Who Is Show Me Christian County?
In 2012, the city administrators of Ozark and Nixa got together to talk. The two Missouri cities, which sit just miles from one another, have nearly the same population and were experiencing tremendous growth with no end in sight. These two men came together to determine how to manage this growth and sustain the county in the future. After hiring a firm to help them develop an action plan, the city administrators learned that an economic development organization was necessary to continue the growth. Fast forward to 2017: Show Me Christian County (SMCC) was born to represent all seven municipalities in Christian County. Shortly after, Andrea Sitzes became the President and CEO, and SMCC has been on the front lines, fighting for economic development issues in Christian County ever since.
At SMCC, we are much more than a resource for businesses; rather, we are a partnership, dedicated to the continued and lasting development of our beautiful, innovative, and expanding county. We are the voice of growth and opportunity for every business, employee, family, and resident of Christian County. We truly believe this is the best place to start a business and raise a family, and we are careful to set goals that are focused on promoting our wonderful county to the rest of the world!
Our primary goal is to encourage business attraction, business retention & expansion, workforce development, and entrepreneurship throughout Christian County by aligning resources and processes to make things easier on everyone. We love working with businesses and our cities to discover how to help our community thrive and shine!
2020 Board of Directors
ChairmanScott McDonaldCentral Bank of the Ozarks
SecretaryAnna EvansOzark Chamber of Commerce
Chris SnyderRepublic Services
Vice ChairmanScott HarrisOzark Bank
Rick GardnerCity of Ozark
Ralph PhillipsChristian County
Advisory MemberSteve ChildersCity of Ozark
TreasurerChris ThomasNixa Community Foundation
Brian SteeleCity of Nixa
Advisory MemberJimmy LilesCity of Nixa
Show Me Christian County Staff
Andrea Sitzes
President & CEO
Through her role as President & CEO for Show Me Christian County, Andrea works with community leaders, business owners, city leaders, and prospective businesses to foster an environment of growth and opportunity for Christian County.
As a member of the seventh generation to grow up on her family’s Century Farm just north of Rolla, Andrea has a heart for rural communities and helping municipalities of all sizes succeed. Andrea is a graduate of College of the Ozarks, where she studied Public Relations. During her time in college, she interned at the Hollister Area Chamber of Commerce for Rob Dixon, who is now the Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
Show Me Christian County’s customer service approach comes from Andrea’s experience working in the hospitality industry at Big Cedar Lodge and the Chateau on the Lake in Branson, Missouri. With a passion for her community and wanting to work closer to home, Andrea started her transition to a career in economic development after nine years in hospitality.
Andrea served as the Executive Director for the Ozark Chamber of Commerce for two years, growing the organization to the third largest chamber in Southwest Missouri, behind Springfield and Branson.
Along with her duties at Show Me Christian County, Andrea serves on the Missouri Economic Development Council Board of Directors, the Least of These Board of Directors, and is active at The Bridge Church in Nixa. She has been married to her husband, Mike, for 12 years and has a son, Ezra, who is an active six-year-old.
Sarah Lawson
Project Coordinator
As the Project Coordinator for Show Me Christian County, Sarah Lawson supports the administrative, marketing, and public relations efforts of the organization. She works in partnership with the President & CEO to conduct day-to-day operations and represent SMCC throughout the community.
Sarah is a native of Southwest Missouri, having been born in Springfield and raised in Strafford. She completed her first two years of college at Ozarks Technical Community College, where she developed a passion for workforce development and ending the stigma associated with skilled trade professions. After completing her Associates Degree, Sarah transferred to Drury University, where she studied Public Relations.
Sarah has a background in politics, with experience working on multiple political campaigns and as a copywriter for a political consulting firm, where she wrote for over 30 candidates from across the nation. She has been involved in various political and civic engagement groups to raise awareness for various issues and encourage voter turnout.
In addition to her role at Show Me Christian County, Sarah is on the leadership team for the Nixa Young Professionals and is a Chamber Ambassador for the Ozark Chamber of Commerce. Sarah is newly married to her husband, Jed, who also works in Christian County as an HVAC technician.
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Committed To Christian County
At SMCC, we are much more than a resource for businesses; rather, we are a partnership, dedicated to the continued and lasting development of our beautiful, innovative, and expanding county.
Show Me Christian County · 417-212-0699 · info@showmeccmo.com