Jason Grill
Encyclopedia
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Missouri House of Representatives
Missouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
. He resides in Parkville, Missouri
Parkville, Missouri
Parkville is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,059 at the 2000 census. Parkville is known for its antique shops, art galleries, and historic downtown. The city is home to Park University and English Landing Park....
, United States.
Jason Grill was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, in the Southern Platte County
Platte County, Missouri
As of the census of 2000, there were 73,781 people, 29,278 households, and 20,231 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile . There were 30,902 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
area. His parents were Brad and Clarissa Grill. Jason attended kindergarten through eighth grade at St. Therese Grade School in Platte County. As a young man, Jason was involved in many community activities including Southern Platte County baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and soccer, the Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts
A Boy Scout is a member of a Scouting organization. There are thousands of national Scouting organizations or federations; these are grouped into six international Scouting associations with some non-aligned organizations....
, as well as various activities at St. Therese Catholic Church. Jason played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
for St. Therese and took part in three school plays.
High school
After graduating from St. Therese, he next attended Saint Pius X Catholic High School (Kansas City, Missouri)Saint Pius X Catholic High School (Kansas City, Missouri)
Saint Pius X Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic university preparatory secondary school in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph....
. While there he became an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
, earned three varsity letters
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in football, was captain of the football team his senior year, earned two varsity letters in basketball and earned two varsity letters in tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. He also was Student Council Vice President and a member of the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
. One of his most exciting accomplishments at St. Pius X was being named a Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
Star Scholar Athlete on Father's Day
Father's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
. He graduated in the top 10 of his class with a 3.83 grade point average.
College
Jason's work at St. Pius X High School led him to Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
in St. Louis, where he was awarded the Saint Louis University Leadership Scholarship. He was a fan of the Monkees and did many hours of community service for organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501 non-profit organization whose mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that try to have a measurable impact on youth....
, St. Louis Parks and Recreation and the St. Louis inner-city mentorship program. During his time at the University he joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
and took an active role as philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
chairman, where he organized events to help raise money for the Children's Miracle Network
Children's Miracle Network
The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is an international non-profit organization that raises funds for children's hospitals, medical research and community awareness of children's health issues. The organization, founded in 1982 by the Osmond family and John Schneider, is headquartered in...
and the Save Davy Jones Foundation. While at SLU he was also a member of the Omicron Delta Epsilon
Omicron Delta Epsilon
Omicron Delta Epsilon is an international honor society in the field of economics. Resulting from the merger of Omicron Delta Gamma and Omicron Chi Epsilon, ODE was founded in 1963 . Its board of trustees includes well-known economists such as Robert Lucas, Kenneth Arrow, and Robert Solow...
Economics Honor Society, the National Deans List Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma or ΒΓΣ is an honor society for business students and scholars. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, it has over 650,000 members, selected from over 500 chapters in AACSB-accredited business schools...
Business Honor Society, the Golden Key
Golden Key International Honour Society
The Golden Key International Honour Society is an Atlanta, Georgia-based non-profit organization founded in 1977 to recognise academic achievement among college and university students in all disciplines....
National Honor Society, the Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Alpha Delta
ΦAΔ , or P.A.D., is the largest co-ed professional law fraternity in the United States of America. Phi Alpha Delta has members who are university students, law school students, lawyers, judges, senators, and even presidents. It was founded in 1902 and today has over 300,000 initiated members...
Pre Law Fraternity, the Alpha Sigma Nu
Alpha Sigma Nu
Alpha Sigma Nu was founded at Marquette University in 1915 by John Danihy, S.J., Dean of Journalism. In his travels and reading, Father Danihy had encountered and admired honor societies...
Jesuit Honor Society, and Oriflamme where he was a welcome week leader and mentor for incoming freshmen. Jason graduated from Saint Louis University Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors Degree in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and a Minor in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.
While at Saint Louis University he studied international economics
International economics
International economics is concerned with the effects upon economic activity of international differences in productive resources and consumer preferences and the institutions that affect them...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy through the Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
. In this capacity he was able to study economic development in Italy and throughout Europe. He also took on many different jobs during this time period. While in college he worked for the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
Law Firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, as well as the St. Louis Law Firm, Thompson Coburn LLP. His most exciting job took him to Washington D.C. where he interned at The White House in the Office of the Vice President in 2000. At The White House Jason worked as an assistant to the Vice President's Senior Advisor for urban redevelopment and economic policy
Economic policy
Economic policy refers to the actions that governments take in the economic field. It covers the systems for setting interest rates and government budget as well as the labor market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the economy.Such policies are often...
, Alvin Brown
Alvin Brown (politician)
Alvin Brown is an American politician who is currently Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. The first African American elected to the position, he succeeded John Peyton on July 1, 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Life and career:...
. Near the end of the summer of 2000, he attended and helped plan the 2000 Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California.
Law School
After graduating from college, Jason enrolled at the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
-Columbia Law School. While at Missouri, he earned an advanced certificate in dispute resolution
Dispute resolution
Dispute resolution is the process of resolving disputes between parties.-Methods:Methods of dispute resolution include:* lawsuits * arbitration* collaborative law* mediation* conciliation* many types of negotiation* facilitation...
, and was a member of the Dean's List
Dean's List
A Dean's List is a category of students in a college or university who achieve high grades during their stay in an academic term or academic year. In secondary schools, or high schools, the term Consistent Honor List or Honor Roll is more common, but Dean's List and Consistent Honor List are...
three times. Jason went back to Washington D.C. where he interned in the CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Washington D.C. Bureau.
One of Jason's most enlightening experiences came when he interned at the Missouri State Capitol
Missouri State Capitol
The Missouri State Capitol is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Housing the Missouri General Assembly, it is located in the state capital of Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue. The domed building was designed by the New York architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout and completed in 1917...
in Jefferson City, during his last semester in Columbia. While at the Capitol, Jason worked with representative Trent Skaggs and other Kansas City Northland Democrat legislators, as well as various Statewide officials. This gave Jason an intimate understanding of the recent issues and challenges facing Missouri, as well as a close-up view of the day to day routine of a Missouri legislator.
Post law school
After passing the Missouri Bar Exam in 2004, and the Kansas Bar Exam in early 2005, Jason became a founding member of the Grill Law Firm, LLC with his father, Brad Grill. The firm has two offices in the 32nd District, in Parkville, MissouriParkville, Missouri
Parkville is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,059 at the 2000 census. Parkville is known for its antique shops, art galleries, and historic downtown. The city is home to Park University and English Landing Park....
and in Kansas City. Jason is now a member of King Hershey PC with offices in Downtown Kansas City. He has also recently worked at Holtsclaw & Kendall LC. Jason is a member of the Missouri Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
The Kansas Bar Association is a voluntary, non-profit bar association for the state of Kansas with the headquarters located at 12th and Harrison St. in Topeka. The KBA has approximately 7,000 members and was founded in 1882.- Membership :...
, the Platte and Clay County Bar Association and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.
In 2004, Jason became an Adjunct Professor at Park University
Park University
Park University is an independent, private institution of higher education based in Parkville, Missouri. Established in 1875 as a small church-related college, it has now expanded into an electronic learning institution and provider of education courses for the U.S...
in Parkville, Missouri
Parkville, Missouri
Parkville is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,059 at the 2000 census. Parkville is known for its antique shops, art galleries, and historic downtown. The city is home to Park University and English Landing Park....
. Jason teaches undergraduate classes in legal analysis, business law and macroeconomics
Macroeconomics
Macroeconomics is a branch of economics dealing with the performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of the whole economy. This includes a national, regional, or global economy...
. He also teaches a graduate level class covering the legal, social and ethical environment of business.
Community involvement
Jason is currently a member of the Parkville Chamber of Commerce, Riverside Chamber of Commerce, Northland Chamber of Commerce, Platte County Economic Development Council, National Federation of Independent Business, a lector and parishioner at St. Therese Catholic Church in Parkville, a member of the Parkville Lions Club, a 4th Degree Member and Council Advocate of the Knights of Columbus at St. Therese Catholic Church, an adult scout leader of Boy Scout Troop 261, a team captain of the Southern Platte County Athletic Association's Capital Campaign, a member of the National Wild Turkey FederationNational Wild Turkey Federation
The National Wild Turkey Federation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage...
, a member of Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, Inc. is a nonprofit conservation organization in the United States formed in response to the continuing decline of upland wildlife. Pheasants Forever have 700 chapters, including 74 in Minnesota, and about 110,000 members Nationwide, including 22,500 in Minnesota. Quail Forever,...
, an honorary member of the Missouri Sheriff's Association and a 2005 governor of the American Royal
American Royal
The American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri is a livestock show, horse show and rodeo held each year in October and November at Kemper Arena. The Future Farmers of America was founded during the Royal and Kansas City's professional baseball team the Kansas City Royals derive their name from the...
.
2004 election campaign
In 2004 Jason ran for the same 32nd District Missouri House of RepresentativesMissouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
seat that he is running for in 2006. In 2004, Jason ran against three term incumbent State Representative Susan Phillips.
Although Jason did not win this hard fought election, he was only defeated by 224 votes out of nearly 20,000 cast, a 50 to 49 percent outcome. This was the closest Missouri State Representative election in the 2004 general election.
2006 election campaign
In 2006, at the age of 27, Jason Grill was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. Jason won by a 9272 to 6148 vote margin (60.1 percent to 39.9 percent) in a hotly contested race. Jason won every precinct in Missouri House District 32 on his way to victory.First-term State Representative
In his first session in the Missouri House of Representatives (2007), Rep. Grill was unanimously elected as the Treasurer of the Freshman Member Caucus. He was the only freshman member of the minority party to sponsor and pass a bill in the Missouri House, as well as the only freshman member of the minority party to handle and pass a senate bill during the 2007 legislative session. Rep. Grill has served on important committees including tax reform, small business, health insurance and senior nutrition. In 2008, Rep. Grill passed sponsored legislation, which was signed into law by the Governor, which helps fight identity theftIdentity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
in Missouri and protect consumers who have been the victims of identity theft.
2008 election campaign
In Jason's 2008 reelection for the Missouri House of Representatives, Jason ran unopposed and garnered 97 percent of the vote. He received more votes then any other State Representative candidate in his party statewide, 18,029. Jason also received the 4th most votes of any Missouri State Representative candidate, out of 272 candidates regardless of political party, statewide in Missouri.2010 election campaign
In this election, Jason lost 50-49 in his bid for a third term to Ron Schieber, former President of the Park Hill School BoardPark Hill School District
The Park School District encompasses most of southern Platte County, Missouri, in the Northland region of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. There are eight cities and towns that are partly or entirely within the district boundaries, including Parkville, Riverside, Weatherby Lake, Platte Woods,...
.