. Cory is also a member of the National Center for Employee Ownership and the Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University.

Steve Ryan

Treasurer

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Steve Ryan, GreatBanc Trust

Steve serves as a Senior Vice President in the Client Services group at Greatbanc, focusing on managing client relationships and ESOP transactions. Throughout his career, he has acted as a trusted advisor to many privately-held companies to assist them in growth initiatives, business transitions and liquidity events. Steve has helped business owners transition their business via either an internal transition (ESOP/MBO/Family) or external (Strategic/PE/ Family Office). He has over 25 years of new business and banking experience with clients throughout the country. Steve has led commercial banking teams that interact with business owners and C-level executives of private and public companies.

Steve frequently presents on a variety of topics including board governance, ownership transition alternatives, financing ESOPs and capital allocation in a wide variety of venues including the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), The ESOP Association and The Private Directors Association.

Rich Armstrong

Secretary

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Rich Armstrong, Great Game of Business

Rich has more than 30 years of experience in improving business performance and employee engagement through open-book management and employee ownership, with service as a consultant and as an executive at SRC Holdings Corporation, a 38 Year Employee Owned Company and one of America's top 100 largest majority employee-owned companies. Rich also served as the President of The Great Game of Business for 16 years, where he co-authored the update to The Great Game of Business 20th Anniversary Edition and his new book ‘Get in the Game: Creating Rapid Financial Results and Lasting Cultural Change’ with Steve Baker.

Rich has been instrumental in the ongoing development of SRC Holdings Open-Book Management and Employee Ownership practices through practical, “first-hand” experience leading several of SRC’s business units. This experience has enabled him to successfully apply the practices of OBM and Employee Ownership in both small and large-scale company implementations around the world. Rich is a passionate advocate for employee ownership and its unique and proven approach to bridging the gap between the “haves and the have nots”.

Kristi Livingston

Board Member

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Kristi Livingston, University of Missouri

Kristi Livingston serves as Program Director for the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership (GICL) and the Missouri Institute of Cooperatives (MIC) at the University of Missouri. She has been affiliated with both programs since 1994. GICL provides research-informed learning programs for the leaders of agricultural cooperatives across the nation, with participation from international cooperatives. GICL marked its 50 year in May 2022.

MIC is a statewide membership association serving farm supply and marketing, farm credit and rural utility cooperatives to promote the cooperative form of business. MIC educates current and future cooperative leaders on differences compared to investor-owned firms regarding governance and performance measures. Prior experience includes: Regional Director, Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (VOCA); Agricultural Policy Analyst serving in the Executive Office of the President of the United States; Agricultural Coalitions Coordinator for presidential campaign, and various positions on congressional and campaign staff, including campaign manager. She earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Drake University.

Brendan Hurley

Board Member

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Brendan Hurley, AssuredPartners

Since 2015 Brendan has served as a senior advisor at AssuredPartners in the Employee Benefits division. AssuredPartners is one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing full-service benefits consulting and brokerage firms in the US. Brendan works with senior leadership teams to identify and implement cost containment strategies in regards to their wellness and retirement initiatives. ESOPs can make a huge impact to rounding out any employee benefits offering and Brendan’s unique perspective managing welfare and retirement plans for employers lends itself to advocacy around exploring what employee ownership can do for businesses in the private sector.

Brendan earned a bachelor of arts in communication from the University of Missouri. Brendan is currently involved with other civic organizations in his local community including Sedalia School District #200 Foundation and the AIA of Mid-Missouri.

Shaun McGehee

Board Member

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Shaun McGehee, Prairie Capital Advisors

Shaun McGehee joined Prairie Capital Advisors in 2004 and is a shareholder in the firm. He has extensive experience advising middle-market companies, shareholders and trustees on employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) transactions, fairness opinions, leveraged buyouts, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) and other strategic advisory engagements. Shaun is also instrumental in the training process for all employees on technical and strategic initiatives, both as part of the onboarding process and as employees advance in their careers at Prairie. Shaun is a member of the advisory committee for the Missouri Center for Employee Ownership (MOCEO).

Shaun frequently speaks at conferences, including those presented by Prairie as well as The ESOP Association and the National Center for Employee Ownership, on topics including valuation, ESOP transactions, transaction financing, fairness opinions, mature ESOP issues, management incentives and ownership transition planning.

In addition, in 2019, Shaun was recognized as a Top 40 Under Forty Honoree by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA).