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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.
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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.
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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.

Grant Miller

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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.

Deryk Morelock

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Dan Emrie introduced Deryk on Feb. 28.  His co-sponsor is Lori Barnes Miller.

Deryk is a native of Springfield who graduated from Greenwood Laboratory School at MSU.  He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations at Drury University.   He is the only son of Kathy and Wayne Morelock, a 31-year member of Springfield Southeast Rotary who also was sponsored by Dan Emrie.  Experienced club members remember young Deryk at club activities, especially the Rotary basketball tournament, where he often played after practices and between tournament games.

Deryk worked for Morelock Builders and Associates from 2012 to 2015 before moving into the insurance business.  He worked for American Family Insurance for two years and, since 2017, has worked for Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance, where he’s a habitational insurance specialist who specializes in providing protection for owners of residential rental properties.

Deryk says he and his dad also work together in the Morelock Group of companies and hope to build and manage more residential properties for “an underserved segment of our Missouri residential demographic.”

Deryk has volunteered with Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, where he served on the Hooked on Dance Committee, which raised more than $700,000 in one night to support families of women afflicted with breast cancer.  He also is on the board of the American Red Cross in Springfield and is a former Springfield Rotaract Club member from 2012 – 2015.   He is a 3rd Degree Master Mason and a member of the Mystic Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Temple, which raises millions of dollars annually to help children in Shriners Hospitals across the world.

Deryk’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, music, SCUBA diving and travel.

Jason Gage

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President Bill Squires introduced Jason on Feb. 14.   His co-sponsor is Ray Meyer.

Jason became Springfield city manager in August 2018.  He previously served over the past 23 years as city manager in Salina, Kan.; Stillwater, Okla.; and De Soto, Mo.  He also served as Salina assistant city manager and as a management intern in Mexico, Mo., and Salina.

Jason was born and raised in Lamar, the birthplace of late former President Harry S Truman.   He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin and a Master of Public Administration degree at the University of Missouri.

Jason is a credentialed International City/County Management Association member, a member of the Missouri City/County Managers Association, and has served on various community boards, including Salina Area United Way, De Soto PRIDE, and Stillwater Lions Club.  He is on the board of Community Partnership of the Ozarks in Springfield.  He also is a previous 17-year Rotarian in De Soto and Salina.

Jason in 2013 received the Buford M. Watson Jr. Award for Excellence in Public
Management from the the Kansas Association of City/County Management.

Jason enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball early in the morning at the YMCA, and physical fitness.  He also likes to camp and read in his spare time.  He and his wife, Lysonda, a real estate agent, have six children.

Matt Wehner

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Stan Krempges introduced Matt on Feb. 7.  His co-sponsor is Jim Conley.

Matt and his wife, Shelley, own Cabinet Concepts by Design, a cabinet manufacturing shop, and Simply Organized by Design, a closet and garage organization concept.

Matt was born and raised in Lebanon, where he graduated from high school in 1992.   He went to Missouri Southern State University, where Matt played football and graduated with a degree in secondary math education.  While attending MSSU, he met Shelley Tanking on a blind date and tricked her into marrying him.

Matt followed Shelley to Kansas City after graduation.  He coached football and wrestling at Park Hill South High School for a year.  After finding out teaching was not for him, he went to work for Edward Jones investments and was given an opportunity to move wherever he wanted.  He chose Springfield and worked at Edward Jones for two years until September 2001.

From there, Matt worked at Springfield Janitorial Supply and Mid America Surgical Supply before buying a small four-employee, 5,000-square-foot cabinet shop in November 2007.   After barely making it through the recession,  they grew Cabinet Concepts to a  29-person, 30,000-square-foot shop.

Matt is on the board of the Cabinet Makers Association and has served as president of his Homeowners Association.  He also is a member of Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield and the Kitchen and Bath Association.
  
Matt and Shelley have three children: Caden, Lyvia and Paxton.   They attend The Venues church.

Julie Jones

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Lisa Farmer introduced Julie on Jan. 17.  Her co-sponsor is Linda Ramey-Greiwe.

Julie is a Springfield native and has been involved in many different areas of our community.  Early in her career, she worked for United Way of the Ozarks as director of Communications and followed that with a five-year stint at the Springfield
Area Chamber of Commerce as director of Economic Development.

Julie left the Chamber in 1995 to join Mercy Health and held a variety of leadership positions for 23 years in Marketing/Communications, Planning, and Guest Services. Julie joined Abilities First in 2018 as assistant executive director.
 
Julie has served on a variety of boards, including United Way of the Ozarks and the American Diabetes Association, and was a founding member of the Lost and Found Grief Center's Board of Directors. She currently serves on the Leadership Springfield Board of Directors and its Executive Committee.  She was also recognized as one of Springfield’s Most Influential Women in 2013.
 
Julie is a former member of Sunrise Rotary and Springfield Southeast Rotary clubs in the 1990s and is a daughter of late longtime Springfield Southeast Rotary Club member Curt Brown.  She and her husband, Rodney, live in Ozark and have two children.

Kathryn Custer

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Bill Squires introduced Kathryn on Jan. 3.  Her co-sponsor is Rusty Worley.

Kathryn is the chief executive officer of the Ozarks Regional YMCA, which includes  two locations in Springfield and branches in surrounding cities.  She started her YMCA career in 2003 in Atlanta and has moved around the United States with the YMCA.   Her husband, Jason, is from Springfield and they moved here, along with their two sons, in 2017.

Kathryn earned a Bachelor of Science from Kennesaw State University in Georgia.  She is also a member of Junior League of Springfield.

Donny Mihalevich

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Sam Hamra introduced Donny on Dec. 13.  His co-sponsor is Brent Dunn.

Donny has lived in the Springfield area since 1970.  His uncle is a member of Springfield (Downtown) Rotary Club.

He is owner and chief executive officer of Paladin Managed Solutions, a Konica Minolta and Hewlett Packard dealership that he founded in 2016.   He is also a consultant for a large financial institution.

Before founding Paladin, Donny was owner and CEO of Luminozity, a company that provides software and hardware to the banking industry.   During 20 years in the IT industry, Donny has also been chief technology officer for Standleys System of Oklahoma City, a senior digital solution specialist and sales manager for Ricoh Corporation of Springfield, a senior engineer for Springnet at City Utilities of Springfield, and a senior engineer for Corporate Business Systems of Springfield.

From 1987 to 2007, Donny was a captain, headquarters commander and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army National Guard and Missouri Army National Guard.  He had deployments to Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan from November 2005 to November  2006.   He attended several Army courses, including Air Assault School and Military Police Officer Course.  He was awarded an Air Medal and a Meritorious Service Medal.

Donny earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry and Military Science, at Southwest Missouri State University in 1997 and hopes to finish a master's degree in Business Administration from Missouri State University in 2019.  He graduated in 1987 from Greenwood High School, where he was a receiver on its successful football team with quarterback Alan Rosen, a member of Springfield Southeast Rotary Club, and linebacker Mike Hamra, Sam's son.

He is married to  Winnie and they have one son, Mason, 15.