CLINT ZWEIFEL (ZWY-ful) was sworn in as Missouri’s 45th State Treasurer on Jan. 12, 2009. At 35, Treasurer Zweifel became Missouri’s youngest State Treasurer in more than a century. He was re-elected Nov. 6, 2012, winning by more than 130,000 votes.

Treasurer Zweifel’s strategic priorities include growing the economy and putting Missourians back to work, creating access to an affordable college education and running an efficient and accountable office.

Upon taking office, Treasurer Zweifel focused on creating and retaining Missouri jobs and reinvesting in communities by championing his 2009 jobs and economic development legislative package. The legislation passed unanimously, was signed into law and has helped thousands of Missourians. The centerpiece has been $1.3 billion lent through the expanded Missouri Linked Deposit Program, which provides low-interest loans to small business owners and farmers. These loans have impacted more than 25,000 jobs and farmers. This includes $264 million in loans that would not have been allowed before the passage of Treasurer Zweifel’s jobs package.

Management of the state’s investments is the responsibility of Treasurer Zweifel. He oversees $24 billion in annual state revenues, directs banking services and oversees Missouri’s $3.6 billion investment portfolio. Treasurer Zweifel’s steady hand has also seen Missouri maintain its perfect Aaa bond rating from all three major credit rating agencies – making Missouri one of only nine states in the nation to achieve that feat.

Treasurer Zweifel continues to push for increased access to college for Missouri families through use of MOST–Missouri’s 529 College Savings Plan, which he sponsors. He has led efforts to provide incentives to encourage more Missourians to use the program to save for college education. In his first term, Treasurer Zweifel has lowered management fees of MOST 529 by 54 percent – a move that will save Missourians more than $23 million over five years. MOST 529 has $2 billion in assets, with more than 180,000 account owners, each an all-time high.

Safeguarding and returning $750 million in Unclaimed Property turned over by banks, businesses, insurance companies and government agencies is a focus of Treasurer Zweifel. He has returned $140 million to more than 490,000 accounts during a critical time in Missouri’s economy. He also set Unclaimed Property records during fiscal year 2012 by returning more than $38 million to 130,000 account owners. In 2010, he launched a 100 percent paperless claims process, and cut wait times in half for returns compared to December 2008.

During the 2010 legislative session, Treasurer Zweifel developed and worked to pass the Veterans Medals Bill. He was successful, the bill passed unanimously and the Governor signed it in June. This law made it illegal for unclaimed military medals held as Unclaimed Property to ever be auctioned by Treasurer Zweifel’s office or any future administrations. Additionally, the law provided the foundation for his four-point plan to protect and return unclaimed military medals - (1) Forbid sale of all unclaimed military medals; (2) Work with veterans organizations to increase awareness of unclaimed military medals to encourage more Missourians to search Unclaimed Property; (3) Statewide research partnerships with museums and veterans organizations to speed up the return of medals; and (4) In the event the veteran or heir cannot be located, Treasurer Zweifel will partner with well-qualified museums to care for and display military medals.

Between May 2009 and May 2010, Treasurer Zweifel chaired the Missouri Housing Development Commission. In that time he oversaw a $630 million investment in housing that created 2,600 jobs and housing for 10,000 Missourians a year for 30 years. He continues to work toward providing quality affordable housing for all Missourians, and has developed a plan to strategically tackle homelessness for the 24,000 Missourians facing it every night. In August 2011, Treasurer Zweifel saw the ratification of his housing plan that provides supportive housing for homeless persons or people at risk of homelessness. The plan required no spending and will save taxpayers money through coordination of services. To date it has created 618 units of high-quality long-term housing that gives some of the most vulnerable Missourians a place to call home.

A transparent and accountable administration is one of Treasurer Zweifel’s core principles. While chair of the state’s housing agency he implemented live webcasting of meetings and has been a watchdog for transparency on the state’s pension fund. He maintains an Open Government portal on his website. Additionally, Treasurer Zweifel received an “excellent” audit rating from the State Auditor following fiscal year 2011.

Prior to serving as State Treasurer, Zweifel represented the 78th District in the Missouri House of Representatives for six years. His district covered parts of northwest St. Louis County, including parts of Bridgeton, Florissant and Hazelwood.

Treasurer Zweifel won election to the House in 2002 by a 67-vote margin among more than 13,000 votes cast. He won again in 2004 with 70 percent of the vote, and was uncontested in 2006. While in the House, Treasurer Zweifel focused on college access and affordability and developed and sponsored Missouri Promise. The legislation guaranteed any child in Missouri a four-year college degree by expanding the A+ Program. Missouri Promise allowed any student who graduated from an accredited A+ high school to then go to a two-year community college free of charge. If the student maintained the required grades and completed community service while at the community college, he or she would be eligible to complete a four-year degree at any Missouri public university or college at no cost.

Born Nov. 3, 1973, in St. Louis, Treasurer Zweifel grew up in nearby Florissant. His dad is a retired union carpenter and his mom is a retired hairdresser. He graduated from Hazelwood West High School in 1992. Treasurer Zweifel was the first member of his family to attend college. He graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1996. In 2001, he graduated from UMSL with a Master of Business Administration. Treasurer Zweifel resides in Columbia with his wife, Janice, and their two wonderful girls, Selma and Ellie.

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