A Commitment to Community Service
Riley Brazas has a long-standing tradition of service to the Fulton and Callaway County communities. Our attorneys take pride in supporting civic, charitable, and cultural organizations that strengthen the region we call home. Service to others is a core value of our firm and continues to define the character of Riley Brazas today.
Current Members
Thomas K. Riley began his public service career as law clerk to the Honorable Ann Covington of the Missouri Supreme Court in 1997 before joining the firm the next year. Since returning to Fulton, Riley has served as President of Callaway County Chamber of Commerce, Fulton Area Development Corporation, Fulton Colleges Board of Associates, Fulton Brick District Association, Callaway County Arts Council, Fulton Art House, Fulton Public School Foundation, Callaway County Board of Jail Visitors, and the Callaway County Bar Association. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Callaway County and the Kingdom of Callaway Historical society. Riley was a cofounder of The Brick District Playhouse and the Morels and Microbrews Festival and is the only person to receive three Callaway Chamber of Commerce awards: the J. H. Atkinson Award for Outstanding Leadership (2005), the Loyal Subject Award (2006), and the inaugural Bruce Harris Excellence in Leadership Award (2023). Riley continues to provide pro bono representation for SERVE Inc., Open Table, and numerous churches and public charities.
Jacquelyn Brazas, who joined the firm in 2012 and became a shareholder in 2021, continues this legacy of service. She currently serves as President of the Callaway County United Way and participates in the Fulton Rotary Club. Brazas has also contributed to the Callaway Chamber of Commerce through board membership and providing volunteer lectures on business and regulatory issues. She served numerous boards and committees including the 13th Judicial Circuit’s courthouse security committee and the courthouse technology committee. She currently serves the public through her work on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Committee on Access to Family Courts and as a Director of the Missouri Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. Brazas also devotes a significant amount of time to pro bono representation of churches and charities.
Former Members
Joe D. Holt, a descendant of early Callaway County settlers, joined the firm in 2006 after a distinguished career in public service. He represented Callaway County in the Missouri House of Representatives for 15 years, serving as Majority Floor Leader, and later as Associate Circuit Judge. Judge Holt has also held leadership roles with SERVE, Inc., the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society, and the Fulton Optimist Club. In recognition of Joe’s devotion to community service and his legacy in the community, Riley Brazas P.C. was honored to donate $5,000 to the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society in Joe’s name to support its oral history project.
Firm History and Legacy
The firm’s roots reach back nearly a century to W.B. Whitlow, who began practicing law in Fulton and served in the Missouri Senate during the Great Depression. His son, Bill Whitlow, later co-founded what became Riley Brazas in 1957. Bill’s career included service as legal secretary to the governor, counselor for the City of Fulton, and prosecuting attorney, along with decades of charitable and educational involvement.
In 1963, Charles W. Riley, father of current member Thomas K. Riley, joined the firm after serving in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Department. Charles Riley became a leading figure in Missouri’s legal community, serving as Chair of the Missouri Bar Property Law Committee, on the Bar’s Board of Governors, and as President of the Callaway County Bar for more than 20 years. He also co-founded Mid-Missouri Legal Aid and led it for a decade. His community service extended to leadership roles in local schools, chambers, and scholarship programs.
Former partner Thomas M. Dunlap, joined the firm in 1975. His family were some of the area’s first residents and even suggested the name for the city of Fulton. In addition to considerable pro bono service, Dunlap was a founding member and longtime President of the Fulton Area Development Corporation, led the Fulton Colleges Board of Associates and the Kingdom of Callaway Supper, honoring the area’s heritage and community spirit, and was President of the Callaway County Bar after the retirement of Charles W. Riley.
Community Partnerships
Riley Brazas is proud to support organizations that make a difference in our community: