Dr. Tom Prater is no stranger to governing boards.
He’s currently a member of the Drury University Board of Trustees and the Arvest Bank Springfield Board of Directors, and in the past served as president of the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education and as a board member for Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Every Child Promise and Springfield Little Theatre. He’s also a founding board member of the Vision Rehabilitation Center of the Ozarks, which helps those experiencing vision loss to pay for care.
Now, he’s joining Springfield City Council.
An ophthalmologist who helped found Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center Inc., Prater was selected yesterday by vote for a vacant seat on the city’s governing body during a special council meeting, according to a news release. Springfield City Clerk Anita Cotter said the winning candidate required votes by five council members. Prater received exactly five from council members Ken McClure, Bob Stephens, Jan Fisk, Craig Fishel and Kristi Fulnecky.
Prater takes over the Zone 2 seat
left empty by Justin Burnett, who resigned early this month after moving from the district. Prater is slated to serve until the April 4, 2017, election, when voters will select a candidate to fill the remainder of Burnett’s term through April 2019.
A nine-year resident of the northeast Springfield Zone 2 district, Prater beat out seven other applicants for the council seat:
• Mike Brothers, director of media relations at Drury University;
• Jennifer Capler, emotional intelligence researcher and consultant for Reeves Business Consulting LLC;
• Jesse Coulter, an energy consultant specialist for Cenergistic;
• Michael Hines, a retired information technology professional;
• Kenneth Hopper, a retired Springfield Public Schools teacher and coach;
• Robert Sweere, the owner of the Robert M. Sweere LLC law firm; and
• David Trippe, a retired Nixa High School teacher.
