CEO Roundtable w. Fred Parry

The Mid-Missouri Board of Realtors says the median price for a single-family home in Columbia in July was $389,000, up 11 percent from July 2025 and breaking the previous record of $375,000. Boone County single-family home sales were nearly flat in July, while Columbia sales were down six percent. Sixth-generation homebuilder Orie Hemme of Columbia-based Hemme Construction joined host Fred Parry in-studio for the hour Saturday on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable." The 30-year-old Hemme has been full-time for eight years. He discussed efforts to bring attainable housing to Columbia in the $275,000 to $300,000 range and spoke in-detail about Amberton Place in northwest Columbia. Mr. Parry and Mr. Hemme also discussed the HBA Home show, which is wrapping up today at Columbia Mall:

Love Columbia opened its doors in 2008 to coordinate efforts of various churches and volunteers to help neighbors in need. It began at Love INC. Love Columbia serves anyone in Columbia who struggles to provide for their basic needs and wants to create a path forward. Many of their clients have nowhere else to turn. Love Columbia founder and executive director Jane Williams and Love Columbia Car Care Ministries leader Howdy Matheny joined host Fred Parry in studio Saturday on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable." Jane has been a social worker for more than 40 years, and Howdy has been in Columbia since 1977 and worked at UPS in Columbia for 45 years. Love Columbia has already prevented 314 evictions in Columbia in 2026, through June:

Columbia voters this week narrowly approved Proposition One, a one percent sales/use tax that would be dedicated to public safety. Boone County clerk Brianna Lennon’s office says it passed 15,042 to 14,957, which is 85 votes. Police chief Jill Schlude has said that a new police headquarters is planned, with the voter-approved measure. Chief Schlude says CPD will locate in the former IBM building on Lemone Industrial. The current Columbia police station downtown is 93 years old. Columbia city manager De’Carlon Seewood says with passage of Proposition One, $38-million will be generated annually and that there would be 50 additional police officers and 40 additional firefighters over four years. Comobuz publisher Mike Murphy joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable", telling listeners that city officials see a passionately divided community. Mr. Murphy says Columbia needs more police. Fred's show also featured Nehemiah Oginni, who is one of the organizers of the September 10 Christian rally on Mizzou's campus in Columbia. It's called "Come and See" and you're invited to attend:

Columbia-based Boone Electric started in 1936 and was the first electric cooperative in Missouri. It was created during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and was part of the REA project. Boone Electric president Todd Culley joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable." While Boone Electric's biggest service area is in Boone County, it also serves five other mid-Missouri counties: Audrain, Callaway, Howard, Monroe and Randolph. Mr. Culley says Boone Electric has about 30,000 voting members and about 36,000 meters. He says Mother Nature and talent retention are two big challenges Boone Electric and other electric cooperatives are facing. “The things that it takes to actually build and maintain an electrical system. Significantly higher increases than what we would see in a standard inflation number or consumer pricing index number," Mr. Culley tells host Fred Parry. Mr. Culley also discussed their upcoming annual meeting in September:

Columbia businessman Nic Parks is known across town and in Boone County for numerous businesses he owns, including Level Up at Columbia Mall, Lakeside Ashland, the popular Slab City card store at Columbia Mall and Shiloh Bar and Grill downtown. Mr. Parks purchased Shiloh in 2021. He joined host Fred Parry in-studio for the hour Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable" and discussed his businesses and his decision to close the business incubator in downtown Columbia. Fred Parry describes Nic Parks as a "serial entrepreneur." Mr. Parks grew up in Florissant, which is a St. Louis suburb. He came to Columbia to attend school in 1997 and has been here ever since. He and Fred also discussed Lakeside Ashland and the drive-in theatre there:

The founder of Columbia-based Hunsaker Vortex Smokers, Mark Hunsaker, has created a company that's known nationally and internationally. His company, which is located on Columbia's Brown Station Road, is all about barbecue. Mr. Hunsaker joined host Fred Parry on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable", telling listeners that his customers are very serious competition smokers in BBQ. They take it seriously spend thousands of dollars at BBQ competitions. Mark grew up near Quincy Illinois and graduated from Western Illinois. He's the first in his family to graduate from college and arrived in Columbia after college to work for Silvey Insurance Company:

Columbia voters will head to the polls in August to cast ballots on Proposition 1, a proposed one percent sales/use tax that would be dedicated to public safety. Columbia officials say it’s needed to stabilize the city’s police and firefighter’s retirement fund. City manager De’Carlon Seewood has told 939 the Eagle that if voters approve Proposition 1, $38-million would be generated annually and that there would be 50 additional police officers and 40 additional firefighters over four years, along with two new fire stations with apparatus and a new police station. Comobuz publisher Mike Murphy joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable". Mike tells listeners he believes voters will reject Proposition 1 and that the city should have waited until November to place it on the ballot:

The Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) director is in her 15th year in that position. CVB director Amy Schneider joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday on 939 the Eagle's "CEO Roundtable." They tackled sports tourism, the importance of Gans Creek's cross country course from a national perspective and talk of a conference center. She says tourism in Columbia means jobs and sales tax revenue. “Tourism spending in fiscal year ’25 reached $577.5 million, employing over 11,000 people," Schneider tells Mr. Parry:

The president of Columbia-based Boone Health hopes to see a decision on a strategic partner by the end of the calendar year. Boone Health president and chief executive officer Brady Dubois joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable”." They tackled the strategic partner issue, Missouri Heart Center's closure, the Glasgow clinic, the Nifong Plaza campus and numerous other topics during the one-hour interview. Mr. Dubois says imaging visits at the Nifong Plaza campus have seen a 217 percent increase since 2016, while therapy visits for physical, speech and occupational therapy have increased by 85 percent:

Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) director Michelle Hataway describes Allegiant’s new Florida service at Columbia Regional Airport (COU) as a gamechanger for COU and for the mid-Missouri region. COU is the nation’s fastest-growing airport, according to aviation firm Mead and Hunt. Airport manager Michael Parks joined host Fred Parry in-studio Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable.” Mr. Parks is grateful for the strong interest you’ve shown in Allegiant’s new flights from Columbia to Destin-Fort Walton Beach and to Orlando Sanford. “Getting them to sign on here in Columbia … I would say it’s an absolute gamechanger for our airport and what we look like in the future," Mr. Parks tells listeners. Mr. Parks also addressed Delta Airlines, American Airlines' Charlotte flights, COU's new shuttle and numerous other topics during the interview. The new shuttle is equipped with 15 passenger seats and rear luggage storage for larger bags. COU welcomed about 242,000 passengers in 2025, a record and a 17 percent increase over 2024 numbers: