Power Profile: Carrie Tergin, Jefferson City Mayor

Not long after Carrie Tergin was elected to a second term as Jefferson City’s Mayor, an F3 tornado struck the city. In the aftermath, the city came together to focus on what’s important: the people.

“In an instant, you realize that things don’t matter - it’s people,” said Tergin. “It’s your friends and family that really matter in life after you see a tornado come through and rip apart so many things right before your eyes.”

The event also showcased how most take electric power for granted. Following the tornado, Ameren Missouri had numerous crews out to restore power quickly.

“There was an instantaneous response from Ameren,” explains Tergin. “I’ve never seen so many power trucks and people working so hard to get that power restored as quickly as possible. They showed up, worked hard, and got the power restored so very quickly at a time when we had to have it. We needed it for health and safety, among other things.”

Power is a key component to current and future plans for strengthening Jefferson City. One of the Smart Energy Plan initiatives currently underway is an upgrade to the underground network that powers the city and state buildings in downtown Jefferson City. Another recent partnership between Ameren and the city has been the construction of the Bicentennial Bridge, a new Capital city feature allowing pedestrians and bikers to access and enjoy the Missouri River in the downtown area.

“Ameren is always a good partner in everything we’ve done,” said Tergin. “In order to build the Bicentennial Bridge, we had to relocate some power lines and reconfigure that area, and that was something that they were very helpful in getting accomplished. Without that, we could not have built it there.”

Tergin is only the second female to lead Jefferson City as mayor. She was first elected to the role in 2015 and is now rounding out her final term in the office this year. She served on the city council before that and is a third-generation small business owner in the Capitol city.

Her most rewarding moments in office? Witnessing and driving the growth of projects that the people of Jefferson City have dreamed about for decades.

“I was able to set goals and set a vision for revitalizing our community, and seeing some of those goals that we had thought about for years and actually get them to fruition,” said Tergin. “If you work hard and set your mind to something, you really can do anything. I think that’s been proven in leading through some of the most trying times in our community— having a tornado, having a pandemic, having some challenges that we faced— and weather all those storms and come out stronger. It’s been a high honor.”

As her time in office comes to a close, Tergin plans to enjoy her last few months as Jefferson City’s mayor. She hopes that when her term ends that she can continue to serve her community.

“I’m open to the opportunities to continue in public service,” she says. “Hopefully, that right opportunity will be there, and I can go after it.”

Tergin, just like Ameren Missouri, values the importance of supporting and growing the community.

“When you have companies in the community that get on board with the excitement, like Ameren keeping our power going strong so we [as citizens] don’t have to think about it, it really does help all of us for a better experience and life here in Jefferson City,” she says.

Published on by Gregory Hauenstein.