On Wednesday, July 11th, Governor Mike Parson hosted a press conference at the State Capitol where he announced Dru Buntin as the new Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
"Dru is an experienced and trusted leader within DNR and across state governments. He worked closely with Director Comer during her illness and stepped up to be a steady hand of leadership upon her passing,” said Parson. “We are confident in Dru's abilities to lead DNR, and we look forward to seeing him implement his vision and ideas."
Buntin previously served as the Deputy Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for more than four years. In 2000 he was named Director of Government Affairs and later advanced to Deputy Director for Policy and Chief of Water Resources.
Following his previous positions Buntin became the Executive Director of the Upper Missouri River Basin Association in 2013, before rejoining DNR in 2017.
With these collective positions Buntin has more than 15 years experience with DNR and more than 20 years experience in Missouri state government.
Additionally, Buntin lead the Department's Red Tape Reduction initiative, a project to gather feedback from the local business community, navigating regulatory business requirments.
Buntin has worked closely with the late Director Carol Comer to strengthen partnerships with Missouri businesses, citizens, and communities to assist with and promote compliance with Missouri's environmental laws and regulations.
Upon the Governor's announcement, Buntin expressed his gratitude towards the new opportunity.
“I am honored and humbled to be appointed by Governor Parson to serve as the new Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources,” said Buntin. “Five generations of my family have lived in Missouri, and I love this state. We have a great team at DNR, and I’m excited about what we can accomplish working together with communities across Missouri.”
Buntin’s position is effective immediately.
