Welcome new member Blayne Radford

Ken Williams introduced Blayne on March 27. His cosponsor is Angela Delahoussaye.

Blayne is Director of Project Management at Ozarks Technical Community College, where he oversees the design, renovation, and new construction of buildings across the college system. He’s had this job for seven years, and previously held similar positions at the Springfield School District and the Springfield-Greene County Parks Department.

Blayne is a native of southwest Missouri. He earned an associate degree at Ozarks Technical Community College, and bachelor's and master's degrees at Missouri State University. He is also an adjunct instructor in the evenings at MSU. He also works on his family farm, where he raises cattle.

Blayne is a graduate of Leadership Springfield. His volunteer service includes Ozarks Greenways, Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, Springfield Contractors Association, Better Block Springfield, the OTC Foundation, and various church-led service projects throughout the area.

Blayne has been married to Ashlee for 16 years. They have two daughters who keep them busy traveling to attend their cheerleading competitions. The family has lived in Nixa for 12 years. Blayne enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, particularly those that take him beyond cell service range.

Hands-on Service: Whitewashing Victory Mission

Several Springfield Southeast Rotarians spent time on Tuesday, March 25, on a Hands-on Service Project. They painted a Victory Mission building and had a good time while they were at it.

Victory Mission serves people trying to leave behind poverty. The painting project will impact clients seeking clothing and church services, as well as others from the Commercial Street District. This is Victory Mission’s main building for operations, women's ministry, and outreach events at 1715 Boonville Ave.

The group painted over a green room to match the white walls another group helped paint last year. Rotarians who painted are Joe Piatchek , Greg Horton, Richard Baker, Jim Robinette, and Jason Hynson, Victory Mission’s director, along with Richard's wife, Sara, and their son, Micah.

(Photos by Jason Hynson) [Click on a photo to enlarge it.]

Nominations open for Volunteer of the Year

The Rotary Volunteer of the Year Award is our club’s highest honor. This year’s award will be presented at our lunch meeting on April 17. The award recognizes outstanding and long-term community service that is performed outside Rotary – that is, service other than Rotary service.

Nomination forms are just below here and hard copies are available at the House Table. Nominations may be made by a fellow Rotarian, a family member, or an organization that has benefited from the nominee’s service. It is also perfectly acceptable to self-nominate.

Please feel free to contact one of the Rotary Volunteer Committee Co-Chairs -- Barbara Lucks or Cindy Howell -- if you have questions or need additional information. Completed nomination forms can be sent to them or to the Club Secretary.

Nominations will be accepted until March 31, 2025.

Rotary Volunteer of the Year Award Nomination Form

Download "Nomination Flyer.2025.pdf"

Welcome new member Victoria Sprenger

Meredith Bosso introduced Victoria on Feb. 13. Her cosponsor is Carrie Henry.

Victoria is the head of Human Resources for USA Rare Earth, a company based in Stillwater, Okla., with a mission “to establish a U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain supporting the future state of energy, mobility, and national security,” according to its website. She’s worked remotely for that company for two years. Victoria previously worked in Human Resources at Paperwise, Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool, and FORVIS (formerly BKD) in Springfield; and Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) in Kansas City.

Victoria earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and an MBA at Missouri State University, and holds senior human resources certifications through Society for Human Resource Management and HRCI. Her volunteer service has included various roles with the Junior League of Springfield and international officer positions with her national sorority, Alpha Delta Pi.

Victoria met her husband, Jon, a native of Springfield, while working in Virginia early in her career. They’ve lived in Springfield for 10 years and have two little children and two high-strung pointers. She enjoys traveling with her family, and experiencing the world through the eyes of her children.

www.dacdb.com

Welcome new member Tad Peters

Jeff Cumley introduced Tad on Jan. 23. His cosponsor is Ken Williams.

Tad is a Major with the Springfield Police Department, and serves as Acting Police Chief when the need arises. Tad has held positions in almost every possible area in his 27 years with Springfield PD. He now leads both the Uniform Operations Bureau and the Investigations and Support Services Bureau.

Tad began his career in law enforcement in 1993 as a part-time dispatcher for the Central Missouri State University Police Department in Warrensburg while attending college. He became a Warrensburg Police officer in 1995, and joined the Springfield Police Department in 1997.

Tad has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from CMSU (now Central Missouri University), a master’s degree in business and organizational security management from Webster University, and completed the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), and the FBI National Academy.

Tad’s volunteer service includes board of director positions with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks, Leadership Springfield, and The Victim Center. He is also a member of the Greene County Domestic Violence Board, the Missouri Supreme Court’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness, and the Springfield-Greene County Family Violence Task Force.

Tad has been married to Stacy for 25 years and they have two children. Their son, Avery, is a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Missouri S&T in Rolla. Their daughter, Ella, is a freshman at OTC working toward an associate’s degree in accounting before she moves to University of the Arts London (England) to pursue her dream of a career in Production Arts for the Screen. The family lives in Republic.