A member of a pioneer family of Polk County, Darin Chappell has strong family ties to Bolivar in specific and to Polk County in general. He and his wife of twenty-seven years, Carole Ann, lived in Fair Play for a time, and two of their three children attended Fair Play schools. Their two daughters are grown and live in Springfield, while their son is a student at Bolivar Middle School.
Darin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a minor in Public Administration, and earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Missouri State University. Darin was a Per Course Faculty member for MSU for more than four years, teaching Public Administration, Public Budgeting and Finance, and American Government, with a heavy emphasis in Political Philosophy and studying the Foundation Documents of our Nation. In addition, Darin worked with MSU through the Center for Social Sciences and Public Policy Research (CSSPPR), and the Missouri Local Government Program, offering aid to, among others, the Missouri City Clerks and Finance Officers Association (MoCCFOA). Darin has publically lectured on the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Missouri, Public Finance and Budgeting, Political Philosophy of the Founding Fathers, and the involvement of the individual citizen in the political process.
Darin began his tenure as City Administrator for the City of Bolivar on April 1, 2012.