Missouri Veterans Commission Commissioners

Commission Chair - Kelly McClelland

Kelly McClelland was elected Commission Chair. Mr. McClelland is the owner, president, and CEO of McClelland Law Firm in Liberty. He is an honorably discharged U.S. Army Veteran, who achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. His service includes time as an A-Team Commander and Battalion Commander (U.S. Army Special Forces), who served in Germany, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Mr. McClelland holds a BA with distinction from William Jewell College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law.

Meredith Knopp - Vice-Chair

Meredith Knopp was elected Vice-Chair. Ms. Knopp, who has been serving as a member of the commission since December 2017, served as a captain in the U.S. Army. She is a member of the Women's Army Corps Veterans Association and the Association of the United States Army. She is a co-founder of HEROES Care, a non-profit that provides support for Veterans and their families. She is the president and CEO of the St. Louis Area Foodbank. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from Michigan State University and has studied at Cambridge University.

Tim Smith

Tim Smith served as a Sergeant in the United States Army. He is an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran. His military awards include: Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (3); the USA/USAF Presidential Unit Citation; the Meritorious Unit Commendation; the National Defense Service Ribbon; the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; and the Army Service Ribbon. He is the owner and founder of Patriot Commercial Cleaning. He has been recognized as the Veteran Business Owner of the Year in Missouri and has hired over forty veteran employees. Smith holds a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Missouri - St. Louis and a master's degree in social work from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis.

Representative Dave Griffith

Representative Dave Griffith, a Republican, represents Cole County (District 60) in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2018.

Prior to his legislative duties, Griffith served as the executive director of the American Red Cross for six years. Griffith also served on the city council for Jefferson City. Prior to that, he spent 23 years working for KRCG TV in a variety of roles ranging from production to account executive.

Griffith served in the U.S. Army 8th Special Forces Group as a Green Beret.

Griffith is a member of the Kiwanis Club, Rotary International, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Easter Seals Association, Red Cross Board of Directors and the Special Olympics. He has been recognized with the Red Cross Heart of a Hero Award and an American Cancer Society Lifetime Achievement Award.

Griffith is a graduate of Missouri Southern State University.

Griffith resides in Jefferson City with his wife, Leigh. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Senator Steven Roberts

Senator Roberts, who represents District 5, in the City of St. Louis, is a fourth-generation St. Louis native and holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Communication Studies from the University of Miami and a law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. In addition to his legislative duties, Sen. Roberts serves as a Captain with the Missouri Air National Guard in the JAG Corps. The JAG Corps is an elite group of law professionals who provide a full range of legal services to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. He is also the managing partner of Roberts Law, LLC.