District 6080

Springfield, Missouri

Welcome new member Sam Blaine

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Luke Westerman introduced Sam on April 23.  His cosponsor is David Compere.

Sam has been the general manager for the Springfield office of Atronic Alarms, a company based in Lenexa, Kan., since March 2026.   He previously worked for Security Equipment, Inc., in Kansas City for three-and-a-half years and for Atlas Security Service for nearly 22 years.

Sam has lived in Springfield much of his life.  He graduated from Hillcrest High School and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice at Drury University.

Sam’s community service includes working with children in Kidstreet at High Street Baptist Church, and volunteering with One Sole Purpose, which provides shoes for children, Convoy of Hope, and the Child Advocacy Center.  This is the third Rotary Club to which he’s belonged in different cities.

Sam and his wife, Natalie, live in east Springfield.  They have four children.

Welcome new member Nikki Rorabaugh

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Lauren Southern introduced Nikki on April 23.  Her cosponsor is Carrie Henry.

Nikki is the Membership Development manager for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, where she’s worked for nearly five years.  She’s in charge of membership recruitment and retention.  She’s also worked as a travel planner for Magical Vacations, director of development at Central Christian School in St. Louis, associate director of development at Washington University in St. Louis, membership director for the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce in Montana, and as a training consultant and instructor for Dale Carnegie Training in Bozeman and St. Louis.

Nikki has lived in Springfield for 20 years.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences at Central Methodist College in Fayette.

Nikki’s community service includes church mission work and serving as a worship leader at Northside Christian Church.  She’s also volunteered with Special Olympics, her neighborhood social committee, and the Ozarks Lyric Opera Board of Directors. 

Nikki also recently appeared in a local production of The Sound of Music.  She enjoys spending time outdoors, especially hiking and kayaking, and takes advantage of any opportunity to go cross-country skiing when there’s enough snow.  Nikki and her husband, Jared, have two children, Maya and Bryce.

Dr. Doug McNeal is 2026 Volunteer of the Year 

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Our 2026 Volunteer of the Year, Dr. Doug McNeal, has given freely of his time, talents, and treasure.  He’s a stellar community leader and has been engaged in volunteerism for many years.

Doug dedicated his life to pediatric medicine, both as a doctor and as a volunteer.  He’s been unwavering in his passion to help children with special care needs.  He is currently a developmental physician with the Autism Evaluation Clinic at Burrell Behavioral Health.

Doug has helped children for decades.  Here are some examples:
  • Springfield Public Schools volunteer, giving two half days a week at Delaware Elementary where students with disabilities attend. This is a complex care classroom where every child has a feeding tube, trach, wheelchair or is non-verbal.
  • Medical Volunteer at the Paralympics
  • Volunteered for Cerebral Palsy Athletes
  • Volunteer for the National Disability Sports Festival
  • Conducted Medical Missions
  • Volunteered for the Senior Age Agency
  • Volunteered through the  “Give Five” program
  • Advocacy for Children with Complex Medical Needs
  • Volunteers for CASA
  • Mayor’s Commission on Children
  • Executive Committee for Advocacy, part of the Missouri Alliance for Home Care
  • Served on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Children with Disabilities

Doug’s pattern for helping those in need is clear.  His medical expertise walks hand-in-hand with his servant's heart.  And, as a military veteran, we also recognize his service as a doctor during the war in Indochina.

“Extracting details about his volunteer work was not easy,” wrote Dan Emrie in his nomination.  “Like many in our club, (he is) uncomfortable talking about his volunteer service.  They simply arrive where help is needed, do the work, and disappear before gratitude can find them.”

The Springfield Southeast Rotary Club Volunteer of the Year Award has been presented nearly annually since 1999.   It’s our club’s highest honor, recognizing community service rendered outside Rotary activities.  Nominations are submitted by club members and others, with final selection being made by the Rotary Volunteer Committee.  This year’s committee members include:  Co-Chairs Cindy Howell and Barbara Lucks, Tammy Mast, Dan Emrie, and Brian McDonough.
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This citation was adapted from Brian McDonough's presentation at the club meeting on April 16, 2026.  The photo of Doug and his wife, Susan, was taken by 417 Magazine at the Springfield Symphony's 2024 Gala.

 
Unite for good color

Welcome new member Jessica Kolde

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Ron Bogart introduced Jessica on March 12.  Her cosponsor is Logan Aguirre.

Jessica has worked remotely for an Atlanta-based company, CRH, since 2022 in its Americas Building Products organization.  She now serves as vice president of Supply Chain for the fence, deck, and rail division.  If you’d like to talk about tariffs or trucking, Jessica’s your person.

Jessica grew up in Kansas and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering at Kansas State University.   She then worked for Nestlé for 11 years, during which she lived in St. Joseph, Mo., Atlanta, Iowa twice, and St. Louis.  After Nestlé, Jessica joined a startup food company in Mankato, Minn.

When Jessica was offered a position near Springfield, she declined as she and her family were trying to get out of the Midwest and explore a bit, though they did like the idea of being closer to family.  When the opportunity came around again eight years ago, they gave Springfield a chance and quickly fell in love with the community.  Jessica became active in the community through the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and The eFactory.  In 2020, she earned a Master of Business Administration from University of Arkansas.

Jessica and her husband, Chad, have two daughters, ages 12 and 14, who attend Central High School, one in the International Baccalaureate program and the other in Scholars.  The family stays busy with Scouts BSA, where Jessica is a leader, and martial arts, in which Jessica earned a black belt to keep up with her daughters.  The family attends Christ Episcopal Church.

The family enjoys spending time at Table Rock Lake, hiking and camping in the Ozarks, snow skiing, and watching Kansas State football, including several losing-effort bowl games and a game in Ireland in the summer of 2025.  She says she loves to play golf despite being terrible at it.  She claims to make the best margarita you’ve ever had, and says she can assemble a charcuterie board at a moment’s notice.
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Welcome new member James Bureman

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Dan Emrie introduced Jim on March 6.  His cosponsor is Steve Rice.

Jim retired from his optometry practice in 2016 but volunteers at the Veterans Administration clinic in Springfield.  He established Missouri Eye Institute, a joint practice with other optometrists & ophthalmologists at which he was the managing partner, in 1988.  Dr. Bureman was honored as Missouri Optometrist of the year and an American Top Optometrist by the Consumer Research Council.  He also served as chairman of the Missouri State Board of Optometry.

Jim is originally from the North County area of St. Louis, where he was the Senior Class president of Hazelwood High School.  He attended Central Methodist University in Fayette on scholastic and football scholarships and earned a degree in Biology.  He then studied at Illinois College of Optometry on an Army Health Scholarship.  He entered the Army Medical Service Corps in 1980 as a captain.  He served three years in Germany and one year at Ft. Riley, Kan., receiving two Army Commendation Medals.  Jim completed his military service in the Missouri Army National Guard as a lieutenant colonel in 2000.

Jim met his future wife, Sherry, at Ft. Riley and they moved to Springfield in 1985 to begin his optometry practice.   They have two adult children: Chase is a Marine pilot flying the Osprey Tilt Rotor Aircraft and Kirsten is a Rotarian in the San Francisco Bay area and was the president of the first Springfield Interact Club.   Jim was a former member of Springfield Southeast Rotary and is a Paul Harris Fellow.