Meet Lucas

Faith and Family:

Husband to Sarah, a former public-school teacher and breast cancer survivor, and proud father of four children: Joseph, Lucas Jr, Samuel, and Mary.
Born in 1981 and baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson.
Raised in Crump, MO, in rural Cape Girardeau County, with his five sibling Amy, Andrew, David, Sarah, and Jason.
Served as a summer missionary in Nicaragua in 2002 and 2004 with the American Baptists managing construction and assisting teams of visiting missionaries.
Active at Immaculate Conception in Jackson and currently serves as parish council president.
Serves as a chaperone for youth events and teaches adult and 2nd-grade Sunday school, while his wife teaches 5th and 6th grade Sunday school.
Life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and member of the American Legion.

Education:

Played Basketball and Baseball at Delta High School
Graduated from the University of Missouri with a Geography, BA, and a Mathematics Minor.
Received a Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering from Colorado State University
Earned a Project Management Professional Certification in 2012 managing diverse projects in many industries.

Military:

Joined the Missouri Army National Guard at 17, dedicating 11 years to service.
Trained as a Combat Engineer, Heavy Equipment Operator, and Topographic Engineer
Deployed post-9/11 to the 2002 Winter Olympics for armed security duties.
Deployed to Iraq for 16 months in 2003/04 as a Heavy Equipment Sergeant receiving an Army Commendation Medal.
Deployed with the Missouri National Guard for Hurricane Katrina relief in 2005.

Professional:

Advanced from a technician to program director in 15 years in the technology sector, specializing in Information Systems consultancy, data analysis, and project management for:

Military Ranges
International Weapons Safety
Agriculture
Health Care (HIPAA Compliance)
Facilities Management
State Government
Emergency Response, and more.

Part of the corporate leadership team and directed development in new technology and business lines.
In 2020, bought Sikeston Trade Fair from his retiring uncle and operates the business with his wife Sarah.

My Motivation:

I am seeking the role of District 146 Representative with a genuine, committed desire to make a lasting impact. Throughout my military service and consulting career, my focus has always been on serving and enhancing the situations I found myself in. Colleagues frequently recognize me as a problem solver adept at efficiently and expertly guiding stakeholders to achieve mutual goals. I am eager to apply this experience to serving our district. If elected, I will represent us with thoughtfulness and integrity while working to help our community and state thrive.

Rooted in my Christian faith, I stand firm on those principles. With a robust foundation of knowledge and experience, I am poised to navigate the delicate balance between preserving traditional ways of life and embracing the societal challenges posed by evolving technologies. I envision a district where businesses thrive, the sanctity of life is respected, traditional values are upheld, and we seamlessly integrate technological advancements for the benefit of current and future generations. Together, let's build a future that harmonizes our cherished traditions with the demands of progress.