Governor Parson announced on Friday, March 15, that Ken Zellers will be the acting director of the Missouri Department of Revenue.
On Thursday, the governor received a letter of resignation from Joel Walters, Director of Revenue, stating his last day at the department will be Friday, March 22, which will help to ensure enough time for a smooth transition of leadership within the department.
“I appreciate Joel Walters’ willingness to devote two years of service to the State of Missouri,” Parson said. “His leadership and transformative vision helped to turn around the Department of Revenue, leading to increased customer service, identifying efficiencies that led to significant budget savings, and implementing a number of conservative reforms that helped improve and streamline services for Missouri taxpayers.”
Zellers, who is currently serving as the chief operating officer for the Department of Revenue, will assume the role of acting director.
Before joining DOR, Zellers held numerous senior roles at Anheuser-Busch InBev, most recently serving as global quality director. Anheuser-Busch InBev is a global consumer products company which employs over 200,000 people worldwide and generates $60 billion in annual sales. In this role, Zellers was responsible for improving the overall customer/consumer experience by collecting and analyzing relevant global call center data. Zellers also served on the North American Wholesaler Advisory Board representing Anheuser-Busch InBev and over 750 U.S. distribution centers and product wholesalers. In prior roles with Anheuser-Busch InBev, Zellers served as senior director of human resource operations, a member of the human resource operating committee, and global director of compensation.
“I have full confidence that the Department of Revenue will continue providing excellent service to the people of Missouri,” Parson said. “Our administration will build off the positive reforms made within the department and ensure Missourians continue to benefit from historical tax cuts made at the federal and state level.”
“I appreciate the opportunity of working alongside Governor Parson and his administration. They are doing fantastic things for the citizens of Missouri, and I am extremely proud that I have played a part in that success,” Walters said.