Jefferson City: Vivek Malek is Missouri’s new treasurer and the first Indian American to hold a statewide public office.
Gov. Mike Parson announced Malek’s appointment Tuesday afternoon in a news conference at the Capitol. Malek, an India native and Wildwood resident, will serve out the remaining two years of Scott Fitzpatrick’s term before facing an election in 2024.
“I want to make sure every child in Missouri grows up with the same opportunities I have had here,” Malek told reporters. “I know that times have been tough lately. I believe that Missouri needs a steady, conservative hand in the Office of Treasurer, and I will work every day to make sure taxpayers’ money is invested wisely and directed in the most prudent ways possible.
“My tenure will be guided by the conservative principles that I hold most dear,” he said.
Malek, who has never held a public office, will begin serving as the state’s chief financial officer in January.
Parson described Malek as a “proud Republican and a strong Catholic,” whose “conservative principles are unimpeachable.” Arriving to Missouri as an international student with $300 in his pocket, Parson said Malek embodies the American dream.
“State government is all about hand-ups, not handouts,” Parson said. “And that is something Vivek has worked for throughout his entire career and why we know he will be a fantastic state leader.”
Malek is a St. Louis businessman and attorney focused on legal immigration litigation and business immigration consulting. He’s practiced law in Missouri since 2006 and opened the Law Offices of Vivek Malek in 2011.
In 2020, Parson appointed Malek to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents. Malek has been an occasional donor to Republicans, including Parson, the Missouri Independent reports.
(Source: newstribune.com)
