LAMAR, Mo. – Local businessman and retired farmer George Heim has announced his candidacy for state representative in the 127th District. The district is composed of Barton and Dade counties and includes parts of Jasper County, north of the Carthage city limits, as well as part of Cedar County. If elected, Heim plans to focus on education, agriculture and jobs.
“I am running for state representative because I want to listen, to work and to serve the people of our district,” Heim said. “The people deserve someone who understands education, agriculture and business and who will work tirelessly to promote policies that encourage job growth in our district. I believe I have the background and the drive to be that person.”
Heim is a graduate of Lamar High School where he was a member of the Future Farmers of America and played center on the Lamar Tiger football team. He graduated from College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo., near Branson with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry and a minor in physics. He holds Missouri teaching certification in biology and chemistry and taught high school science courses in the Ozarks area ranging from general science to advanced chemistry.
While in college, Heim worked a night job at KS02, a local National Public Radio Station affiliate, and at a coal-fired power plant.
Following college, Heim returned to live and work on the family farm north of Lamar. He also worked in the Engineering Department at O’Sullivan Industries and obtained a Missouri Real Estate License. In 1983, he started his own small import/export business and tent company, which provided fireworks and tents for festivals and other events throughout Southwest Missouri. He sold the business in 2016.
“I have more than 30 years of experience as a small business owner where I had to ensure adequate funds to make payroll for my employees, as well as pay taxes and other benefits,” Heim said. “I also have hands-on experience acquiring state contracts and overseeing operation of semi-trucks, as well as managing the Department of Transportation compliance issues that go along with that.”
Heim is a longtime member of the Missouri Fairs and Festivals and North American Fairs and Festivals organizations. He was a founding member of the National Fireworks Association and was instrumental in forming the American Fireworks Standard Laboratory, which developed commercial fireworks testing standards. The committee worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to write codes and compliance standards for the production, packaging and labeling of consumer fireworks.
Heim’s commitment to education runs throughout his family. In addition to his teaching background, his wife of 40 years, Debbie, is a library media specialist who has held positions at Lamar and Liberal High Schools and now works in the Joplin public school system. The Heims also have one daughter who works at the University of Honolulu.
“I believe education is the key to continued American exceptionalism,” Heim said. “This district’s educational system has produced three admirals and a president of the United States, as well as fighter pilots, doctors, first responders, industrialists, ministers, nurses and more,” Heim said. “In the future, I fully expect people from this district will be involved in colonizing space, finding cures for catastrophic diseases, cracking genetic codes, increasing crop yields, and many other accomplishments that we can only imagine.”
Heim and his wife still reside on the century-old family farm in Barton County. He is an avid Missouri wild game hunter and is active with providing hunting opportunities for both youth and disabled veterans. He also holds a private pilot’s license. Heim is a member the Barton County Chamber of Commerce, the National Turkey Association, is affiliated with the Wounded Warriors organization, is a provider for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Peterson Outdoor Ministries, and is a member of the First Baptist Church in Lamar.
