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Sallie started her work in disaster recovery in the public sector in 1993 as a Flood Recovery Coordinator working with the Missouri Community Development Block Grant Program where she assisted with the development and implementation of the State’s first large buyout program. Following her experiences with the Midwest Floods of 1993 and 1995, she worked alongside FEMA’s ESF-14 group to aid in the recovery of two Missouri communities impacted by tornadoes. She worked on a team with the Council of State Community Development Agencies to develop a Guide to Long Term Recovery. She continued her career with a specific focus on long term recovery and was deployed to Joplin following the devastating tornado there. Her work in the Department of Economic Development allowed for the identification and use of additional creative state tools to aid in disaster recovery. Most recently Sallie assisted with the development of the State Disaster Recovery Framework and co-authored the State Disaster Recovery Plan. She served as the Lead for both the Economic and Community Recovery Support Functions.

In December of 2018, Sallie left the Department and officially retired from State government.

A native of St. Louis, Sallie is a proud graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder. She resides on a small beef cattle farm in western Missouri.

Louise Knauer’s professional path began in journalism, continued in public service and culminated in philanthropy. With a journalism degree from Michigan State University, Louise worked for the Springfield (MO) Daily News as a reporter and editor covering rural Missouri, metro Springfield, business and features news. She then became the City of Springfield’s Director of Public Information, leading a team responsible for media, internal communications, special events and the City TV station. In 2010, she joined the Community Foundation of the Ozarks as its first Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing, later promoted to Chief Operating Officer as the foundation’s assets and geographic reach expanded. Louise first met Jane Cage during the response and recovery from the 2011 Joplin tornado and their projects include multiple disaster-preparedness initiatives. Since retiring in 2024, Louise has been working on special projects that bind her communications, civic and charitable perspectives. Her volunteer work includes Springfield’s Board of Public Utilities, the Downtown Springfield Independent Cinema, the Center City Redevelopment Corporation, Springfield Sister Cities Association and Friends of the Garden, along with memberships in the Rotary Club of Springfield and Greene County Master Gardeners.