2011-2012 Board Of Directors

Tricia Hager
Seminar Chairperson
missourileadership@yahoo.com

Ambassador Year: 2002
High School Graduation Year: Pleasant Hope High School
College: University of Central Missouri - BS in Psychology - 2004
Job in real life: University of Missouri - Kansas City - Counseling Psychology PhD student Academic Advisor - College of Arts & Sciences - UMKC
Previously Held Seminar Positions: JuFa - 2003-2004, Assistant to the Chairperson/Vice Chariperson - 2004-2010, Chairperson - 2011
Favorite Thing About Seminar: Seeing the change that comes across in the ambassadors over a three-day period; it's remarkable to see how much they grow in such a short amount of time and what they learn about themselves as individuals!
Trivia About Tricia: Coming soon...
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: MLS!

Chris Hager
Vice Chairperson
mls_staff@yahoo.com

Ambassador Year: 1999
High School: Lamar High School
College: Texas A&M Class of 2005 History and Economics
Job in real life: Systems Administrator
Previously Held Seminar Positions: JuFa 2000-2003, SuFa 2004-2005, Assistant Director of Staff 2006-2007, Director of Staff 2008-2010
Favorite Thing About Seminar: Seeing the Ambassadors come in nervous and uncertain on Friday and then watching them leave confident and ready to lead on Sunday!
Trivia About Chris: Coming soon...
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: Coming soon...

Cindy Moorehead
Director of Finances

Seminar Nickname: CJ
Ambassador Year: Never went! I got involved through my son's, who both attended seminar.
High School Graduation Year: 1975
College: CMSU BS Horticulture
Job in real life: Florist and Herb Grower
Previously Held Seminar Positions: Sufa and Overall trouble maker(ex. JuFa 2007-2010, SuFa 2010 -2011, Reporting Secretary 2009, ect. )
Favorite Thing About Seminar: Seeing the ambassadors transform and the jura and sufa grow with them
Trivia About Cindy:Life is a party and I'm the Host!
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: Bingo Fundraising......We meet so many interesting people and count a lot of money!

Mallory McGowin Jarret
Director of Public Relations and Co-Director of Operations
mallory.mcgowin@gmail.com

Ambassador Year: 2002
High School: Osage Beach, MO
College: Drury University - degree in Integrated Media
Job In Real Life: I currently work as the Communications and Marketing Specialist for the Jefferson City Public Schools
Previously Held Seminar Positions: JuFa 2004-2005, SuFa 2007-2009, BOD 2010-Present as PR & Co-Director of Ops
Favorite Thing About Seminar: I love that it only takes a couple days of seminar fun for MLS ambassadors to open their minds, step out of their comfort zone and realize there are so many people out there who also want to make a difference!
Trivia About Mallory: Mallory met her husband through MLS; they were both ambassadors in 2002. They are expecting their first baby in December 2011.
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: I love supporting the Buddy Pack program through the Central Missouri Food Bank. This program fills hundreds of backpacks with nutritious, kid-friendly food and sends the bags home with school-aged children over the weekend. These students rely on school breakfast and lunch as complete meals through the week, and often do not have any options in the pantry for Saturday and Sunday meals and snacks. Not having to worry about what she will eat this weekend allows a student to focus on being a kid and succeeding in school.

Rachel White
Director of Recruitment and Travel and Co-Director of Operations
missourileadership@yahoo.com

Ambassador Year: 2003
High School: Tarkio High School
College: Baylor University, B.S. in Forensic Science & Biology (2009); University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, M.S. in Forensic Genetics (2011)
Job In Real Life: Forensic Scientist
Previously Held Seminar Positions: JuFa 2004 - 2006, Director of Recruitment 2007 - Present, Co-Director of Operations 2008 - Present
Favorite Thing About Seminar: Reuniting with some of my best friends!
Trivia About Rachel: I have absolutely no balance and can't even ride a bike.
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: I love volunteering with my church, especially vacation Bible school. The little kids are such a joy to work with!

Lydia Burns
Assistant Director of Operations
Ambassador Year: 2008
High School: Central High School, Springfield, Mo
College: William Jewell College, International Relations
Job In Real Life: Video production staff member for William Jewell College
Previously Held Seminar Positions: JuFa 2009 and 2011
Favorite Thing About Seminar: Getting to see all of my friends again and the recharge that it gives me for being ambitious and not holding anything back
Trivia About Lydia: I am studying Arabic
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: I spent some time in Honduras this summer with school. We stayed in a village that had no running water or electricity. I enjoyed this because of the people that I met, the stories they told me and the experiences I had in that country with those people.

Maria Holt
Director of Programs & On-site Programs Coordinator, Seminar Webmaster
missourileadership@yahoo.com

Ambassador Year: 2004
High School: Southern Boone County R-1
College: Mizzou - Business Management. Currently enrolled in Mizzou MBA program.
Job In Real Life: Marketing Coordinator for EPIC Systems, Inc. St. Louis, MO.
Previously Held Seminar Positions: JuFa 2005 - 2009, SuFa 2011
Favorite Thing About Seminar: Knowing that the Ambassadors who transform before my eyes every year will go home and make a real difference in thier schools and communities.
Trivia About Maria: My sister Jessica also attended seminar and has come back on staff each year. We look pretty similar, except she is blonde and I am brunette. Look for us at seminar again this year!
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: Blood drives. I have organized a few and participated in many and I always feel so good knowing that I am saving people's lives by just donating blood. Small things that cost you nothing can make a big difference in someone else's life!

Sophie Zavaglia
Director of Staff and Co-Coordinator "Dinner With a Pro"
mls_staff@yahoo.com

Seminar Nickname: Sparkling Sophie
Ambassador Year: 2003
High School: Westminster Christian Academy, St. Louis, MO
College: George Washington University, 2010, Political Science
Job in real life: St. Louis University School of Law (2nd Year Law Student)
Previously Held Seminar Positions: Assistant Director of Staff, Director of Alumni Relations
Favorite Thing About Seminar: The yearly chance to bring high school students together in a positive environment to learn about themselves and others.
Trivia About Sophie: One time in college, I sort of stalked Ralph Nader down a hallway at a Green/Sustainability Conference and eventually got his autograph. It completed my life.
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: Volunteering at Gateway Greening, an urban gardening initiative in St. Louis! I love urban renewal projects and also love getting my hands in the dirt to plant vegetable gardens!

Ruthie Finet
Co-Coordinator "Dinner With a Pro"

Laura Giebler
Director of Alumni

Seminar Nickname: Giebs/Gibbs
Ambassador Year: 2006
High School: Owensville High School
College: Johnson University----Major: Honors History/Biblical Studies
Job in real life: Philosophy Teacher's Assistant & Hall Resident Assistant
Previously Held Seminar Positions: Groups Jufa 2007, Moderator Understudy/PMA Jufa 2008, Moderator Jufa 2009, PMA Lead 2010, Sufa 2011
Favorite Thing About Seminar: I love seeing the ambassadors leave, and I don't mean that in an awful "let's get them out of here" way. I love that when we are done with the seminar I can see that our ambassadors are ready to take on their community and they have such a passion to make this world better.
Trivia About Giebs: Too many times I can take real life situations and compare them to TV shows such as Reba, Psych, How I Met Your Mother, and the occasional Jersey Shore
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: I teach Wednesday night class at a small local church. I teach elementary school girls. They are absolutely wonderful. I love watching the kids learn

Nii Abrahams
Assistant Director of Alumni

Seminar Nickname: Big Nii
Ambassador Year: 2008
High School:Carl Junction
College:Sophomore at Missouri State University/Major: Communication with Ethical Leadership/ Minor: Sociology
Job in real life: Resident Assistant and Student Orientation Leader
Previously Held Seminar Positions: PMA JuFa 2009, Moderator understudy 2010, Moderator 2011, Moderator and Assistant Alumni Director Springfield area 2012
Favorite Thing About Seminar: Reflection time when you realize that all the effort and and time actually changed lives in the craziest 3 days of the summer
Trivia About Nii: I still watch Disney Channel
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: Optimist conferences because I get to spend all day with Ralph Howe and Maria Holt!

Nick Dondzila
Assistant Director of Alumni

Ambassador Year: 2009
High School: St. John Vianney High School
College: Loyola University of New Orleans - Psychology/Philosophy
Job in real life: Student
Previously Held Seminar Positions: Jufa 2010 - present
Favorite Thing About Seminar: The focus on justice and service
Trivia About Nick: Obsessively/compulsively organizes his room.
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: Organizing and executing a food drive at my high school. We were able to come up with a huge donation that would eventually be making a difference in many lives.

Zach Thompson
Assistant Director of Alumni

Ambassador Year: 2008
Seminar Nickname: Zach Attack
High School: Southwest Livingston
College: Mizzou
Job in real life: Student
Previously Held Seminar Positions: Jufa 2009-2010, SuJufa 2011, Assistant director of alumni 2011-2012
Favorite Thing About Seminar: Seeing a change for the better in peoples lives
Trivia About Zach: If I pressed play on my itunes and just left it alone, it would play for over a week straight
Favorite Volunteer Opportunity: MLS/Optimist Fireworks Stand; It's always a lot of fun!

Ralph Howe
Optimist Representative
missourileadership@yahoo.com

Ralph joined the Board of Directors as a liaison between MLS and the West Missouri Optimist District in 1999. Ralph’s primary mission has been to educate Optimist clubs of MLS’ purpose and potential for high school sophomore students, in addition to assisting with securing sponsorship monies for nominated students. Many Optimist clubs wish to know who their local student attending MLS is, so that they can contact the student and parents to attend a club meeting following their seminar experience. Ralph has attended countless West Missouri District Optimist functions and meetings to ensure the continued support of MLS and has taken the lead on many alumni based fundraisers throughout the years.

Beverly Shelton
GFWC Representative
missourileadership@yahoo.com

Beverly attended her first seminar in 1986 as a guest speaker for “Lunch With a Pro”. Beverly is currently involved with the Board of Directors meetings, serving as MLS Chairman for the GFWC of Missouri to secure GFWC club support throughout the state. The GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs) also provide an invaluable support to MLS each year as Beverly recruits club members in her GFWC district to provide DOZENS & DOZENS & DOZENS of homemade cookies for the students and staff at the seminar each year.

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