District 6080

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.
 

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.
 

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!
 

Catherine's father, Mark Walker, introduced her on Nov. 10.  Her co-sponsor is Lori Barnes Miller.

Catherine has been the development director for the OTC Foundation since June.   She’s worked for nonprofit private and community organizations for more than 12 years, including Habit for Humanity in Springfield and Spur, a public policy organization in San Francisco, near where she grew up.  She says her dad’s community work in her formative years deeply influenced her passion to give back.  Her recent jobs have focused on fundraising.  She also has worked in wineries. 

Catherine earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science, Studio Art and Urban Development from Clark University in Worcester, Mass., in 2014.  She also earned a Master’s degree in Nonprofit and Civic Leadership from Drury University.

Catherine came to visit Springfield in June 2020 for what she thought would be a short stay, but she fell in love with the Ozarks – specifically less traffic and lower rents than California, Andy’s frozen custard, a new love of golf, and being able to spend more time with her niece and nephew.  Then she met a guy through a dating app and fell in love – after they battled COVID-19 together at a cabin in northern Arkansas over New Year’s Eve 2020/New Year’s Day 2021.

Catherine serves on the boards of Better Block SGF and TransLand trucking company.  She married Jeff Upp on Oct. 22, 2022.   Their spare time is taken up by art, photography, golf, hiking, visiting wineries, exploring breweries, taking their Great Pyrenees-poodle mix, Maisie, to the dog park, weekend trips around the Ozarks and Midwest, Mizzou basketball, and binge-watching suspense thrillers and Marvel shows.
 

Noah Alldredge introduced Jim on Sept. 29.  His co-sponsor is Judy Bilyeu.

Jim has been in the t-shirt screen printing business for 27 years.  He’s been co-owner and director of operations for Wise Guys Screen Print on East Chestnut Expressway since 2009. 

Jim has lived in Springfield for 40 years.  He’s a native of Webb City, where he was the starting quarterback in the late 1970s.   He played football for two years at Pittsburg State (Kan.) University before earning a bachelor’s degree in business communications at Southwest Missouri State University (now MSU).

Jim and his wife, Cristal, have been married for 18 years.  They have two children and two grandchildren.  In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing and golf, and claims two holes-in-one.   
 

Robert Hawkins introduced Dr. Benjamin "Benjy' Lampert on Aug. 25. His co-sponsor is Jennifer Baker.

Benjy spent 42 years as an anesthesiologist -- a pain management specialist. He was section chairman at the Mercy Center for Pain Management in Springfield and served on the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts, including a time as chairman in 2015. He also was a research investigator for several national multi-institutional clinical studies on different ways to treat and eliminate pain in people. He earned an undergraduate degree and a medical degree at the University of Alabama.

On the side, Benjy is a land developer, photographer, and trumpet player in the doctors' band in Springfield.

Benjy's wife, Lori, is pastor of the Downtown Church on Jefferson Avenue at Walnut Street. They have 3 children and 5 grandchildren.