EXECUTIVE ORDER
95-28

WHEREAS, the history and culture of the State of Missouri are reflected in Missouri's names; and

WHEREAS, the public has an interest in geographic names; and

WHEREAS, a need exists for an authority to represent the interests of the State of Missouri when new names are proposed for geographic features in the State of Missouri, when proposals are made to change the names of geographic features in the State of Missouri, and when questions arise concerning the identity or form of names of geographic features in the State of Missouri; and

WHEREAS, a need exists for liaison between the State of Missouri and the United States Board on Geographic Names to coordinate decisions concerning names of geographic features in the State of Missouri;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mel Carnahan, Governor of the State of Missouri, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Missouri, do hereby establish the Missouri Board of Geographic Names as follows:

  1. The Board on Geographic Names (hereinafter the "Board") shall be assigned for administrative purposes to the Office of the Secretary of State;
  2. The Board shall consist of the director or their designee from each of the following agencies and institutions, as well as such other members as the Governor may from time to time appoint:
    1. Missouri Highway and Transportation Department
    2. Missouri Department of Conservation
    3. Missouri Department of Natural Resources
    4. Missouri Office of Administration
    5. Missouri State Archives
    6. State Historical Society of Missouri
    7. U.S. Geological Survey
    8. U.S. Forest Service
    9. U.S. Corps of Engineers
  3. Each member of the Board shall have one vote;
  4. Each member of the Board shall serve without compensation for their time, travel, or subsistence except as these may be provided by the members' respective agencies and organizations;
  5. One of the agencies or organizations represented on the Board shall designate one of its employees to serve as an executive secretary who shall serve as a nonvoting member of the Board and shall maintain the records of the Board's activities and decisions and shall be responsible for correspondence between the Board and the United States Board of Geographic Names and other agencies;
  6. The Board shall designate from among its members a Chair and a Vice-Chair and shall adopt rules for its own management;
  7. The Board shall:
    1. Receive and evaluate all proposals for changes in, or additions to names of geographic features and places in the State of Missouri to determine the most appropriate and acceptable names for use in maps and official documents of all levels of government;
    2. Make official recommendations on behalf of the State of Missouri with respect to each proposal;
    3. Assist and cooperate with the United States Board on Geographic Names in matters relating to names of geographic features and places in Missouri;
    4. Assist in the maintenance of a Missouri geographic names data base as part of the national data base; and
    5. Maintain a list of advisers who have special interest and knowledge in Missouri history, geography, or culture and consult with those advisers on a regular basis in the course of its deliberations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, in the City of Jefferson, on this 27th day of November, 1995.

[Mel Carnahan's signature]
GOVERNOR

ATTEST:

[Rebecca McDowell Cook's signature]
SECRETARY OF STATE

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