Six Pioneers in Education will be in the spotlight on Monday, July 29, in recognition of their commitment and contributions to public education in Missouri. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will recognize the 2024 Pioneers during the 63^rd Annual Cooperative Conference for School Administrators. The ceremony will take place during a luncheon with more than 600 school leaders in attendance.

“These individuals have been true champions for education in Missouri throughout their careers, advocating for students and embodying our department’s mission to provide access to opportunities,” said Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger. “DESE is honored to recognize the hard work and dedication of these Pioneers in Education.”

The following individuals will be honored as Pioneers in Education:

• Jeanette Cowherd, Kansas City, had two distinct careers — one as a band director for 23 years and one as a school administrator for another 19 years. As a band director, Jeanette took students across the country and even performed in Europe. Jeanette started her time as a school administrator as an assistant principal in the North Kansas City School District before moving to Park Hill, where she worked her way up to become superintendent. While at Park Hill, she helped develop the LEAD Innovation Studio high school program, a personalized, professional, mastery and project-based program open to any high school student in the district. Jeanette worked with state legislators to pass the Missouri Virtual Education bill in 2008 and worked collaboratively to provide online coursework to students in the Kansas City area.
• Pam Hedgpeth, Clever, started her first job in education as a fifth-grade teacher in Cassville, Missouri, before moving to the Republic School District. During her time at Republic, Pam established the Southwest Regional Curriculum Group, pioneering the unpacking of standards and aligning curriculum. Within the district, Pam worked collectively with teams of teachers to create an MSIP designated model curriculum and professional learning program, and served on many DESE state committees related to model curriculum, MAP benchmark setting, and MSIP advising. Pam currently serves as Executive Director of the Greater Ozarks Cooperating School Districts. Leading initiatives to support more than 100 districts in southwest and southeast Missouri, she champions professional learning, partnership development, and educational advocacy. She also currently facilitates the Success-Ready Students Network, guiding districts in reimagining education through personalized, competency-based learning.
• Mike Jones, St. Louis, always had an active interest in current events, particularly national and international affairs. Mike’s public service career spans over four decades. In the 1980s, Mike became a member of the St. Louis Board of Alderman and was Executive Director of the St. Louis Housing Authority. From March 2005 until his retirement in January 2015, Mike served as Senior Policy Advisor to St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley. In March 2011, Mike was appointed to the Missouri State Board of Education by Governor Jay Nixon. He served the board until his term expired in 2020. After finishing his term on the state board, Mike was appointed to the Normandy Joint Executive Governing Board (JEGB) in 2021. He served on the JEGB until October of last year, when the State Board transitioned back to local governance in Normandy.
• Richard Presberry, Jefferson City, started his career in education with DESE’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) section in 1972, as a counselor in the St. Louis North office. In 1985, he went to the VR central office in Jefferson City as the assistant director and later, director of Allied Services where he oversaw the creation of the Independent Living and Personal Assistance Services programs. Richard left VR in 1993, when he took a job at the University of Missouri-Columbia in the College of Education, where he was senior project manager and adjunct assistant professor for the newly-formed Rehabilitation Cultural Diversity Initiative funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, aimed to recruit more students from culturally diverse backgrounds into the field of VR. After retiring, Richard volunteered at his alma mater, Lincoln University, and developed and coordinated a tutoring and mentoring program called the Success Connection, where retired faculty, staff, and alumni tutor students.
• Bill Rebore, St. Charles, began his career in education as a social studies teacher at Valley Park High School before becoming principal in two schools within the Valley Park School District, and later assuming the role of superintendent. In the early 1980s, Bill moved to the Francis Howell School District where he served until 1987. At that time, Bill made the switch to higher education and served as a professor of educational leadership at Saint Louis University (SLU). He became the chair of the Department of Educational Administration, and associate Dean of the College of Education and Public Service. At SLU, he created and developed the Executive Doctor of Education Program and the Principals Center for Urban Schools. In 2017, Bill was named the Professor Emeritus of Educational Administration at SLU, where he still serves today.
• Gary Romine, Farmington, started working in education as a high school teacher in Branson and Farmington before starting his own business, Show-Me Rent-to-Own. In 2012, Gary was elected to serve Missouri’s third senatorial district. During his time in the Missouri General Assembly, Gary served on several committees, including serving as the chairman of the Joint Committee on Education and chairman of the Senate Committee on Education. He authored the 2016 bill for Career and Technical Education Certifications and carried the amendment to fully fund the Foundation Formula for the first time in 2017. Gary also co-authored the virtual schools legislation in 2018, which created the Missouri Course Access and Virtual Schools Program. Most recently, Gary was appointed by Governor Parson in January 2020 to serve as chair of the Missouri State Tax Commission.

State education officials have presented the Pioneer in Education awards for 49 years, which honor teachers, school administrators, citizens, and lawmakers for their distinguished careers and contributions to public education in Missouri.

Members of the media are welcome to attend the award ceremony on July 29, at 12:30 p.m., in Campana Hall at the Lodge of Four Seasons, Lake Ozark, MO. Please contact DESE Communications in advance. Headshots for each of the Pioneers in Education are available here, and DESE Communications can arrange interviews with honorees upon request.