Kinder will be good fit for Delta Regional Authority

Peter Kinder, Missouri's former lieutenant governor, and a Cape Girardeau native was recently appointed to serve as alternate federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority.

The Delta Regional Authority is a big deal. It's a federally funded authority that represents 10 million people who reside in 252 counties in eight states.

The DRA, according to its website, makes "strategic investments of federal appropriations into the physical and human infrastructure" in the authority region. These funds go toward transportation, workforce development and for economic development purposes.

Kinder served three four-year terms as Missouri's lieutenant governor, ending in January. He also served three terms in the Missouri Senate.

The DRA is headquartered in Clarksdale, Mississippi, but Kinder said he will live in Cape Girardeau and travel as necessary.

According to reporting by Mark Bliss, Kinder said he had an opportunity to take other positions in the administration of President Donald Trump, but they would have required him to move to Washington, D.C. Instead, Kinder chose to stay home.

We offer our congratulations to Kinder for taking this role, and he will be a good fit. He will be comfortable working with state officials, including governors. He will be more than qualified to help guide the distribution of federal funds in smart ways.