Speakers
Jana Rosier serves as the Director of Economic Development for Osage Valley Electric Cooperative, where she works to strengthen the rural communities the cooperative serves across west-central Missouri. In her role, she helps attract business and community development opportunities while building partnerships that support long-term economic growth and quality of life for local residents.
Jana is actively involved in several local and statewide organizations that support economic development, entrepreneurship, and community leadership, including chambers of commerce, Rotary, and the Missouri Economic Development Council. She is passionate about helping rural communities remain vibrant places to live and work.
Jana and her husband live on their fifth-generation cattle farm, which keeps her well-grounded in the realities—and rewards—of rural life.
A southwest Missouri native, Ben Vickers earned his bachelor of science in Political Science from Missouri State University in 2020. Before joining the Springfield Area Chamber in May 2023, he served as director of economic development for Vernon County, Missouri, where he played a key role in establishing an economic development program that created over 250 jobs and launched a Main Street Organization. Ben sits on the board of the Downtown Springfield Association, the Missouri State University Alumni Association, and the Rural Missouri Inc. SW Loan committee. Since 2026, Ben has directly assisted in the creation of over 1,300 new jobs, and $420 billion in new capital investment in Southwest Missouri.
Sheridan Garman-Neeman is the Chief Operations Officer of New Growth CDC, a rural community development corporation expanding opportunity through entrepreneurship, access to capital, and regional food-system initiatives. A founding member of New Growth, she now helps guide its strategic growth, including the development of New Growth Capital, an emerging CDFI. Sheridan brings a strong background in planning and economic development, previously serving as Executive Director of a Regional Planning Commission and fostering collaboration across west-central Missouri’s rural ecosystem. She is known for pairing strategic vision with a deep commitment to strengthening the communities of rural America.
