Wayne Wallingford calls new DOR director's job a 'perfect fit'

State Rep. Wayne Wallingford of Cape Girardeau (R-147) was in Iowa earlier this week visiting for the holidays when he got a call asking him to be in Jefferson City on Wednesday afternoon.

The veteran lawmaker was there, named by Gov. Mike Parson as the next director of the state Department of Revenue (DOR).

“I never even dreamed I’d be in the Legislature, let alone be on the governor’s Cabinet. There aren’t enough words to describe what an honor it is,” Wallingford said.

In making the announcement, Parson was effusive in his praise of Wallingford, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 25 years, was a combat navigator in Vietnam, worked for Pepsico’s Taco Bell division and who most recently has logged 11 years in the General Assembly.

“There is not a more dedicated public servant that I’ve ever met than Wayne Wallingford, and I look forward to him being part of the team,” said Parson, who previously served with Wallingford for four years in the state Senate.

Wallingford said the position was suggested to him once the previous DOR director, Ken Zellars, was made commissioner of the state’s Office of Administration.

“I looked at the job description, and it looked like the job was for me totally. It seemed a perfect fit,” he said.

Wallingford served as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in both the state House and Senate, responsible for tax policy.

“I’m familiar with the people in the House and Senate, with the directors of state agencies, and I’ve worked in executive positions with corporations.”

The legislator said his health is fine today following a November 2020 kidney transplant.

“I recently passed the first year anniversary of the surgery. I had a checkup earlier this month in St. Louis, and I get a blood check every month, and my results are falling in line really well,” he said.

Wallingford takes over a department with more than 1,100 state employees.

“I actually have a little more than 1,200 people I’m responsible for now with McDonald’s,” he said, a reference to Wallingford’s current role as chief people officer for the fast-food chain in Southeast Missouri.

He said he will step back into a consultant role with the company once he takes over at DOR next week.

In a news conference at Parson’s office, Wallingford said raising DOR fees will be a “last resort.”

Wallingford said absent a safety or regulatory emergency, he plans to take 90 days to settle into the role at DOR to get a good idea of how the organization is run.

“I don’t expect to make big changes right off the bat,” he said.

Wallingford’s resignation from the state House is effective at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s a great privilege to join the governor’s team, and I look at it as a God thing,” Wallingford said, adding he believes he is the first person from Southeast Missouri to serve on the gubernatorial Cabinet in more than a decade.