Directory

John Ortwerth

John is currently a property manager with Seldin Company, a property management company based in Omaha NE, which manages the Mark Twain Hotel Apartments in Hannibal and other entities in the area. His work history includes working as the Director of Property Management at Northeast Community Action Corp. (NECAC), a partner in a communication company based in Addison IL providing digital transcription services to Radio Common Carriers and Phone companies throughout the US. John also spent a dozen years as a Sales Engineer for Quintron in Quincy, then Glenayre Electronics, a Vancouver Canada based radio and control communications company performing sales in US and Internationally. John enjoys spending time with his grown daughters and grandchildren and looks forward to his involvement as a Board member.

Bill Fisher

William (Bill) Fisher was born and raised in Hannibal, and is a lifelong resident. Bill attended Hannibal High School and Hannibal LaGrange University. He studied Rubber Chemistry through Akron University. Bill is currently an operator for BASF. He spent a short period of time with JM Huber after leaving Buckhorn Rubber. Bill worked for Buckhorn for the past 33 years, where the last nine were spent as Production Manager. Bill and his family are members of Holy Family Church. Bill is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, Hannibal Boat Club, Community First Credit Union Board and has been on the Hannibal Board of Public Works Board of Directors since 2017. President of the NEMO Outdoors Club, Bill is a hunting, fishing, and boating enthusiast. He also enjoys woodworking and tinkering around his shop. Bill and his wife, Renee, have been married for 34 great years, and have two children, Ryan and his wife Whitney and Stephanie, and three grandchildren Joshalyn, Lawson and Susan.

Darrell McCoy

Kellie Cookson

Kellie Cookson, a cosmetologist for 25 years, is married to Jay Cookson. They have two children, Josh Cookson and Haylee and Glen Wiley, and 4 grandchildren, Elijah, Tobiah, Braxton, and Peyson. She is a 1999 graduate of Abbott Academy in Hannibal, MO. Kellie has served as a cosmetology instructor at Creative Image in Hannibal, MO for 4 years as well as Vatterott College in Quincy, IL for 5 years. She has also served as secretary for Cosmetology Illinois (CI). Currently, Kellie owns The Chop Shop and has been in business for 10 years. She has also been the owner of a commercial cleaning business, Auto Shine CCS, for 12 years. Kellie is a member of The Crossing Church and currently serves as a leader in K-5. In recent years, Kellie originated a community group, Hannibal 2 Oppose Chlorine (H2Oc) and brought forward proposition 1 to remove ammonia from the water originator. In her free time, Kellie enjoys reading, bible study groups, spending time with grandkids, swimming, bike riding, walks, and sleepovers.

Darrin Gordon

Darrin Gordon is the General Manager of the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Darrin previously worked for Lewes BPW that served the Lewes Delaware community located at the junction of the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. In his past work experience, he managed the electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities since May 2011 following two years as the Assistant General Manager of the Lewes Board of Public Works. Before his career in utility services, Gordon was employed by the State of Arizona Department of Corrections and Federal Bureau of Prisons. As a native of Miami, Arizona, Mr. Gordon holds a B.S in Natural Resource Management from Arizona State University and a Master of Administration from Northern Arizona University. He is married to his wife Marcie and has five children and two grandchildren.

Mathew Munzlinger

Mathew Munzlinger is Director of Operations for the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Mathew has been working for the HBPW since 2007, working as the Water and Wastewater Facilities Engineer for three years, and then as the Utility Planning and Construction Engineer. In 2002, Mathew earned his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a Minor in Mathematics at University of Missouri: Columbia in Columbia, Missouri and has been a registered Engineer in the state of Missouri since 2007. Mathew volunteers in a variety of local organizations. He has been a member of the Northeast Missouri Economic Development Council since 2014. He is an active member of the 1819 Hannibal Stream Team #4705 since 2013. Mathew is also active with the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers – Northeast Chapter where he sat as the vice president from 2011-2013, president from 2013-2015, an also served on the State Board of Directors.

Paul Trenhaile

Paul Trenhaile is the Finance Director for the Hannibal Board of Public Works after joining the team in September 2020. Paul attended Truman State University where he played baseball and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, a Master’s of Accountancy, and a Minor in Communication. Paul went on to obtain his CPA license upon graduation from Truman. Paul is a Hannibal native and is married to his high school sweetheart, Emma. He and Emma have three children, Andi, Bo, and Jordy. Paul enjoys playing and watching sports, hunting, discovering new trails to hike, and coffee.

Beverly Stewart

Beverly Stewart is currently the Human Resource Director for the HBPW. She has been with the Board for 19 years. Beverly is responsible for the function of Human Resources for the HBPW. Beverly holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Western Illinois University. She has been a member of the Society of Human Resource Management since 1998, an Employee Benefit Trust Board Member since 2000, and the Missouri Vice President for Tri-State Health Care Coalition since 2015. Beverly earned her Advanced Certification membership from the American Payroll Association in 2005, Employer Equal Opportunity Commission Certifications since 2001, and held a Life & Health Insurance License. Beverly has 26 years of experience in Human Resources, including recruitment/talent management, payroll, HR systems administration, workers compensation, training & development and compliance.

Matthew Jones

Known for his critical decision making skills and the ability to achieve desired results, Matthew Jones offers a unique blend of professional expertise, IT solutions, and practical knowledge to the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Matthew has over two decades of professional experience in the IT industry and has been focused in the municipal utility arena since his start with HBPW in 2002. His skills in communication, planning, and development have aided in transforming the HBPW into one of the area’s municipal utility leaders by spearheading improvements to existing GIS and CIS functions as well as successfully implementing Automated Meter Reading. His skills in coordinating with various contractors and field personnel, developing numerous methods of reporting and training, and working directly with vendor support staff have proven to be invaluable and attribute to the overall success of any project he is involved with. He continues to strive for improvement in all areas under his supervision and participates as one of several internal advisors on various projects. Prior to joining the Hannibal Board of Public Works, Matthew’s professional career included a five year role at BASF in the areas of user and desktop support, network administration, and telecommunications. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Data Processing from Hannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal, Missouri.

Erica Mitchell

Erica Mitchell is the Coordinator of Customer & Community Relations for the Hannibal Board of Public Works (HBPW). She joined the utility in April 2023. The primary responsibilities in her role include, but are not limited to, directing all internal and external communications and developing and maintaining professional relationships with local community groups, the media, and key customer accounts. Erica comes to the HBPW with nine years of professional work experience ranging from the broadcast media industry, specifically in radio and television media, to higher education recruitment and marketing as well as human resource management in the manufacturing and healthcare industries. Erica graduated in spring 2020 with a Master of Arts degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management online through Golden Gate University. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with functional knowledge in the fields of interpersonal and organizational communication from Western Illinois University in spring 2013.

Jamie Thompson

Jamie Thompson is the Human Resource Coordinator for the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Jamie previously spent the last 11.5 years working as an operator for General Mills. During her time there she was a member of several safety and employee engagement teams/committees that helped drive her down the path of Human Resources. Jamie graduated in April 2022 with her Bachelor of Science in Business with a certificate in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix. In May 2024, Jamie became a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). Jamie loves to run and exercise. In her free time, she enjoys trout and bow fishing with her family. Jamie is also newly married. She and her husband are very busy raising four children; Eli (9) Noah (7) Elleanor (4) and Nolan (2).

Zane Kapocsi

Zane Kapocsi is the Information Technology Technician at the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Zane comes to HBPW from the Polk County (FL) Board of County Commissioners where he supervised an IT team focused on enterprise and systems architecture. Previously, he was the Systems Analyst for the Polk County Utilities water division. Zane holds a B.S. in Information Technology from the University of South Florida where he focused on Software Engineering and Cybersecurity. He is married to his best friend, and they have three amazing children, one insane dog, and a cat that thinks she runs the house.

Courtney Harris

Courtney Harris is the Administrative Support Specialist for the Hannibal Board of Public Works. She has been with the utility since 2013. Courtney brings a vast amount of expertise to her job. She was the Western School District Superintendent’s Administrative Assistant, High School Secretary and Board of Education Secretary from 2010-2013, James E. Cary Cancer Center Administrative Assistant, and the Organizational Learning Secretary at Hannibal Regional Hospital from 2006 to 2010. Some of Courtney’s responsibilities include preparing agendas and arranging regular and special meetings of the HBPW Board of Directors, maintaining current property and vehicle lists, scheduling all travel arrangements for employees, and gathering and submitting all information for the RP3 program through APPA. Courtney attended John Wood Community College and Western Illinois University for two years. Throughout her career, Courtney has dedicated many hours of training in her field of administrative duties including customer service and administrative professionals’ seminars.

Kathleen Robertson

Kathleen Robertson is the Accounting Assistant for the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Kathleen started at the Board in 2014 as a Customer Service Representative. Her current duties include daily bookkeeping, reconcile and verify invoices, as well as processing vendor payments. Kathleen grew up in Hannibal and attended Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. She is the proud Mom of Austin who will soon graduate from UMKC with a degree in Business. Kathleen enjoys reading and spending time with family. She also enjoys helping out at the family’s business, the Mark Twain Riverboat.

Cindy Price

Cynthia (Cindy) Price is the Hannibal Board of Public Works Senior Billing Analyst. Cindy was hired to the HBPW in July 1994 as the Billing Clerk and has stayed in that position until recently, when she was promoted to Senior Billing Analyst. Cindy is responsible for obtaining all meter readings each month and generating all customer bills. She works closely with the HBPW meter technician for all meter related reports, and processes all outstanding service orders. Cindy is also responsible for processing all automatic payments, commercial and industrial water adjustments, power factor, net metering process, and inter-departmental bills. Cindy’s dedication, thorough knowledge of the job, and ability to work well with others earned her the title of 2014 Employee of the Year, just two years after the program was created. Cindy participates in a variety of continued education classes throughout the year that keep her up-to-date on the latest trends of utility billing and service order processing.

Emily Dexheimer

Emily Dexheimer is the Customer Service Supervisor for the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Hired in 2010 as a Customer Service Representative, Emily is skilled in customer support and is responsible for developing and strengthening customer and vendor relationships at all levels, based on professionalism and trust.

Jared Stewart

Jared Stewart is the Electric Line Superintendent for the Hannibal Board of Public Works. He is responsible for maintaining Hannibal’s approximately 120 miles of electric lines, six substations, and more than 1,700 streetlights. Jared has over 17 years of experience in electric distribution and has been a vital part of enhancing the city’s reliability through the installation of mid-circuit reclosers, installing new squirrel guards in dense foliage areas, and initiating an aggressive pole replacement program. During his career, Jared has been responsible for various storm restoration efforts including an EF-1 tornado directly hitting the City of Hannibal in 2013, resulting in over 8,000 Hannibal customers losing power. Jared attended Pratt Community College in Pratt, Kansas for two years, and was a Lineman for the Hannibal Board of Public Works from 2001 to 2009 until he became the Electric Line Superintendent in 2010 until present day. Jared chaired the Transmission and Distribution Committee for the American Public Power Association’s E&O Conference in 2014 and 2015, and was also an American Public Power Association RP3 member during this same time.

Quintin Schmohe

Quintin Schmohe is the Water Distribution Supervisor for the Hannibal Board of Public Works. He started with the BPW in 2003 as a multi-utility helper. Quintin became the water distribution foreman in 2015 and the Supervisor in 2023. Quintin is responsible for maintaining Hannibal’s approximately 157 miles of water mains and services, 900 fire hydrants, 8000 water meters, 7 water towers, and 4 pump stations. Quintin and his wife Mendy have four children and one grandson.

Lance Kendrick

Lance Kendrick is originally from New Canton, Illinois and grew up spending lots of time in Hannibal where he has many family members and friends. Lance and his wife have been married since 2012 and have 4 children. Lance received his bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University in 2009 and started his career in public works as the City Administrator of Barry, Illinois in 2012. His hobbies include spending time with his children, boating on the Mississippi, hunting, basketball, golf, and disc golf.

Mark Hickerson

Mark Hickerson is the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Department Supervisor, Safety Coordinator, and Purchasing Agent for the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Mark has worked for the HBPW since 1992, where he worked as the company’s first SCADA Operator for 15 years, and then transitioned to the SCADA Supervisor/Purchasing Agent/Safety Coordinator. Prior to his employment with the HBPW, Mark was the Watch Supervisor and Detective for the Hannibal Police Department. He has also worked as Parts Manager for Little Jess AMC/Jeep where he earned a Parts Management Training certificate, and was the Bridge & Building, Engine Hostler for Burlington Northern Railroad. Mark completed his Associates degree in Law Enforcement at Hannibal-LaGrange University, and attended University of Missouri in Columbia for two years completing Law Enforcement and Forestry course work. Mark also attended the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy, DEA Undercover Drug Enforcement School, and FBI SWAT Operations Academy where he earned numerous law enforcement certificates.

Alex Dunker

Alex Dunker grew up just across the river in Hull, IL. After he graduated high school, he attended Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL followed by SIUE. Alex graduated in 2012 with dual undergraduate degrees in both Physics and Civil Engineering. Once he completed college, he was later employed by MECO Engineering Company, where he worked for nearly 8 years. While at MECO, Alex performed a variety of work including design and project management of water and wastewater projects. In 2017, he married Stephanie, whom he met while attending college in Jacksonville. Alex is a proud father of 2 children: Annelynn and Henry. Alex enjoys hunting, fishing, training bird dogs, and spending time with his family.

Joe Darnell

Joseph Darnell is the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Technician for the Hannibal Board of Public Works, and is responsible for creating the new storm water utility data and mapping system as well as updating and maintaining the water, sewer, and electric utility systems with GIS and GPS technologies. Prior to his current position, Joe was a SCADA Technician for the HBPW for two years. Joe has previous surveyor and GIS experience working for Poepping Stone Bach and Associates and was a GIS Manager for Midwest GIS.