District 6080

Welcome new member Brenda Dickey

Bob Hammerschmidt introduced Brenda on March 2.  Her cosponsor is Lisa Odom.

Brenda is a semi-retired associate professor of Education at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Miss.  She taught there for 10 years and was a literacy and assessment specialist, and still teaches some courses online.  Overall, she taught for more than 30 years.   

Brenda served on the Mississippi Governor’s Task Force on Teacher Preparation for Early Literacy.  She also is a member of the Independent Education Consultants Association and the School Counselors Association of Curriculum Development.

Brenda earned a doctorate of education at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va.  She also has been a missionary to Japan.

Brenda and her late husband, James, moved to north Springfield in 2018 to be near their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.
 

Welcome new member Stacey Connell

Rachael Walsh introduced Stacey on March 2.  Her cosponsor is Lynette Weatherford.

Stacey is senior director of Human Resources at Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, where she’s worked for five years.  She has worked in Human Resources and been in the Ozarks for 28 years.

Stacey is a member of the Springfield Area Human Resources Association, where she has served on the Professional Development Committee.  She’s also served on the board and as secretary of the Christian County Developmental Disabilities Resource Board.  She’s a past member of Nixa Band Boosters and Nixa Girls Swim Team Boosters.

Stacey earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) in Kirksville and is working on a master’s degree at Drury University.

Stacey and her husband, Jim, live in Nixa and have two children, ages 23 and 21, in college, one at Missouri State University and the other at University of Missouri.  She is also a rescue dog mom.
 

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Welcome new member Ron Bogart

Noah Alldredge introduced Ron on Feb. 9.  His cosponsor is Brandi Bailey.

Ron has lived in the Springfield area for 34 years.  He’s been chief executive officer since 2015 of Gold Mechanical on West Division Street in Springfield, a 150-employee company where he’s worked since 2012.  In 2019, he founded Legion of Longevity in Nixa, which employs health, nutrition and fitness experts to help clients meet personalized goals.

Ron previously worked for C&C Group in Springfield, Barnz B. Inc. in Nixa, Heartland Heating & Air in Springfield, Midwest Heating and Cooling in Springfield, and Dahmer Electric and Mechanical in Nevada.  As a boy, Ron helped raise cattle, hogs and hay on his family’s farm near Bronaugh.

Ron is on the board of Partnership Industrial Park West and a member of the MSU Construction Management Board.  Springfield Business Journal honored him as one of its Men of the Year in 2020, as a 40 Under 40 Award winner in 2004, and as a Dynamic Dozen Award winner in 2003.  He’s a past president of the Business Builders Breakfast Club, a past president of the Ozarks chapter of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, and a past member of the Springfield Building Trades Certification Board. 

Ron has volunteered for Ozarks Greenways and helped Convoy of Hope with hurricane relief.  After applying for Rotary Club membership, he donated blood on behalf of the club and became a Paul Harris Fellow before being inducted.

At Evangel University, Ron earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2007 and a master’s degree in Behavioral Science in Organizational Leadership in 2011, and is working on a Doctorate of Strategic Leadership.  He also taught business courses at Evangel for 10 years. 

Ron and his wife of 33 years, Nancy, live in Nixa and have four grown children.  In his free time, he has completed several marathons and triathlons since 2002.  In 2018, he ran 50 miles in 9 hours and 40 minutes to celebrate turning 50.  He’s also an avid hunter and fisherman.
 

Welcome new member Tyler Moles

Luke Westerman introduced Tyler on Feb. 2.  His co-sponsor is Nate Dunville.

Tyler has been vice president of operations for the Discovery Center of Springfield since April 2021.  He oversees the operations, development and accounting staff.  He helped launch its current capital campaign by securing a $1 million Forbes STOP Award and $500 in NAP tax credits.  He secured funds for the first LU Interactive Indoor Playground to be open to the public in North America and recruited a staff to expand the center’s hours from two days to six days per week.

Tyler has been in Springfield for 15 years.  He worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks from 2014 – 2021 as director of development, then vice president of financial development, then president of its Think Big Foundation.  Previously, he worked for SRC Logistics for almost two years.

Tyler describes himself as “a poet, treasure hunter, adventurer, event planner, charity fundraiser and a lot of other things.”  His volunteer service includes being a member of the Westside Optimist Club, a member of the Sertoma Club, an ambassador for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Department of Natural Resources' Regional Advisory Council.  He was honored as a Springfield Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in 2016 and an SBJ Man of the Year in 2022.  He also was a voting member for Country Music Association awards from 2007 to 2012.

Tyler graduated from Harrisonville High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in music and technology at Central Missouri State University (now UCM) in Warrensburg in 2005.  He and his wife, Michelle, live in east Springfield and have two children.

 

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Welcome new member Jeffrey Zimmerman

Michael Wehrenberg introduced Jeffrey on Jan. 12.  His co-sponsor is Nick Altrup.

Jeffrey has been dean of Drury University’s Breech School of Business since July 2022.   He moved to Republic from Carl Junction after serving as dean of Missouri Southern State University’s Plaster College of Business in Joplin for five years.

Jeffrey earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Economics at State University of New York in Albany, and master’s degrees in Economics at both West Virginia University and Purdue University.  After completing his Ph.D. in Economics at Purdue University, Jeffrey started teaching at University of New Hampshire in Durham in 1990.  Over his career, he’s taught various economics and finance classes, published research, and presented seminars at numerous conferences.

Jeffrey began his career in college administration as a department head and, later, dean of Methodist University’s Reeves School of Business in Fayetteville, N.C., from 2001 to 2011.  He then was dean of Indiana Institute of Technology’s College of Business in Fort Wayne from 2011 to 2017.  He also has served as a reviewer for institutional level accreditation for universities and colleges in the Midwest.
 
Jeffrey has been a Rotarian since 2004 in clubs in Fayetteville, Fort Wayne and Joplin.  He’s served on numerous boards of credit unions and nonprofit community groups at each of his stops, including Watered Gardens Rescue Mission, United Way of Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas, Ronald McDonald House of Northeast Indiana, Indiana Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Community Concerts of Fayetteville.

Jefferey and his wife, Beth, have been married for 35 years and raised four daughters: Emily, Mollie, Olivia and Hannah.  He says he is excited to continue his Rotary journey, to become involved in our community, and to try new golf courses!