Two Department Deputy Directors, Three Division Directors Join Executive Team
New leaders are at the helm of the Missouri Department of Corrections. Director Anne Precythe and Deputy Director Matt Sturm retired from long careers in public service in late 2023, and Division of Probation & Parole Director Julie Kempker retired from her role Feb. 1, 2024, after 37 years with the department. The changes have precipitated a reshuffling of leadership, with accomplished, longtime members of the corrections family moving into key roles on the executive team.
Who's Doing What:
Acting Director Trevor Foley
Trevor Foley is Acting Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Foley began his career with the department as a budget analyst in January 2000 and had been promoted to budget analyst III by May 2001. In August 2008, he accepted a position with the Missouri State Senate as an appropriations analyst, promoting to assistant director of the Senate Appropriations Staff Office in July 2015. Foley left the Senate and returned to the Department of Corrections as the director of budget and finance in August 2018. In this role, he was instrumental in securing $175 million in pay raises for Missouri Department of Corrections staff and guiding departmental budget priorities through the legislative process. In December 2023, Governor Mike Parson named Foley acting director of the department. Foley holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Columbia College.
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Deputy Director Travis Terry
Travis Terry is deputy director of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Before taking this position in December 2023, Terry served as the director of the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI). Terry began his career with the department in October 2010 as a vocational education supervisor and has served as education supervisor, administrator of Missouri Vocational Enterprises and both deputy director and director of the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services (DORS). Throughout his career, he has strived to provide a safe, secure and humane environment in which staff members enjoy coming to work and evidence-based practices are used to break the cycle of recidivism, thus improving lives for safer communities. Terry holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration-management from the University of Missouri.
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Deputy Director Valarie Moseley
Valarie Moseley is deputy director of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Before taking this position in December 2023, Moseley served as director of the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services (DORS) for the department, a role in which she and her team launched Reentry 2030, making Missouri the first state in the U.S. to join the national initiative. Moseley previously served as the assistant division director for employee health and safety in the department’s Division of Human Services (DHS), developing a model for employee care and trauma response and playing an instrumental role in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Moseley also has extensive executive leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector, with a strong professional background in organizational transformation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration from William Woods University.
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Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services Director Annie Herman
Annie Herman is director of the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services (DORS).
Herman began her employment with the department in November 2008 as a corrections case manager at Algoa Correctional Center (ACC). She became a functional unit manager in August 2012, first at ACC and then at Fulton Reception & Diagnostic Center (FRDC) and Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC). Herman joined the Central Office team as reentry coordinator in January 2017 and then promoted to employee relations specialist in June 2019. She became Division of Adult Institutions programs administrator in April 2020 before joining the Division of Offender Rehabilitation Services team in July 2021, serving first as assistant division director for reentry and educational services and now as division director. Herman holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and political science from the University of Kansas.
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Division of Adult Institutions Director Myles Strid
Myles Strid is director of the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI).
Strid began his career with the department in 2009 as a correctional officer at Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC). He served as a sergeant and lieutenant at Fulton Reception & Diagnostic Center (FRDC) from 2012 to 2016 and as a captain and major at JCCC from 2016 to 2019. In May 2019, Strid joined the Central Office team as assistant security administrator in the Security Intelligence Unit (SIU). He then returned to custody work, taking positions as deputy warden at JCCC in 2020 and as warden at Moberly Correctional Center (MCC) in 2022. In August 2023, Strid was named deputy division director for security in the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI) before being promoted to his current position in December 2023. Strid holds an associate's degree in criminal justice from Columbia College.
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Division of Probation & Parole Director John Mosley
John Mosley is director of the Division of Probation and Parole (P&P).
Mosley joined the Missouri Department of Corrections in September 2010 as a probation and parole officer at the Rolla satellite office in Steelville. He was reclassified to a probation and parole officer II in September 2011 and was promoted to unit supervisor in the Division of Probation and Parole in March 2014, overseeing the Command Center. Mosley became deputy division director for the Division of Probation and Parole in January 2018. He was appointed director of the division in February 2024.
Mosley holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Missouri Southern State University.
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Jennifer Moden, institutional activity coordinator for Western Reception, Diagnostic & Correctional Center (WRDCC), is employee of the month for November 2023.
Moden supports the department by filling in where she is needed. In addition to managing her own IAC duties, she has helped to facilitate chapel activities and the Puppies for Parole (P4P) program for WRDCC while also traveling to another site to lend a hand when an IAC position was vacant.
In WRDCC Restorative Justice, Moden has reactivated long-dormant fundraisers, expanded the prison garden, and launched a soda tab collection campaign to benefit Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City. She serves as a role model for all staff in both building better resident programming and contributing to the community.
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Jennifer Liebi, quality control coordinator and Puppies for Parole (P4P) coordinator for the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI), is employee of the month for December 2023.
Liebi is a passionate proponent of positive programming. She has been instrumental in returning Puppies for Parole to a place of prominence in the Department of Corrections. She has updated related policies, created new trainings, and built strong relationships with facilities, staff, participants and supporters — while simultaneously boosting the program's public image.
Liebi also has assumed responsibility for monitoring the accuracy of information about residents' completed courses recorded in MOCIS, the department's digital management tool, helping to ensure records are up to date and staff have the right information at the right time, empowering them to effectively help residents.
Liebi is an inspiration to peers and residents.
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Rachael Kelley, a sergeant at Chillicothe Correctional Center, is employee of the month for January 2024.
Kelley is the embodiment of professionalism in corrections. As a housing unit sergeant, she works efficiently and effectively to keep operations running smoothly and maintains a positive attitude in stressful situations. She is an innovator who regularly proposes and implements strategies for continuous improvement. She also is a reliable teammate with a strong work ethic who mentors other officers, builds respect and rapport on her team, and actively makes herself available to help — whether filling in where needed, assisting third-shift officers, or providing guidance to newer staff.
Kelley has gone out of her way to support the team. She helped streamline the transition of operations from Western Missouri Correctional Center (WMCC) to Crossroads Correctional Center (CRCC), wrote a guide to help staff newly promoted to sergeant positions, and has served on the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Kelley stands as a model of excellence.
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Morgan Yarnell Leads Transformative Approach to Offender Management
The Missouri Department of Corrections has established a position for supporting a trauma-informed environment for residents while ensuring the safety of staff. The department aims to develop a system-wide approach that reduces instances of re-traumatization for residents during their time in Missouri state custody.
Morgan Yarnell has been named manager of trauma-informed transformation for offenders in the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services. A licensed clinical social worker, Yarnell works closely with institutional staff and leadership to integrate the principles of trauma-informed care into the work of MODOC facilities.
Yarnell previously worked for the University of Missouri, providing trauma therapy for children and families. Prior to that role, Yarnell served as a qualified mental health professional at Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC).
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New Program Empowers Residents to Help Peers
The department has launched an Institutional Peer Support (IPS) program for Missourians incarcerated in state prisons. The IPS program provides an opportunity for residents who are currently successful in incarceration to serve as peer supports helping those who struggle with substance use, behavioral health and other issues. Residents apply to become institutional peer supports and receive training from the Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services reentry and education team. Recovery for people with behavioral health challenges is bolstered through a supportive system among those with similar backgrounds. Residents who have experienced mental illness, substance use disorders and trauma have a unique capacity to support one another. By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peers help residents to develop their own goals, create strategies for self-improvement, and take concrete steps toward improved institutional behavior.
 The State of Missouri has launched a new Statewide Employee Referral Program that offers financial incentives to current employees for successful referrals of new hires in state government positions. The Missouri Department of Corrections has discontinued our departmental referral incentive program, effective Jan. 1, 2024, and has transitioned to the new program, alongside fellow state agencies.
If you sign up for the new program, you will be eligible to receive an incentive when you successfully refer a job candidate to any full-time, benefit-eligible position in any of 15 executive branch departments, including corrections. This means you can earn $250 for each person you refer to any of these agencies, or $500 for a referral to a hard-to-fill position.
In order to ensure you earn money for a referral, you must first register on MO Careers and receive a unique referral key. Instructions can be found on the Office of Administration’s website. Provide your key to candidates you refer for jobs, and they can provide that key when they apply. After they have been hired and have worked for 90 days, if you are still employed by the State of Missouri, you will receive your referral incentive.
Department of Corrections team members in all active employment types are eligible to receive a referral incentive, with a few positions excluded. Exclusions vary depending upon whether the person referred works for the Department of Corrections or another agency. For a non-MODOC hire, there are no exclusions. Anyone, including staff from recruiting and personnel offices, can refer someone to another state agency and earn the referral incentive.
For MODOC hires, the following positions are excluded:
- Recruiters
- Personnel staff
- Anyone serving on the interview panel for the hire
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Staff at or above the following levels:
- Division of Adult Institutions – Assistant Warden/Major
- Division of Human Services – Assistant Division Director
- Division of Offender Rehabilitative Services – Education Supervisor/Reentry Workforce Development Coordinator
- Division of Probation & Parole – Unit Supervisor/Associate Superintendent
- Office of the Director – Deputy Department Director
- Sections in the Director’s Office – Section Heads
For more information about the program, visit HireMOTalent.mo.gov. Questions may be routed through your worksite personnel office or emailed to MOCareersHelp@oa.mo.gov.
New Employee Support Specialists Help Staff Statewide
As part of our ongoing effort to give members of the corrections family what they need to succeed, the department has hired Employee Support Services Program Coordinator Jennifer Hernandez and a team of employee support specialists available throughout the state to help staff work through stressors affecting their day-to-day lives.
Employee support specialists can:
- Support corrections employees at institutional and probation and parole sites
- Help promote positive change through individualized goal planning and scheduled time for exploring issues affecting employees and their households
- Help to bridge the gap between local resources and employees
- Advocate for staff needs and help employees solve problems when overwhelmed
Employee support specialists cannot provide legal advice or advise employees in an investigation; provide counseling or mental health assessments; or intervene or mediate job-related disciplinary action.
To contact the Employee Support Services Team, reach out to your site’s assigned employee specialist, or email DOC.ESSTeam@doc.mo.gov.
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Peer Action Care Team Boasts Record-Setting Year
Last year more staff than ever before sought help from the Peer Action Care Team (PACT). In all, 875 PACT reports were submitted on 2023, marking a record year for PACT. Data show that the PACT team primarily assisted people with personal matters and stress, mostly by providing emotional support and recommending resources.
PACT members provide support to teammates and respond in times of crisis. Their lived experiences and shared history with those they work with each day make them approachable and appropriate people to assist with personal and professional challenges.
Professional assistance also is available through Employee Trauma Response and Employee Support Services programs, which may be used by PACT members when someone a PACT member is assisting has needs exceeding the scope of peer training and related qualifications. Employee support teams are on hand to support the wellness, health and safety of Missouri Department of Corrections employees.
Meckenzie Hayes - PACT and Employee Trauma Response Coordinator- meckenzie.hayes@doc.mo.gov
Jennifer Hernandez - Employee Support Services Coordinator- Jennifer.Hernandez@doc.mo.gov
Financial Wellness Challenge
 The Employee Wellness team is wrapping up the financial wellness challenge, which began in November 2023. In recent months, hundreds of MODOC employees from all over the state have shared how they work toward financial wellness:
- "I started out this year by not eating out daily." - Deanna Berry, Boonville Correctional Center
- "My family is doing a No Spend January (necessities only) challenge." - Jennifer Humphrey, District 3
- "I started using an app to increase my personal finance awareness." - Denise Kingsley, Fulton Reception & Diagnostic Center
- "Some of our spending goals include cooking at home instead of eating out, not buying branded items, and accelerating our mortgage payments. Sticking to these goals has helped us feel secure about retirement, purchase a vehicle for cash, and pay off our mortgage!" - Willie Camarador, Crossroads Correctional Center
- "I have scheduled a pre-retirement seminar with MOSERS for this year. I have reviewed my current investments and am planning for future growth." - Amy Bell, Central Office
This challenge will conclude February 15. All participants will be entered into a prize drawing, with ten randomly selected winners announced February 28.
Nourish to Flourish
Join the Missouri Department of Corrections Employee Wellness unit for help in improving your nutrition. Individual nutrition can be affected by many factors, most of which you have the power to improve. See the resources available for helping you make better nutrition choices and become your best self. Need guidance? Join upcoming webinars on eating well, with employee health nurses (10 a.m . Feb. 7), and building healthy meals, with nutritional health coach Erin Lawrence (10 a.m. Feb. 23).
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What Gets Measured Get Managed
When engaging in continuous improvement, it’s important to track work, process performance and outcomes to make informed decisions. Measures can help shine a light on what is working and areas that need improvement. There are three categories of metrics:
- Activity metrics are a measure of the activity you are performing, e.g., number of people trained
- Process metrics measure the performance of a process or operation, e.g., how many forms processed per hour
- Outcome-based metrics monitor progress to determine outcome achievement, e.g., reduction in conduct violations
Department of Corrections Operational Excellence Summit
Join the Missouri Department of Corrections Research, Planning & Process Improvement team in May 2024 for the Missouri Department of Corrections Spring Operational Excellence Summit. This year's theme is Innovation at Work.
Attend sessions online to learn about the tools and skills used to implement improvements that make the department better.
Operational Excellence, or OpEx, is a philosophy that focuses on problem solving at every level of an organization or project. While OpEx incorporates skills and capabilities to deliver results, the key to continuous improvement is the adoption of an OpEx mindset. OpEx is working together toward a common purpose and continuously improving to get there.
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 2023 was a big year for the Missouri Department of Corrections. Missouri was the first state in the U.S. to join a national initiative to improve reentry outcomes for people leaving prison. Our department became a national model for honor housing programs that incentivize pro-social behaviors and make our facilities safer. We made work life better for our teams, with higher salaries, extended safety and wellness resources, a positive reversal of staffing rates, and new perks such as on-site staff cafés and employee recognition programs. We said goodbye to dedicated public servants whose leadership fundamentally improved lives, and we welcomed new leaders who will carry their legacy into 2024 and build on our strong foundation. Take a look back at just a few things we accomplished.
Get the Latest from Probation & Parole
 The Division of Probation & Parole newsletter, P&P Insider, is published quarterly. Look for programming highlights, Reentry 2030 updates, professional development opportunities and more — plus special sections with news about what's happening in each P&P region of the state. Check out the winter 2024 issue »
Corrections Way ambassadors serve a vital role in supporting The Corrections Way (TCW), a foundation of conduct and communication built around a core of common values guiding our work. Ambassadors steer fellow staff to resources and answer questions about Corrections Way training, practice and initiatives. They keep TCW at the forefront at sites across the state. They facilitate TCW workshops, conduct leadership walks, create TCW bulletin boards, assist with planning for quality conversations, de-escalate staff tensions, send motivational emails, create TCW newsletters, and assist with planning fun activities that build morale. They are a dedicated group of people who want to create a working environment where everyone belongs — an environment built on trust, respect and rapport!
Maryville Treatment Center
 Maryville Treatment Center is a small institution with a busy Corrections Way team. This year the team conducted monthly TCW workshops to tune up staff skills. One workshop on communication styles included a problem-solving activity in which participants worked in groups of peers with the same communication style to survive a lost-at-sea scenario (Spoiler alert: The drivers did not get rescued). During a value premise workshop, participants received small pumpkins representative of themselves, to which they added succulents to represent the value they contribute to our organization. During a TCW Jeopardy activity participants were split into teams to promote healthy competition. In a Dungeons-and-Dragons theme workshop, participants learned to plan difficult conversations the way they'd plan a D&D quest.
 The TCW ambassador team hosted its second annual carnival, which included Plinko, a dunk tank, a poster contest, ring toss, wheel of fortune and a bake sale.
The TCW team also organized a “What’s your super power” contest. When staff participated in a workshop, they received a card identifying one of the six pillars of TCW — trust, rapport, respect, appreciate, listen, value — or "pow," a wild card. Each participant who collected all six cards was entered into a drawing for a prize.
In 2024, the MTC team is teaching The Corrections Way in core training to ensure all staff are exposed to TCW. So far this year the ambassadors have covered difficult conversations and played Engage 2.0 bingo. As a result of the ambassadors' dedication, staff interest in The Corrections Way continues to grow.
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Director's Coin of Excellence
 Meet the newest recipients of the Director of Staff Training & Development Coin of Excellence, who rose to the top of Class 7 at each of the department's three training centers. The new team members were nominated by peers and selected by training center staff for demonstrating a high standard of excellence in areas including attendance, appearance, class conduct, class participation and test scores during basic training.
Congratulations to Jared Clay from Moberly Correctional Center (MCC), Ty Moore from Eastern Reception, Diagnostic & Correctional Center (ERDCC) and Tiffany Findley from Maryville Treatment Center (MTC). Welcome to the family!
 The state’s business cycle runs on a fiscal year timeframe, this year from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024 (FY 2024). Each year we articulate our priorities to support better government in Missouri through our strategic plan. In fiscal year 2024, our mission and our goals remain constant, but our strategic initiatives continue to evolve. We are building on past years' success and adding new priorities.
Take a look at our current strategic initiatives »
Mission
Improving Lives for Safer Communities
Vision
Excellence in Corrections for a Safer Missouri
Values
We value safe work environments, a capable workforce and reduced risk and recidivism.
We value integrity and respect.
We value supportive leadership.
We value employee participation and teamwork.
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