Richard Cavender feels fortunate to have found a career that he feels passionate about. On June 30, 2011, Cavender will leave the helm of Meramec Regional Planning Commission where he has served the past 32 years as executive director.
Cavender arrived at MRPC in 1979 from the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City where he had served 10 years as director of planning and development. Cavender would be the second director for MRPC, which at the time served six counties, had a 35-member board, a staff of 23, and a budget of less than $400,000 annually.
Cavender remembers the early days, noting specifically that there was not yet a refined accounting system.
"Basically it consisted of pieces of paper in desk drawers," Cavender said. "There were no personnel policies and no retirement plans."
The federal budget was declining as well, he recalled.
"Everything has changed for better except the last one," Cavender said.
Cavender has been involved in countless aspects of the organization during his span of 32 years.
In the 1980s, MRPC helped cities secure grants to construct industrial parks throughout the Meramec Region and has since seen them expand.
In the late 1980s to 1990s, MRPC began business loan programs, job training, housing rehabilitation projects and solid waste planning.
The Peer 500 Program was also developed through National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), which Cavender was actively involved in. Randy Verkamp, currently Phelps County presiding commissioner, and Cavender performed a test run for the program in Bangor, Maine.
"It's an incredibly good program for providing an in-depth evaluation of regional planning commissions," Cavender said.
In the late 1990s to 2000s, Cavender served in a leadership role in NADO and also served as president of the organization. Cavender has testified before Congress and has met with the Ford Foundation, which helped fund the development of the Peer 500 program.
"NADO really has respect in Washington with politicians and bureaucrats. It's a great spokes organization for regionalism," Cavender said.
Cavender points out one of the most rewarding parts of his job was identifying opportunities at the state and national levels and bringing them back to MRPC to implement.
Cavender was key to the development of the partnership between Missouri's regional planning commissions and the Missouri Department of Transportation.
"MRPC was the demonstration project, and today the planning partnership with MoDOT is looked at nationally as a model," Cavender said.
Under Cavender's leadership, MRPC was able to participate in the German Marshall Fund exchange, which resulted in Rolla's sister city relationship with Sondershausen, Germany.
MRPC helped the Missouri Association of Councils of Government (MACOG), the state association of regional planning commissions, establish more partnerships with state agencies and Cavender helped nurture that organization as well.
In fact, it was among his colleagues at MACOG that Cavender earned the title of godfather of regional planning.
Although there were many accomplishments, there is always room for improvement, Cavender stated.
Cavender said he would like to see the number of regional partnerships grow for MRPC. Getting even more local, grassroots people involved in the decision process would be a benefit, he explained.
"The opportunities are huge. The demand for more efficient government will raise the importance of regionalism," Cavender explained.
For the future, Cavender predicts changes including technological spin-offs in the I-44 corridor evolving and changing the complexion of the area.
"There will be more high-tech jobs available and more cultural opportunities," Cavender said. "It would be fun to be a part of that."
Cavender explained he came to the Meramec Region with plans to raise a family, thus it was a long-term decision that he planned to stay with MRPC.
Through the years he had been approached by headhunting firms in locations such as Omaha, Louisville and Columbus to consider other opportunities, but declined them all because of his family's needs.
Cavender noted he has had a very rewarding career with MRPC. Under his leadership, MRPC has grown to eight counties, employs 29 staff and adopted its largest budget in its 42-year history at $2.8 million for FY 2011-12.
"The reward comes from all the programs and projects that have made life better for the people who live here. We've created jobs, improved housing and improved the environment," Cavender said. "I'm doing something that I feel passionate about."
Regionalization is the right thing for local government to function more efficiently and to get the most from tax dollars spent, Cavender said.
"I think regionalism becomes more valuable as we go into these times of austerity," he added.
In particular, Cavender said he takes pride in the Meramec Regional Community Foundation, which he helped build.
"It's not a big thing now, but it will be. I think one day that this will be a really good thing for our region," Cavender said.
There are several challenges facing the Meramec Region today, Cavender explained.
One short-term challenge will be in funding.
"We will have to make changes in programs we operate and change the way we operate. It will be more competitive to get grants," Cavender said.
A long-term challenge is constantly being called upon to do more than what is expected and to continuously be looking for ways to work efficiently.
"We have to be involved at the national level to look at the best techniques," Cavender said.
For his future plans in retirement, Cavender marked one top agenda item: "I'm going to organize my sock drawer," he says with a laugh.
Cavender continues to be involved in his community and is married with five children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He enjoys family activities, golf, exercising and reading. He plans to stay active in community development by serving on the boards of the Midwest Assistance Program and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 29, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.
