Mayoral, council, school board races on Carl Junction ballot
Apr. 1—CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction voters will see a mix of new and familiar faces on the ballot this Tuesday when several incumbents face off with challengers for mayoral, school board and council posts.
Incumbent Mark Powers, who has been Carl Junction mayor since 2017, is being challenged by former Mayor Michael Moss. The seat carries a two-year term.
—Powers, 75, worked as a operations manager at Eagle-Picher and is retired. He graduated in 1965 from Wichita Southeast High School and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1970 from the University of Kansas. He formerly served as a Carl Junction City Council member for seven years before becoming mayor in 2017. He has lived in Carl Junction for 46 years.
—Moss, 66, formerly worked for Consumers Markets for 18 years and as a custodian at Missouri Southern State University for 14 years. He also is retired. The Parkwood High School graduate has lived in Carl Junction for 37 years. He also served as a Carl Junction council member from 1997 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2005. He served as mayor from 2005 to 2017. He did not seek reelection for the mayoral position in 2017.
City Council
The only seat being challenged on the Carl Junction City Council is in Ward 3. Incumbent Jim Gozia is facing opponent David Pyle.
—Gozia, 70, worked for a beverage distributor out of Joplin for 40 years and currently works part-time as a lab courier with Freeman Health System. He was first appointed to the Carl Junction council in December 2020 following the resignation of longtime member Richard Zaccardelli and was elected to a full term in 2021. The Parkwood High School graduate studied at MSSU for two years before serving in the Air Force from 1971 to 1974.
—Pyle, 48, has served as the assistant superintendent for operations with the Carl Junction School District since 2019. Before that, he was the assistant principal at Carl Junction High School for five years and then was promoted to principal in 2010. He was also a science teacher at schools in Carl Junction, Neosho and Golden City. Pyle earned his bachelor's degree in education from Missouri Southern in 1997, a master's degree in educational leadership from Pittsburg State University in 2005 and holds specialty and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from Southwest Baptist University. He's a lifelong resident of the area and has lived in Carl Junction for 26 years. He has not previously held public office.
Board of Education
Four candidates are running for three open seats on the Carl Junction Board of Education. Each seat carries a three-year term.
Incumbents Travis Spencer, Brian Massey and Rob Herron are vying for the seats against challenger Jason Mickey, who ran for the board in 2022, but was defeated by incumbents Larry Cowger and Robert Hays.
—Spencer, 46, is the president of Pinnacle Bank at 802 S. Main St. in Joplin and has served on the school board since 2014. He's a lifelong resident of the area and earned a business degree from MSSU.
—Massey, 46, works as a financial adviser for Edward Jones and has served on the Carl Junction board for six years. The Carl Junction High School graduate earned a degree in agriculture business/marketing sales in 1999 from Southwest Missouri State University.
—Herron, 60, is a dentist and the national speaker for the American Academy of Clear Aligners. He served on the school board from 2000 to 2015 and was reelected in 2020. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Pittsburg (Kansas) State University and holds a doctor of dental surgery degree from Creighton University Dental School. He has lived in the Four-State Area for 51 years.
—Mickey, 46, is the executive vice president of Fleenor Bros. Enterprises Inc. and is the owner of Mickey 5 Properties LLC. and White Line Leasing LLC. He graduated in 1998 from MSSU with a bachelor's degree in business administration/marketing. He has lived in Carl Junction since 1996. This is his first bid for elective office.
