JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Former Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has resigned from his federal job, effective this month.
Kinder announced that he would be stepping down from his leadership position as the alternative federal co-chair of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) this June, a position he had been appointed to by President Donald Trump back in August of 2017.
Kinder appointed as new Alternate Federal Co-Chairperson of the Delta Regional Authority
The DRA was created in 2000 with the purpose of boosting economic development in the Mississippi River Valley region, which includes Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri.
In a statement made to the Southeast Missourian, Kinder said that upon taking the office, he found a “bloated administrative budget” at the DRA, and called it a waste of taxpayer money.
“Upon my request, staff brought me over $400,000 in cuts to the administrative budget,” Kinder said. “In my first weeks on the job, I presented these reductions to the board and won unanimous approval of the savings.
“Every dime saved is now going to the poor and distressed communities that need help — the DRA’s very reason for being,” Kinder said.
Kinder said it was confusing that the organization should have two chairs, and also noted that since his arrival, the number of agency employees has decreased from 18 to 13.
Kinder says he does not have plans to run for office again, according to the Missourian, and instead will take an undisclosed private-sector job.
