Our Staff
Facilitating excellence in regional cooperation since 1989.
Jason Ray, AICP
Executive Director
Jason brings many years of experience to SMCOG from his previous role as Deputy Director of the Harry S Truman Coordinating Council (HSTCC) in the Joplin area and as a Springfield Planning & Zoning Commissioner. Jason is experienced in managing regional transportation and economic development planning programs and has written several small-town comprehensive plans, managed land use studies, environmental planning programs, and disaster recovery projects.
Aishwarya Shrestha, AICP
Senior Planner
Aishwarya’s responsibilities include transportation planning and comprehensive planning. She holds a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University, New Jersey.
Before joining SMCOG, she worked at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center as a Graduate Research Assistant with a focus on bicycle and pedestrian projects.
Thomas Cunningham
Associate Planner
Thomas's responsibilities include hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, and resiliency planning. After earning his degree in Community and Regional Planning from Missouri State University in 2014, he worked in the non-profit sector doing community development and fundraising.
Kelsi Burton
Grants & Environmental Manager
Kelsi's responsibilities at SMCOG include grant writing, grant administration, and project management. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Geography from MSU in 2015 and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Natural Applied Sciences. Prior to SMCOG, Kelsi worked at MSU as a Financial Aid Counselor, where they managed the disbursement of federal, state, local, and institutional financial aid to students.
Garrett Colony
Grants Administrator
Garrett's responsibilities at SMCOG include grant writing, grant administration, and project management. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Geography from MSU in 2021 and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Administration. Prior to SMCOG, Garrett worked for the North Central Texas Council of Governments where he conducted outreach, planning, and grant management activities.
Morganza Byrd
Fiscal & Administrative Manager
Morganza joined the SMCOG team in the latter part of 2024 as the Fiscal and Administrative Manager. She has a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting and over 10 years of experience in Educational/Governmental Accounting. She previously worked in the Financial Services department at Missouri State University and the Business Services department at Springfield Public School District.
Interested in joining the team?