Rust named to youth services board

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Jon Rust of Cape Girardeau has been appointed to the Division of Youth Services Advisory Board, which provides oversight for state juvenile facilities and programs.

Rust said working with kids has always been high among his interests. He had previously taught weekly classes at the Cape Girardeau Community Center and also serves on the board of directors for the Area Wide United Way.

"Hopefully, I can bring some local perspective on how the Division of Youth Services can cut down on some of its bureaucracy," Rust said. "But I go in with listening and with an open mind to try to understand everything that's going on."

Rust, 34, is co-president of Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian and a number of other newspapers in several states. He holds a degree in English literature and Russian language from the University of North Carolina and is also a graduate of Harvard University's business school.

He replaces Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle as one of Southeast Missouri's two representatives on the board. The other is Stoddard County Associate Circuit Judge Joe Z. Satterfield.

The 15 members of the panel are chosen by the director of the Department of Social Services with the consent of the governor. They serve four-year terms.

Mark Steward, the director of the Division of Youth Services, said Missouri Supreme Court Justice Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., a former board member, recommended Rust for the position.

"We are excited to have Jon on there," Steward said. "It is a great board and has done a lot of important things for kids in this state."

Strong influence

Steward, who hails from Poplar Bluff, Mo., said Missouri is recognized as a national leader in its handling of troubled youth.

"The biggest reason for that is this strong advisory board and the influence they've had with the governor and the Legislature," Steward said.

Steward said among the primary functions of the board are to work with state elected officials to get ample funding for the division's programs and gather related input from the public.

Last summer the division conducted a three-year follow-up on juveniles who had been in state youth programs. Steward said the study found that only 5 percent of those juveniles ended up in prison.

"That's a 95 percent success rate," Steward said. "That's just excellent results and far exceeds any other state in the country."

mpowers@semissourian.com

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