Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast

Welcome new member Jessica Pearson

Abby Akin introduced Jessica on April 18. Her co-sponsor is Angela Smith.

Jessica works for Green Circle Projects as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Project Manager. Some of Jessica's other endeavors include: spearheading efforts to draft a petition to form the Galloway Community Improvement District, serving as a development representative on the City of Springfield's Galloway Stakeholder Committee, sitting on the Board of Directors for Springfield Botanical Gardens and serving as vice president of TrailSpring's Board of Directors.

Jessica is a Springfield native who graduated from Parkview High School and Drury University. At Drury, she majored in Advertising and PR with a minor in Business Administration and Global Studies. She was also captain of the Drury Lady Panthers Volleyball Team.

Outside work, Jessica has a beautiful family. Her husband Joel Pearson, daughter Dylan and son Cyrus share Jessica's enthusiasm for outdoor adventures. You can usually find their family on road, gravel or mountain bikes, or hiking, running, doing yoga, going on float trips or rock climbing. If that's not enough, Jessica regularly volunteers overnight with Safe to Sleep at the shelter.

Welcome new member Stephanie Garland

Brian McDonough introduced Stephanie on April 11. Her co-sponsor is Ashley Walden.

Stephanie is a native of Houston, Texas. She graduated with honors from Harding University in Searcy, Ark., with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. She spent about a decade in broadcast news, most of it on-air as a reporter, multi-media journalist and anchor, including at KSPR in Springfield. She won numerous news awards.

Since late 2017, Stephanie has been the Better Business Bureau's regional director. She is responsible for overseeing the BBB’s area list of about 1,650 accredited businesses. She is also the organizer for the annual BBB Shred Day, which is the largest event of its kind in the state, and the area BBB Torch Awards. She implemented the BBB's free In Pursuit of Ethics programs into 30 local schools, and that number is growing.

Stephanie has five weekly columns in newspapers. She also does three weekly radio interviews and two weekly television interviews. She spoke to almost 2,500 people last year.

Stephanie is married to Logan Staggs, who served five years in the U.S. Army. They live on the west side of Springfield. She is heavily involved in East Grand Church of Christ, serving on several committees and participating in church choir.

Welcome new member Margo Spilde

Tammy Young introduced her on March 28. Her co-sponsor is Kyle Hesemann.

Margo owns MTS Ventures (Keller Williams), which she started in 2010. She has spent 20 years learning the fundamentals of the traditional financial system, real estate, and exploring alternative investments in real estate and banking. Her passion is helping families, especially families of physicians, to live the best and most fulfilling lives possible. She teaches about money and real estate, and coaches new real estate investors.

Margo partnered with Community Foundation of the Ozarks in the early 2010s to start the Spilde Family Foundation. She serves on CFO’s Innovative Grant Committee and The Northwest Project Committee. She also helped set up a second nonprofit foundation that focuses on raising access and awareness of mental health services. That foundation recently organized a drive that collected more than 130 blankets, pajamas, socks, and stuffed animals for children who are inpatients at Lakeland Behavioral Health System. Margo has also volunteered with March of Dimes, Wilder Elementary School PTA, Junior League of Springfield, and K9s for Camo.

Margo earned a bachelor’s degree at University of North Dakota. She has been married more than 20 years to Troy, a pediatric surgeon at Mercy Hospital for the last 10 years. They have three smart and active children, ages 9 to 15.

Rotarymbs pms c20140423 30052 1w4nqkb 216x20140821 30693 ooqta5

www.rotary.org

Welcome new member Grant Miller

Adrienne McCoy introduced Grant on March 7. His co-sponsor is Jim Conley.

Grant and his wife, Becky, grew up on farms near Independence, Kan., graduated from Kansas State University, and moved to the Springfield area in 2001.

Grant has been in the construction industry since 1995 and spent the first part of his career in the general contracting field. He bought Springfield Glass in 2016 after working as a manager for the company for three years. Springfield Glass sells and installs windows for commercial buildings.

Grant is a member of the Springfield Contractors Association. He believes in Zig Ziglar's mantra that "you can have everything in life you want if you help enough other people get what they want."

Grant and Becky have two children, ages 10 and 12, and live near Aurora on a farm that might remind you of Dr. Doolittle or Noah's Ark because the kids raise all sorts of animals. Becky has a small equine veterinary practice. In addition to farming, the family enjoys many outdoor activities, including slalom water skiing, snow skiing, and horse riding.

www.dacdb.com

Olympic medalist talks about career

Carmelita Jeter, an American sprinter who won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, spoke at our club meeting on Feb. 28, 2019. Afterwards, she stuck around for photos with club members and guests. (Photos by Dan Emrie)

What "Rotary" Really Means

Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast 2017-'18 President Lori Barnes and 2018-'19 President Bill Squires discuss what people should know about Rotary and why it matters.