Successful businessman, family man, and community volunteer Jeff Vernetti has announced his candidacy for state representative in the 123rd Missouri House District. Vernetti, whose Camden County enterprises include Ballparks National, LOZ Sports Training, and Vernetti’s Italian Grocer, sits on a number of community boards in the district and is active in various organizations.
Vernetti says he has become increasingly concerned about the lack of representation for the 123rd District. “We currently have a part-time representative who does not give a voice to our district in Jefferson City,” Vernetti said. “The 123rd is hugely important to the state’s economy. Agriculture and tourism are the top two industries in Missouri and we have both. And both are being ignored by the current representative. The 123rd District deserves better representation.”
Vernetti has turned 200 raw acres in Camden County into one of the premier attractions in Missouri, Ballparks National, west of Camdenton. His indoor sports training facility, LOZ Sports Training in Osage Beach, is giving young athletes opportunities to hone their skills under the watchful eye of some of the area’s best-known coaches. In the summer of 2023, the Vernetti family opened Vernetti’s Italian Grocer on the square in Camdenton which has quickly become one of the most popular eateries in the area. Vernetti’s entrepreneurism has created dozens of good jobs for residents of the 123rd District and brought millions of dollars of new tax revenue into Camden County.
Vernetti was a well-known St. Louis sports radio personality before turning his entrepreneurial skills toward the development of a world-class sports facility. His career path included managerial positions that required budgeting and personnel oversight. He now manages dozens of employees and the fiscal responsibilities of his various enterprises.
Vernetti is active in a number of local organizations and charities. He sits on the board of directors for Central Ozarks Medical Center, Lake West Chamber of Commerce, Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council, and the Macks Creek Community Park. He is the current president of the Camdenton Rotary Club and a member of the Osage Beach Elks Club, and the Camden County Republican Club.
Vernetti and his wife, Kelly, a School of the Osage teacher with 23 years of experience, have two children. Dominick is a former high school football standout who is a junior at Mizzou. Isabella is a high school senior. The family are active members of Calvary Chapel Lake of the Ozarks.