FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE City Council has selected Thomas Prater, M.D., as the new Zone 2 council representative at a special City Council meeting Sept. 20. Dr. Prater was born in Springfield and is an eye surgeon in private practice with Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center Inc. He has lived in Zone 2 for nine years. Dr. Prater received his undergraduate education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and his medical education from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed a residency in ophthalmology at Barnes Hospital at Washington University. Prior to founding Mattax-Neu-Prater in 1999, Dr. Prater practiced at Eye Surgeons of Springfield. Dr. Prater currently serves as a member of Drury University’s board of trustees executive committee. He has served as president and board member of the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education; Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Foundation for Springfield Public Schools and is a past member of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors, serving on its executive committee for one year. Dr. Prater has also served as co-chair of the Every Child Promise board, is a former board member of Springfield Little Theatre, has served on the advisory committee for Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts and is a founding board member of Vision Rehabilitation Center of the Ozarks. Dr. Prater and his wife, Kimberley Alexander Prater, M.D., have two grown daughters: Alexandra and Bronwyn. ### For more information, please contact City Clerk Anita Cotter at 417-864-1651 or [email protected] or Cora Scott at 417-864-1009 or [email protected]