SECRETARY OF STATE COOK APPOINTS GREBING DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

JEFFERSON CITY -- Jim Grebing of Cape Girardeau, is among three staff members whose appointments were announced this week by Missouri Secretary of State Rebecca M. Cook.

Grebing, who has served political editor of the Southeast Missourian, will become Cook's communications director.

She also announced the hiring of Lin Appling as executive deputy secretary of state, and June Striegel Doughty as general counsel.

Appling, a retired lieutenant colonel who served 30 years in the U.S. Army, is director of facilities management for the Office of Administration. In that role he supervises a full-time staff of 242 employees and is responsible for all leased property acquired for the executive branch of government.

Doughty has spent the last few years working in the governmental affairs division of the attorney general's office, working closely with the secretary of state's office on personnel issues. Before coming to Jefferson City, she graduated first in her class from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and worked with the corporate and securities law department of the Linde Thomson law firm in Kansas City.

Grebing has worked with the Bulletin Journal and Southeast Missourian news department since March 1975. In recent years he has covered politics and county and state government. Over the last 11 years some of his reporting time has been spent in Jefferson City.

His articles have appeared in daily newspapers at Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Dexter and Kennett as well as Cape Girardeau.

The secretary of state's office has more than 220 employees in 15 divisions.

Cook was appointed secretary of state by Gov. Mel Carnahan on Dec. 16, after the Missouri Supreme Court voted to oust Judith Moriarty following an impeachment trial.

Cook is the first Cape Girardeau County resident to hold statewide office in 93 years.