The monument sign at the entrance to the Springfield Daily Citizen on the Missouri State University campus. (Photo by Shannon Cay)

David Stoeffler, President and Chief Executive Officer

David Stoeffler

David Stoeffler has more than 40 years experience in the news business, including four years as executive editor of the Springfield News-Leader (2010 to 2014). In Springfield, he worked collaboratively with the community to address issues, most notably through the Every Child public-service journalism project. Before returning to Springfield and buying a home in the University Heights neighborhood, David served seven years as executive director of the La Crosse (Wis.) Public Education Foundation. He has a daughter and granddaughter who live in Colorado. Read: Why local news brought me back to Springfield.

Senior Staff

Rance Burger, Managing Editor

Rance Burger

Rance Burger was named managing editor of the Daily Citizen in April 2023. Previously he was the Daily Citizen local government reporter, and he has covered a mixture of news, government, crime, business and sports along different stops in Missouri for 15 years. He also was Editor of the Christian County Headliner News. Rance grew up in Pryor, Oklahoma, and holds a bachelor of journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is inspired daily by his wife, Ashley. Read: Why I’m excited to be the next managing editor of the Springfield Daily Citizen

Darby Bowler, Office Manager

Darby Bowler (Photo by Shannon Cay)

Darby Bowler moved to Springfield as a child and has resided here most of her life. Darby graduated from Drury University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication and Development. She has over 30 years of experience in office and operations management and is enthusiastic about being part of the Springfield Daily Citizen team. She is married to Tim and has one son, Evan. She and Tim enjoy exploring the Ozarks, and spending time with family, and are avid Disney World/Land fans.

John Tate, Partnership Sales Manager

John Tate

John Tate was raised in the Ozarks and has called the region “home” for the past 30 years. He grew up in rural Mount Vernon, Missouri, and later moved to Springfield, where he is building his career. John has more than 10 years of marketing experience working in local media, including at the Springfield News-Leader and KOLR10. He is active in his church, enjoys all the outdoors has to offer, and treasures his bride, Jessica Tate. John believes that we are blessed to live in one of the best parts of the world; he cannot imagine living, working or raising a family anywhere else.

Zee Herzog, Subscription Sales Manager

Zee Herzog

Zee Herzog comes to the Springfield Daily Citizen with more than 15 years experience in the communications field. After graduating with a journalism degree from Missouri State University in 2009, Herzog spent some time as a news reporter and magazine editor before branching out into government and nonprofit leadership roles. Most recently, Herzog has served as a digital marketing consultant, honing skills in data analysis and sales that will prove valuable to their position as Subscription Sales Manager. A native of Northwest Arkansas, Herzog can often be found enjoying Springfield’s hiking trails, reading at a corner table of a downtown coffee shop, or walking very briskly behind their rollerskating 11-year-old on Commercial Street.

Carlie Minter, Marketing and Development Manager

Carlie Minter (Photo by Shannon Cay)

Originally from Neosho, Missouri, Carlie Minter has spent the last 10 years in Springfield and considers it home.  After receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Missouri State University, she started building her 10-year career in nonprofit management. Carlie has worked for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, yet her favorite nonprofit experiences have been those that help Springfield locally. When Carlie is not at work, she can be found dancing to live music, working in her garden, and playing with her two boys.

News staff

Jeff Kessinger, Reader Engagement Editor

Jeff Kessinger

Jeff Kessinger covered sports in southwest Missouri for the better part of 20 years, from young athletes to the pros. The Springfield native and Missouri State University alumnus is thrilled to be doing journalism in the Queen City, helping connect the community with important information. He and wife Jamie daily try to keep a tent on the circus that is a blended family of five kids and three cats. Read: Meet Jeff Kessinger, your connection to the Daily Citizen newsroom

Steve Pokin, Springfield Life Columnist

Steve Pokin

Steve Pokin has covered just about everything over the years at papers in Illinois, New York, California and Missouri. He also has penned two novels (unpublished, but not for lack of trying), short stories and plays. His play “Room at the Inn” has been staged twice, by two different organizations in the St. Louis area. He likes to run and created a summer fitness program for kids in Springfield called “Run for Fun.” He makes funny videos. He is married to Kemery Baldwin. They live in Springfield, as does their son. His lawn mower, Hadley, lives in the shed. Read: What it’s like working for Springfield’s news startup

Jackie Rehwald, Public Safety and Courts Reporter

Jackie Rehwald

Jackie Rehwald graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has more than 15 years of experience as a journalist. She is from Doniphan, Missouri, and worked as a reporter for the Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff. In Springfield, she reported for the News-Leader for nearly 10 years and covered social causes issues including homelessness, domestic violence and the child welfare system. She and her husband have a son in Springfield Public Schools. Read: What reporter Jackie Rehwald will tell you about Springfield

Shannon Cay, Visual Journalist

Shannon Cay

Shannon Cay, a Kansas City transplant, is the Daily Citizen’s visual journalist, leading efforts around photo, graphics and video for the whole newsroom. Cay also manages the events calendar and obituaries. She joined the Citizen from Carbon Trace Productions, a nonprofit film studio in Springfield, where she served as executive director.

Cay obtained her degree in Broadcast Journalism from Missouri State University, worked as a reporter at KTTS and KSMU in Springfield, and as the news director for Earl’s Family Broadcasting in Branson. Cay adores spending time in a crowd and coming home to her partner, two dogs, and four cats.

Jack McGee, Government Affairs Reporter

Jack McGee

Jack McGee is the government affairs reporter at the Springfield Daily Citizen. He previously covered politics and business for the Daily Citizen. He’s an MSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and a minor in political science. Meet our latest full-time hire, Jack McGee

Joe Hadsall, Education Reporter

Joe Hadsall

Joe Hadsall is a business reporter for the Springfield Daily Citizen. He joined the staff in May 2023. Hadsall has more than two decades of experience reporting in the Ozarks with the Joplin Globe, Christian County Headliner News and 417 Magazine.

Ryan Collins, Business Reporter

Ryan Collins

Ryan Collins is the business and economic development reporter for the Springfield Daily Citizen. Collins grew up in the Ozarks, graduating from Glendale High School in 2011 before studying journalism and economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He previously worked for Bloomberg News and the Saint Louis Business Journal.

Blythe Spindler-Richardson, Student Coordinator/Social Media Specialist

Blythe Spindler-Richardson

Blythe Spindler-Richardson spearheads Enhancing Student Citizenship Through Media, a grant-funded project intended to help shape traditional news media to be more inclusive of younger generations. She is also the primary content creator for the Daily Citizen’s Instagram and a contributor to the TikTok and YouTube accounts.

Blythe returned to Springfield after graduating from NYU Tisch and has previously worked in the entertainment industry for production companies such as Netflix and Millennium Media. A few of her passions include the arts, spending time with her cats Clementine and Esther, and over-analyzing the cultural significance of memes.