Missouri Problem Gambling Alliance Names New Chair
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Joanne Collins, a member of the Board of Commissioners for the Port Authority of Kansas City, recently was named chairperson of the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling, a group of public, private and non-profit organizations that work together on issues related to gambling.
Collins, a former member of Kansas City's City Council, was elected for the one-year term last week to replace outgoing chairperson Kevin Mullally, executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission. Keith Spare, president of the Missouri Council on Problem Gambling Concerns Inc., was named vice chairperson of the Alliance. Spare is the program director at Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center in Kansas City.
As chairperson, Collins will oversee the Alliance's participation in the planning of the Midwest Conference on Problem Gambling and Substance Abuse, Aug. 16-18, in Kansas City.
"Research on problem gambling issues in Missouri is vital to improving the services currently offered to Missouri residents," Collins said. "Through a study of the state's Disassociated Persons Program and additional studies scheduled this year, we hope to learn more on how we can reach out to help problem gamblers and their families."
