CHAPTER 37 OFFICERS
Jody Harness / President
Hello, I am Jody Harness. I have 17 years of land/easement acquisition. I am currently a Right of Way Representative at Spire Missouri, Inc. I spend my days doing all things Right of Way, from acquiring easements, to working with our field crews to ensure proper placement of our gas facilities, and most importantly working with the customers and the municipalities we serve. I hold a Missouri Real Estate license and a Right of Way Agent designation through IRWA. I am passionate about IRWA and believe the education program is top notch. I look forward to serving our Chapter.
Chris Scharth / Vice President
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Hello! I have been a member of IRWA Chapter 37 since 2013. I have had the pleasure of meeting many great people along the way and experiencing the continuous growth of our Chapter. I currently work for Volkert serving as GIS Manager out of our Collinsville, IL and St. Louis, MO offices. I have been with Volkert since January 2008 working mostly with our Engineering and ROW/Real Estate departments. My role consists of managing our day-to-day activities, ensuring a quality product is delivered and deadlines are met. Although our GIS team specializes in a wide array of projects, the majority of our projects consist of ROW/Real Estate for utilities. We provide Web Based GIS, Mobile GIS and Asset Management support for all of these projects.
In my free time, I enjoy almost anything outdoors, sporting events, attending my kid’s events and spending time with family. I look forward to being a part of the continued growth of our Chapter!
Tara Green / 1st Vice President
Teresa McClure / International Director
Picture and bio coming soon

Hi! I am Teresa Donze McClure. I am super-excited to hold the position of President Elect for Chapter 37. Although I am sad to leave the role of co-membership chair that I have held for the past six years with Wendy, I can’t wait to assist Alex in moving the chapter into the “next chapter”. I have been with Volkert, Inc. (Volkert) for over ten years currently holding the position of project manager as well as the lead of the St. Louis Office. I have been instrumental in the management of Volkert Staff and contract personnel, R/W acquisition, damages, acquisitions and valuation assistance on private, government & subconsulting projects, siting projects, planning budgeting and project managing R/W projects. I have also had the pleasure of being instrumental in the marketing, proposal writing and contract negotiations for Volkert in the past ten years. I look forward to this year, and I can’t wait to see the awesome things Chapter 37 achieves in the next few years!
Roxanne Young / Secretary

Roxanne Young is a Real Estate Representative with Ameren Missouri. Her experience includes easement acquisition for electrical distribution projects, easement research, and property management.
Matt Hoven / Treasurer

bio coming soon
Sandra Rupert / Chair, Education
bio coming soon
Wendy Cromer / Chair, Membership

Wendy R. Cromer is the Vice President of Compliance, Sales and Marketing for Security Title Insurance Agency, LLC. and also serves as the Compliance Officer for five additional companies in the metropolitan area. Wendy is a native of St. Louis and graduated summa cum laude from Lindenwood University. Her career in the title insurance industry began in 1983. Wendy has been recognized by the Missouri Land Title Association, the St. Louis Mortgage Bankers Association and the St. Louis Association of Realtors for her outstanding achievements. She has served two terms as President for the Missouri Land Title Association and is a current member of the International Right of Way Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Risk Management Association.
Kimberly Gross/ Chair, Professional Development

Kimberly Gross is a Senior Agent for Ameren Services. Her experience includes electric transmission throughout North America as well as gas transmission in Illinois. Prior to Ameren, Kimberly worked for LS Power where she developed, among other things, FERC 1000 projects and participated in competitive bid transmission proposals. She has 24 years of real estate experience and has a Master of Arts in Legal Studies from the University of Illinois. She is currently working on her MBA with U of I as well (to be completed in 2020). She holds a R/W-NAC designation with the IRWA. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her kids and furthering her education and real estate skills!
Nikkiy Bestgen / Young Professionals Chairperson

Hello! I am Nikkiy Bestgen. I am a member of Chapter 37, St. Louis MO. I am one of your Region 3 YP Representatives to the IRWA Young Professionals Group. I am a Real Estate Specialist for CLS. I handle financial and scheduling assignments for Right-of-Way Projects in our Central Region. One of the things I enjoy most about being a YP Member is the ability to try new things in an established organization. I love that we are allowed to take risks and make changes. We are encouraged to shake things up! So if you are a mover, shaker or explorer, come check us out and see how you can get involved!
Lou Ann Dollar / Nominations & Elections Chairperson

bio coming soon
Chapter 37 Members at International Level
Brett Farner, SR/WA / International level
Nikkiy Bestgen / International level

Brett graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 2008 with his BSBA degree emphasizing in finance, banking and real estate. He is actively pursuing his MBA at Webster University and holds the SR/WA designation through the International Right of Way Association (IRWA.) Brett is currently a Real Estate Supervisor for Ameren Services Company, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, providing administrative support to its operating companies, subsidiaries and affiliates. In his career with Ameren, Brett has worked in several different areas of the utility right-of-way industry including: Energy delivery, property management for the Osage Hydroelectric Energy Center, transmission maintenance and green field projects for Ameren Transmission Company.
Brett is the 2012 IRWA Young Professional of the Year, past President and International Director of IRWA Chapter 37 and the immediate past INEC Region 3 Representative. He has been actively involved in the Young Professionals Group as an original member on the Young Professionals Task Force formed in 2013. Brett was also a founding member of the Region 3 Young Professionals Committee and recently served as the 2015-2016 Committee Chair.

Hello! I am Nikkiy Bestgen. I am a member of Chapter 37, St. Louis MO. I am one of your Region 3 YP Representatives to the IRWA Young Professionals Group. I am a Real Estate Specialist for CLS. I handle financial and scheduling assignments for Right-of-Way Projects in our Central Region. One of the things I enjoy most about being a YP Member is the ability to try new things in an established organization. I love that we are allowed to take risks and make changes. We are encouraged to shake things up! So if you are a mover, shaker or explorer, come check us out and see how you can get involved!
Past Presidents
1961 Fred F. Switzer, Jr.
1962 George L. Horton
1963 Victor S. Hallauer
1964 Gerald L. Tonies
1965 S. Paul Crawford
1966 Robert G. Kortum
1967 Gus W. Bradshaw
1968 Walter N. Coffman
1969 Tom Robinson
1970 John A. Doerr
1971 Jack Mace
1972 Joseph J. Feco, SR/WA
1973 Eugene Palmer, SR/WA
1974 Robert Baumgartner
1975 John Baker
1976 John I. Wilson
1977 Richard Tegethoff, SR/WA
1978 Robert Reiner
1987 Richard Schreiber
1994 David Moore
1996 Daryl Knobbe
1998 Jill Knobbe
1999 Pearl Tibba
2000 Gloria Nickerson
2001 Mark Jordan, SR/WA
2002 Larry Seabaugh, SR/WA
2003 Tom Hewlett, SR/WA
2004 Alicia Sanford, SR/WA
2005 Sara Hernadez
2006 Ashleigh Robinson, SR/WA
2007 Cynthia Gan, SR/WA
2008 Gerald Johnson
2009 Angela Lawson, SR/WA
2010 Lou Ann Dollar, SR/WA
2011 Matha Parks, SR/WA
2012 Brett Farner, SR/WA
2013 Janice Collier, SR/WA
2014 Mike Collier
2015 Rachel Siegert
2016 Roger Osthoff
2017 Alex Sammet, RWA
2018 Teresa McClure
BY-LAWS OF
GATEWAY CHAPTER NUMBER 37
AS AMENDED IN WHOLE
August 30, 2010
INTERNATIONAL RIGHT-OF-WAY ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I GENERAL
ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP
ARTICLE III MEETINGS
ARTICLE IV OFFICERS
ARTICLE V EXECUTIVE BOARD & COMMITTEES
ARTICLE VI DUES
ARTICLE VII RULES OF ORDER
ARTICLE VIII AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE I – GENERAL
Section 1. The name of this Chapter shall be GATEWAY CHAPTER 37, International Right
of Way Association.
Section 2. This Chapter is a Chapter of the International Right of Way Association, a
Corporation formed under the laws of the State of California and all of its rights
and powers are subject to the laws of said State, the Articles of Incorporation of
said Association, and the Bylaws, Rules and Regulations of said Association,
including the requirement that all Chapter bylaws and amendments thereto are not
effective until their approval by the International Executive Committee of said
International Right of Way Association.
Section 3. Each member of this Chapter must conduct himself or herself in such a manner as
to reflect honesty and the integrity of the International Right of Way Association
and each is bound by the Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct of
said Association. A member may be suspended or expelled from this Chapter and
from said Association on such grounds and in the same manner provided for in
the International Bylaws.
Section 4. This Association being non-political, non-partisan and non-sectarian, no member
shall present himself or herself as a representative of the Association without
proper authorization from the Association. In any presentation wherein a member
is in anyway identified as a member of the Association, said member shall
specifically indicate that the opinions expressed represent only private opinions
and are not intended to reflect policy positions of the Association or this Chapter.
Section 5. The administrative year of this Chapter shall be from July 1st to June 30th.
ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The classes of membership in this Chapter and the requirements for such
membership shall be those established in the International Bylaws of the
International Right of Way Association.
ARTICLE III – MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings of this Chapter shall be held at the time and place designated by
the President. Regular meetings shall be held at least four (4) times each calendar
year at intervals not less than 28 days apart. A scheduled regular meeting, except
the annual meeting, may be postponed by the President with the concurrence of a
majority of the Chapter Executive Board.
Section 2. An annual meeting of the members of this Chapter shall be held prior to the
fifteenth day of the second to the last month of each administrative year. Annual
reports of all officers and committees will be presented at that time. Chapter
officers, including International Directors for the coming year shall be elected at
said meeting and such other business as may be presented may be conducted.
Section 3. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President and shall be called
upon receipt of a written or electronically transmitted request of four (4) members
of the Chapter Executive Board or ten (10) active members of the Chapter.
Section 4. Notice of all meetings shall be given to the active members in writing or via
electronically transmitted communications as least five (5) days prior to such
meetings or by telephone prior to such meeting.
Section 5. Seven (7) active members or ten percent (10%) of the active membership of the
Chapter, whichever is larger, shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of this Chapter shall be a President, President Elect, First Vice
President, Second Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, together with such
other officers as may be appointed by the President with the concurrence of the
Executive Board.
In addition to the officers listed above, there shall be elected each year from the
active membership of the Chapter, a member to serve as a member of the
International Board of Directors of the International Right of Way Association.
Said International Director shall be elected for a two-year term so as to comply
with the International Bylaws providing for two (2) directors from each Chapter.
The initial election of this Chapter’s two Directors shall be held in accordance
with the International Bylaws.
Section 2. Except for the President, who succeeds to the office from the elected position of
President Elect, and officers appointed by the President as provided in Section 1
of this Article, all officers shall be elected by majority vote from the active
membership of this Chapter; the officers so elected and appointed shall serve for
one year beginning at the start of the administrative year or until their successors
are duly elected or appointed and installed.
Section 3. If the office of International Director shall be vacant, the Chapter shall, at an
election scheduled for and held at the next regular or special meeting of the
Chapter following the date the vacancy occurs, elect a Director to hold the office
during the unexpired term. If the Chapter fails to elect a new Director and to
certify such election to the International Secretary prior to the next meeting of the
International Board of Directors, the Board, by a majority vote of those member
in attendance, shall elect a Director from the membership of the Chapter present
at the International Board of Directors meeting who shall hold office for the
unexpired term.
If the office of the President shall become vacant, the President Elect shall
immediately succeed to the duties and office of President. If the office of
President Elect becomes vacant, the First Vice President shall immediately
succeed to the duties and office of President Elect. If the office of the First Vice
President becomes vacant, the Second Vice President shall immediately succeed
to the duties and office of the First Vice President. In the event of a vacancy in
any other office, said office shall be filled by the President from the active
members of the Chapter with the concurrence from the Chapter Executive Board.
Section 4. No officer may be re-elected to the same office until two years have elapsed
following the end of term to which elected, provided however, that this limitation
shall not apply to the office of Secretary, Treasurer or International Director.
Section 5. The officers of this organization shall perform duties as herein set forth:
A. International Directors. The International Directors shall act as liaison between
the International and Chapter structures of the Association working in close
cooperation with the Regional Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. They shall
inform the Chapter Executive Board of all actions and activities occurring at
meetings of the International Board of Directors and of such other matters as may
come to their attention.
B. President. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Chapter and
ex-officio member of all committees and shall, subject to the control of the
Executive Board, have general supervision, direction and control of the business
and officers of the Chapter. The President shall preside at all meetings of the
Chapter and of the Executive Board, and shall have the general powers and duties
usually vested in the Office of President and such other powers and duties as may
be prescribed by the Bylaws of the Association, this Chapter or the Chapter
Executive Board.
C. President Elect. The President Elect shall have the general powers and duties of
President Elect; shall act as President in the case of the absence or disability of the
President; shall be responsible for the effective operations of the office of
Secretary and Treasurer; shall advise and assist the President when called on to do
so; and shall perform such other duties as may be required by the Executive
Board. In the event the office of President becomes vacant, the President Elect
shall immediately become President. Should such succession to the Office of
President take place, the President Elect shall be eligible for re-election to a full
term as President.
D. First Vice President. The First Vice President shall have the general powers and
duties of a First Vice President; shall act as President in the case of the absence or
disability of the President Elect and President; and shall be responsible for the
effective operations of the standing committees established in the International
Bylaws of the International Right of Way Association. In the event the office of
President and President Elect become vacant, the First Vice President shall
immediately become President.
E. Second Vice President. The Second Vice President shall have the general powers
and duties of a Second Vice President; shall act as President in the case of the
absence or disability of the First Vice President, President Elect and President;
shall assist the First Vice President with the responsibility for the effective
operations of the standing committees established in the International Bylaws of
the International Right of Way Association; and shall assist the President Elect
with the responsibility for the effective operations of the Office of Secretary and
Treasurer. In the event the office of President, President Elect, and First Vice
President become vacant, the Second Vice President shall immediately become
President.
F. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep a book of minutes of all of the meetings of
the Chapter and the Executive Board; shall provide a report of the preceding
meeting minutes to the Chapter members at the regular Chapter meetings; shall
carry on all correspondence of the Chapter; shall be responsible for the
maintenance and updating the Chapter’s web-site in a timely manner; and shall
perform such duties as may be required by the Executive Board.
G. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive all funds of the Chapter and keep a proper
record thereof; shall deposit them in a convenient responsible bank, and shall
disburse them only upon receipt of proper authority from the Chapter Executive
Board. The Treasurer shall provide a financial report to the Chapter members at
the regular Chapter meetings; shall provide financial reports as required by the
IRWA Headquarters in a timely fashion; and shall perform such other duties as
are delegated to that officer by the Chapter’s Executive Board.
ARTICLE V – EXECUTIVE BOARD AND COMMITTEES
Section 1. Executive Board - The elected Chapter Officers, immediate Past President, and
the Committee Chairpersons shall constitute the Executive Board of this Chapter.
The Executive Board shall have the power and duty to conduct and direct all the
business and affairs of the Chapter.
Section 2. There shall be in this Chapter, certain standing committees as provided in the
International Bylaws of the International Right of Way Association. Unless
specifically provided otherwise herein, the Chairperson and members of each
standing committee shall be appointed by the President immediately after taking
office. They shall be appointed from the active members of the Chapter to serve
at the pleasure of the President. The President, or in the case of the disability or
absence of the President, the President Elect, shall be an ex-officio member of
each standing committee.
Section 3. Education Committee - There shall be in this Chapter an Education Committee
consisting of three (3) or more members, each to be appointed by the President for
a three year term; provided, however, that at the time of the initial appointment of
the membership of said committee, that one-third of said members shall be
appointed for a one (1) year term, one third for a two (2) year term, and remaining
one third for a full three (3) year term.
Section 4. Membership Committee - There shall be in this Chapter a Membership
Committee consisting of three (3) members, each to be appointed by the President
for a one (1) year term.
Section 5. Committee on Nominations and Elections - A committee on Nominations and
Elections shall be appointed by the President not later than May of each
administrative year and shall consist of a Chairperson and at least three (3)
members. This committee shall recommend and present a slate of officers for the
Chapters standing committees to the Executive Board via electronic transmission
or at the Executive Board meeting prior to the fifteenth day of the second to the
last month of each administrative year. The Committee on Nominations and
Elections shall present to the members, for their consideration, their
recommendation of officers for each of the Chapter’s standing committees at the
annual meeting of the members of this Chapter to be held prior to the fifteenth
day of the second to the last month of each administrative year.
Section 6. Professional Development Committee - There shall be in this Chapter a
Professional Development Committee. The Chairperson of the Professional
Development Committee (PDC) must have attained the designation of Senior
Member – International Right of Way Association. Other members of the PDC, if
not designated as a Senior Member, should be an SR/WA Candidate or possess an
IRWA Discipline Certification, whenever possible.
Section 7. There may be such other standing committees as the Executive Board shall from
time to time determine to be necessary, provided, however, that there shall be
established in this Chapter, committees corresponding to those certain
International Committees designated for Chapter counterparts by the International
Board of Directors or the International Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VI - DUES
Section 1. Annual dues of active members of this Chapter shall be such sum as provided by
the International Bylaws of this Association and for the annual per capita
assessment plus the sum for Chapter dues which may from time to time be
established at any regular meeting of the Chapter by an affirmative majority vote
of the active members present after the same has been submitted in writing by
mail or electronic transmission to the active members of the Chapter at least ten
(10) days prior to the meeting.
Section 2. In addition to the dues required herein, all applications for new active
membership shall be accompanied by an application fee which may be established
by the International Executive Committee.
Section 3. Annual dues of Retired Members, with magazine, of this Chapter, shall be an
amount which may be established at any regular meeting of the Chapter by an
affirmative majority vote of the active members present after the same has been
submitted in writing by mail or electronic transmission to the active members of
the Chapter at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.
Section 4. Annual dues of Retired Members, without a magazine subscription, of this
Chapter, shall be an amount which may be established at any regular meeting of
the Chapter by an affirmative majority vote of the active members present after
the same has been submitted in writing by mail or electronic transmission to the
active members of the Chapter at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.
ARTICLE VII – RULES OF ORDER
Except as otherwise specifically provided in these Bylaws, Roberts Rules of
Order are hereby adopted as the rules for the procedure and conduct of all
meetings of this Chapter and of its Executive Board and Committees.
ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be repealed, amended or altered in whole or part and adopted
at any regular meeting of the Chapter by an affirmative two-thirds vote of the
active members present after the same has been sent by mail or via electronic
transmission to active members of the Chapter at least ten (10) days prior to the
meeting. Said action by the Chapter shall not become effective until approved by
the International Executive Committee or the International General Counsel.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Lou Ann Dollar, SR/WA, Eric R. Finn
Gateway Chapter 37 President - 2010 International General Council
