Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller named ‘Sunshine Hero’ for government transparency
Helen Saulnier 
Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller is getting celebrated as a “Sunshine Hero” by the Missouri Sunshine Coalition for his commitment to govt transparency.
Missouri’s Sunshine Regulation permits normal people today to obtain access to public assembly and documents of govt institutions in the point out. The Missouri Sunshine Coalition this yr is honoring three “Sunshine Heroes,” which include Schoeller, who have “embraced the law and the benefit it holds for citizens across the point out.”
“The coalition went in search of people today and companies who comprehend the Sunshine Legislation is important to setting up rely on in federal government by ensuring the general public has access to the records and deliberations of community governmental bodies,” claimed Executive Director Dennis Ellsworth in a statement.
Schoeller very first was elected county clerk for Greene County in 2014 and is finishing his next four-calendar year term in business office. In this function, he also serves as the county’s main elections officer.
His nomination to the Sunshine Coalition noted his business office is “extremely accessible to the general public and news media trying to get entry to public information” and he has “taken the initiative to host Sunshine Legislation workshops to assist with promoting compliance with the law.”
In a assertion to the Information-Leader, Schoeller mentioned he was “really honored” and “shocked” to be named a Sunshine Hero.
“I am also pretty shocked by this honor, being aware of myself and each individual crew member of the place of work is undertaking what we need to normally be carrying out as we serve the public when they are trying to get information and facts through the Sunshine legislation. Furnishing that information and facts is critical to all we do to be accountable to them,” Schoeller mentioned.
“As I figured out early on in lifestyle, it is not likely above and further than to do your work right and do it nicely. I am very pleased however, that we are fulfilling every ask for in these kinds of a way that it is appreciated and remaining seen as excellent operate. I in particular want to give credit rating to the business workforce for this recognition, realizing how diligently they get the job done in satisfying each individual ask for when it is designed.”
Schoeller’s introduction to community assistance can be traced to receiving a bachelor of science in political science from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, followed by stints operating for U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft and U.S. Sen. Kit Bond. He afterwards was a legislative assistant to then-U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt and chief administrative aide to Missouri Secretary of Condition Matt Blunt, in which he explained he produced “a passion for good, obtainable, transparent and accountable elections.”
Ahead of election to county clerk, Schoeller served in the Missouri Residence of Associates from a district masking elements of northern Greene County, which include the town of Springfield. His time in the Residence involved roles as the second-position Republican and briefly as the presiding speaker when the preceding business holder resigned. He was elected to the Property in 2006 and served until eventually just after the 2012 election, when he was an unsuccessful Republican nominee for Missouri secretary of point out.
At one Sunshine Law workshop he hosted in 2017, Schoeller said he believed many Sunshine Legislation violations could be traced to lack of training.
“When a Sunshine Law violation occurs, it is not not likely that it transpired because of to unfamiliarity with the legislation and its suitable implementation,” he mentioned. “We imagine this workshop as a way to force previous the legalese to bring about better knowing of our obligations as governing administration bodies.”
“It’s also a exceptional prospect to get federal government and community info people in a home with customers of the media to establish a dialogue to support ensure each the intent and spirit of the Sunshine Regulation are upheld.”
The coalition also honored non-income newsroom the Missouri Impartial and Platte County resident Jason Maki as Sunshine Heroes. An awards ceremony honoring the three recipients will take location on Sept. 17.
This article at first appeared on Springfield Information-Chief: Greene County Clerk named ‘Sunshine Hero’ for govt transparency
