CLAS S NOT ES
Awards & Honors
G N I M O C Y T E R A M P HIT’SOOUR BIGGES4 T
and transportation support to Walmart stores in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada and Washington. In his role at Walmart, Cooper has developed acumen for logistics operations, public speaking, project management and customer service. Of particular interest, Cooper has managed logistics to support communities after natural disasters helping those affected to recover. Prior to joining Walmart, Cooper was an Army officer and served as a MEDEVAC pilot performing search and rescue missions. He is a veteran of Desert Storm/Desert Shield. A native of Norfolk, VA, he now resides in San Juan Capistrano with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, exercising and reading. Kathy Kay ’91 has been appointed by the Governor of Missouri to the State Independent Living Council. This council jointly develops and submits (in conjunction with the designated state agency) the state plan required by the Rehabilitation Act; monitor, review, and evaluate the implementation of the state planShe is also the director of West Central Independent Living Solutions, a nonprofit committed to helping individuals with disabilities stay or become
DA
TE NOW
ELS
OT
H
R
R
TH
E
S AV E
R2 E B O T C O
TH
IT’S2015
ES
O ERVE Y
U
independent. They serve more than six counties, have five offices and 45 staff members.
2000–2009 Doug Scotten ’07 is the regional family financial education specialist for the University of Missouri Extension in Vernon County, MO. The position is responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating educational programs in financial literacy, money management, estate planning, food resource management, debt management and consumer issues. The position serves Vernon, St. Clair, Cedar, Hickory and Polk counties. Izzy Balser, daughter of Tina Peak and Nick Balser, both 2007 graduates
2010–2019 Sarah Brinkley ’13 and her husband, Adam, announce the arrival of a son, Aaron Joseph. David Nicolaescu ’12 is a sheriff’s deputy with the Cole County Sheriff’s Department in Jefferson City, MO.
Regis McDonald ’66 was honored in December by the Consulate of El Salvador in New York “for outstanding and tireless dedication, contributions and continuous support of Unaccompanied Refugee and Immigrant Children.” Present at the gala were Consul General Sandra Cruz, consulate staff, Ambassador Rubin Zamora, permanent representative of El Salvador to the United Nations and other Salvadoran diplomats. On Oct. 25, 2014, Regis was elected chair of the 19-member Board of Trustees at Wentworth Military Academy & College in Lexington, MO. He has been on the board since 2010 and has served as its vice chair since 2011. Tom McAtee ’77 received the Thomas P. Cox Jr. Visionary Award from the Safety and Health Council of Western Missouri and Kansas on Sept. 19, 2014. This award recognizes an individual whose actions serve as an inspiration to others who strive to achieve optimum safety and health, and for those who have elevated expectations for safety results. This award bears the name of the council’s past executive director in his honor and memory. When McAtee was the president of the American Society of Safety Engineers, he was instrumental in starting a golf classic for the youth program “Safety For Kids.” During the past 18 years, more than 2,000 families have learned how to properly install their car seats and over 3,000 car seats have been donated to deserving families through this charitable cause. Sally Kirchhoff ’84 & ’91 recently retired from her K-12 vocal music teaching position at the South Holt R-I School District in Oregon, MO. She spent her 30-year career in public education in that
district. Kirchhoff was also honored by the Missouri Choral Directors Association with an “Outstanding District Director Award” at its annual summer convention. She plans to move to Concordia, MO, and have a private piano studio as well as serve as a church pianist and accompanist for local schools. Mel Amick ’87 received certification as a federal aviation safety officer by the Interagency Committee for Aviation Policy and the Federal Aviation Administration. This certification recognizes his experience as an Army aviator, safety officer and registered nurse. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Amick served two combat tours as an Army aviator in Afghanistan and Iraq, piloting Apache and Blackhawk helicopters. He also served in the Air Force Reserves as a Nurse Corps Officer. Amick is the 35th Combat Aviation Brigade Safety Officer for the Missouri Army National Guard and is currently employed as an aviation safety manager for the Boeing Company. Stacy Williamson ’07 became president of the Missouri State Teachers Association Nov. 14 and will be in office for one year. She is a full-time teacher in the North Kansas City School District, teaching seventh grade social studies at Eastgate Middle School. Melissa Snell ’12 received the New Elementary Principal of the Year Award that is given annually by elementary principals in the 96-district west central Missouri region to recognize an outstanding peer who is in their first three years as an elementary administrator. Snell has 19 years’ experience as a classroom teacher. She received her education specialist degree from UCM in 2012, which is the same year she became principal of La Monte R-IV Elementary School.
University of Central Missouri Magazine
23