Introduction

My name is Jenna Redel and I am running for re-election as your Boone County Treasurer in the November 5, 2024, election.

The work of the Boone County Treasurer’s Office is vitally important to the essential services provided by the offices that make up Boone County Government and that work needs to be done with high ethical standards and a commitment to transparency and accountability.

I have spent my time in office working to improve the safeguards and policies of the Boone County Treasurer’s Office to make sure that every investment decision the Treasurer makes is done for the benefit of the residents of Boone County.

Why I initially decided to run-

When I first ran for office in 2022, Boone County Government was in the middle of significant change. Many of the county’s long tenured officials had recently retired. Of the 13 elected officials that were in office in 2014 when I started with the county, only two (Commissioner Janet Thompson and Sheriff Dwayne Carey) are still in office today. I am the sixth Treasurer or Interim Treasurer to guide the Treasurer’s Office during the past 10 years. With that much turnover around the County and in the Treasurer’s Office, we need to make sure that we have well designed systems, effective safeguards, and comprehensive oversights in place to be able to continue to provide essential services and protect against potential problems. To put those measures in place, we need leadership that understands how our organization works and cares about process improvement and internal controls. 

My relevant experience-

During my ten years as a member of the leadership team in Boone County Government, I have worked closely with every office in our organization. Due in part to the way we are structured, it is not uncommon for issues to arise that don’t fall squarely into any one office’s silo. In those situations, I strive to be a utility player who leans in to help whenever and wherever I can. As a result, I have been involved in everything from evaluating financial records related to lost revenue reimbursement requests, to software evaluation, to strategic plan development.  I have had many wonderful and interesting opportunities to learn new things over the course of my career and those experiences always seem to build on themselves to open new doors to other ways I can be of service.  

I started my career in public service as a police officer in 2001. While still working as an officer & as a single mom of a 5th grader, I started law school at the University of Missouri. After four years, I received both my law degree and a Master of Business Administration degree. When I graduated, I became an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri. My caseload spanned everything from fighting Big Tobacco in the largest arbitration in U.S. history to suing investment companies for improperly withholding $22 million dollars of public employees’ pension funds. I learned a tremendous amount during my time at the AG’s Office and I also had many opportunities to use skills and knowledge I gained in my prior work and education while I was in that role.  

When I came to Boone County Government as their Director of Risk Management and Human Resources, I again had the opportunity to use my prior training and experience to benefit an organization that strives to accomplish important work. My legal experience helped me spot issues that the County needed to address and do the research necessary to make sure we follow the relevant rules and regulations. My experience in law enforcement has made me a better investigator and improved my ability to manage risk by spotting vulnerabilities and implementing safeguards. My business school experience helps me better understand the accounting involved in our budget system, and the finance involved in the treasury and the County’s pension and deferred compensation programs. My experience as a trial attorney has made me better able to be fully prepared for anything and still flexible enough to change my game plan when the situation requires it.  

Now, as the Boone County Treasurer, I get to use all of my prior experience and my extensive knowledge about the work that each county office does to improve the service that the Treasurer’s Office provides while also implementing guardrails and mandatory oversight that will require that every Treasurer who has the honor of serving the people of Boone County is transparent in their investments and accountable for the choices they make with you tax dollars.

My commitment to you-

I commit to you that I will continue to work hard and provide stable leadership in the Boone County Treasurer’s Office. I will ensure that the County’s funds are invested securely and ethically, and I will continue to utilize safeguards and checks and balances that allow the county to avoid mismanagement and corruption.