An Oakville man is among three people appointed to the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority by Gov. Jay Nixon.
M. Zane Yates, a Republican from Oakville, was appointed along with Bruce Thomas Sommer, a Democrat from Glendale, and Edward J. Tabash, a Republican from St. Louis City.
The authority oversees financing, design and construction of the Edward Jones Dome stadium/convention center and administers annual preservation funding in accordance with state statute, bylaws and bond indentures.
Yates is the senior director of business development for the Centene Corp. He served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 1990 to 1996 and was the assistant Republican floor leader. Yates earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri and his law degree from Florida State University. The governor has appointed him for a term ending May 31, 2016.
Sommer retired in 2009 after serving for 18 years as the senior vice president of the Saint Louis Convention and Visitors Commission and as director of America’s Center. He is a past alderman of the city of St. Louis and served as a member of the cabinet of St. Louis Mayor Vincent Schoemehl Jr. from 1984 to 1991. Sommer is a veteran of the U.S. Army and obtained his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of MissouriSt. Louis. The governor has appointed him for a term ending May 31, 2018.
Tabash is retired as a partner from MRCT — Benefits Plus, a St. Louis business that provides employee benefits. He began Benefits Plus in 1992, and it later merged with Maher Rosenheim Comfort Tabash to become MRCT-Benefits Plus. Tabash previously was a vice president of marketing for Blue Cross Blue Shield. He is a graduate of St. Louis University. The governor has appointed him for a term ending May 31, 2018.