Michael Pace to Step Down from Highway Commission

JEFFERSON CITY – Michael Pace of West Plains announced today he will step down from his role as a member of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission effective immediately.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission is a six-member board that governs the Missouri Department of Transportation, the agency responsible for building, operating and maintaining the state highway system and supporting other transportation modes in Missouri.

Pace was appointed to the commission in January of 2015 by then-Gov. Jay Nixon. His term expired March 1, 2019. During his tenure on the commission, Pace served twice as both chair and vice-chair. Gov. Mike Parson will be responsible for naming Pace’s replacement on the commission.

“I want to thank Mike Pace for his service to Missourians as a member of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission,” said Parson in accepting Pace’s resignation. “Commissioner Pace is a dedicated public servant, and the state is a better place today thanks to his service and his commitment to improving Missouri’s transportation system.”

John Briscoe of New London, who was named the commission chair on March 4, said, “Mike Pace will be missed on the commission. We wish him well, and we thank him for the five years he gave to the commission. We understand his desire to return to full-time retirement, and we know we’ll be able to call on him in the future should we need his expertise and experience.”

Added MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna, “It’s been an honor to work with Mike Pace for the past five years. His commitment, knowledge and dedication have been instrumental in providing Missourians with a sound transportation system and ensuring that they have and will continue to receive a valuable return on their investment.”

Pace is a retired brigadier general in the Army National Guard who began his military career as an enlisted engineer. He served in aviation positions for almost 30 years, attaining the master aviator badge. While serving in the military, Pace also spent nearly 33 years with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, achieving the rank of major and retiring as director of the criminal investigation bureau in Jefferson City, Mo.

Pace and his wife Diana live in West Plains and have two children and six grandchildren.