February 9, 2023 - Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM) Board of Directors Chairman Emeritus Jerry M. Hunter was recognized by Missouri Lawyers Media with their "Influential Attorney" recognition at a luncheon today in St. Louis. Hunter serves as Senior Counsel at the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner law firm in St. Louis.
Hunter was recognized for his service as Chairman of the redistricting commission appointed by Governor Mike Parson in 2021 and tasked with redrawing district lines for the Missouri House of Representatives. The commission was made up of equal numbers of Republican and Democrat appointees that donated their time to the work of the commission. Not only was he successful in leading the commission to agree on a map, the vote was unanimous - the first time that has ever happened.
"This was the first time in more than 30 years that an agreement had been reached, and it was the first time in Missouri's history that a citizen redistricting commission had reached unanimous agreement," Hunter told Missouri Lawyers Media, sponsor of the award. "One of my challenges as chair was getting a bi-partisan group of individuals to realize that neither side was going to get everything they wanted. Once each side accepted the geographical data and the outline of the state's population, we worked on a compromise."
The map was eventually approved by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Parson.
"We have always appreciated Jerry Hunter's strong leadership qualities," said Ray McCarty, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Missouri. "Jerry has an ability to make everyone realize their opinions are important and valuable and then find compromise. He is not only a great business associate, he is a great friend to many of us and we congratulate him on receiving this honor."
Hunter served two terms as chairman of the AIM Board of Directors until November 2022 and now serves as Chairman Emeritus on the AIM Board of Directors. Hunter previously served on the St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners, as director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and as general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.