About Kyle Kerns
About Kyle Kerns
Welcome, friends!
Born and raised on a farm near Hale, in rural northwest Missouri, Kyle is a fifth-generation Missourian. The son of a farmer and public school teacher, Kyle learned early the value of hard work, watching the countless hours both parents poured into their careers. While there were always jobs to do on the farm, his parents made sure Kyle and his three older sisters always balanced their chores with their education. All four went on to graduate from public colleges, with one sister and two brothers-in-law finding careers as public school teachers themselves while his other two sisters work in healthcare (one a speech pathologist and the other a dietician). With his parents raising four kids on their family farm, Kyle had no choice but to also learn the value of financial responsibility, something he carries with him today.
Public education through college
Missouri 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees
Certified Public Accountant
Chief Financial Officer of venture capital firm
Kyle earned a degree in accountancy from Missouri State University, relying on scholarships and student loans in addition to various jobs during his time in Springfield. During college, he learned about state government firsthand when he interned in Jefferson City with then-State Representative Bill Ransdall. He worked on various legislative issues and helped constituents during his time there. Kyle settled in Oakville after graduation to build his life and career. A Missouri-licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Kyle worked for the St. Louis office of BKD, a regional accounting firm, and then spent 15 years at the home office of Edward Jones as an internal auditor and held various financial and operational leadership roles. In 2019, Kyle became the Chief Financial Officer and Operations Lead at Cultivation Capital, a St. Louis-based venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs start and build successful companies.
From bake sales to fish frys, if any person or group needed assistance in the rural area where Kyle grew up, everyone would show up to help. That was the mantra of his family, friends, church, and entire community. It made Kyle recognize the importance of always lending a helping hand, which has driven him to volunteer through various organizations. He found the same sense of community in the Oakville area, where he’s chosen to make his home for over 20 years.
Kyle was a highly-active member of 4-H when he was young, serving as President of the State 4-H Council as a youth. He continued to volunteer with the organization and now serves on the Missouri 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees, recently finishing a term as chairperson. In addition, he is a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church and remains so today.
20-year Oakville resident
Family in farming, public schools, and healthcare
In his spare time, Kyle enjoys running, having completed two marathons and numerous half marathons, and traveling the state and country, allowing him to learn more about the people, culture, and history of America. He particularly enjoys visiting as many state capitols as he can. Kyle is also a proud uncle of nine nieces and nephews and tries as hard as possible to keep up with them and their various pursuits.
Kyle is familiar with the issues facing both rural and urban Missourians. He grew up in a small, rural community and has since experienced urban life in two of Missouri’s larger cities. He sees the differences and the similarities between both and understands that what makes Missouri great is exactly what makes South County great – the people, their sense of community, and their desire to make tomorrow better than today. He’s excited to take that attitude to Jefferson City and represent ALL the residents of the 94th district.