Tuesday, October 30, 2018 20 UNDER 40

20 Under 40
75¢
Sedalia
2018

Democrat

20 Under 40 is a celebration of young people, age 40 and younger, in West Central Missouri
who are contributing to their community through business, civic involvement and community
service. Through nominations from the community and the Democrat staff, the newsroom
narrowed it down to the inaugural 20 Under 40 group for 2018. These young citizens are
helping create a bright future for our area.
2 • Sedalia Democrat 20 UNDER 40 Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Burgoon helping youth through ministryP

By Nicole Cooke
ncooke@sedaliademocrat.com

Whether it’s at church or a school event,

Maplewood Church Youth Pastor Ty
Burgoon is making sure area students are
supported in their faith.
Burgoon’s path to his current career
didn’t start with youth ministry. He attend-
ed Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg,
Kansas, where he studied to be a math
teacher, but he still didn’t know exactly
what he wanted to do. After some prayer,
he ended up turning down a teaching job
offer. He eventually attended a ministry
leadership school through Kanakuk, and
through those connections he found Ma-
plewood.
As Maplewood’s youth pastor, 28-year-
old Burgoon said he helps youth church
members strengthen their walk with Christ,
which he does through twice-weekly youth
group meetings, retreats, mission trips,
community service projects, social events
and just spending time with the students.
The Rev. Eddie Brown, along with a
search committee, hired Burgoon in 2013.
He said Burgoon and his wife, Emily, were
“active, godly young people. They were just
really what we were looking for.”
The young couple has three children, the
youngest a baby girl born within the past
few months. While Burgoon is the youth
pastor, Emily, and sometimes a younger
Burgoon, also helps facilitate youth group
activities.
Brown retired from Maplewood in Jan-
Youth pastor Ty Burgoon tries to find the culprit in a game of “Signs” during
youth group at Maplewood Church.
PHOTOS BY NICOLE COOKE | DEMOCRAT
Ty Burgoon, youth pastor at Maplewood
Church, leads the youth group in prayer
during a recent Sunday night gathering
at the church.
uary, but said in the roughly five years he
worked with Burgoon, he proved himself
time and again to be wise beyond his years.
“He is a good leader, he addresses diffi-
cult issues with wisdom and tact and ma-
turity. He does excellent work,” Brown said.
“He’s good with people and tasks assigned
to him, and he’s good as a leader of youth
Ty Burgoon, top left, stands with members of his youth group at Maplewood Church.
and of other adults. Even as a young man
he’s respected by our older parishioners.”
Burgoon’s efforts with local youth extend
beyond the walls of Maplewood. He’s been
involved in the Smithton School Dis-
trict, helping with an advisory board and
planning the annual baccalaureate service.
He also does simple things to reach out to
youth, such as getting drinks at Sonic after
school or attending a sporting event.
“If you look at the life of Christ, he didn’t
just go to the synagogue on Sundays. You
read about him at dinner parties with peo-
ple, at a well just sitting down talking with a
woman society had rejected,” Burgoon said.
“You see Christ doing things outside of the
normal setting, and I think that helps. I
think people in general, and teens specifi-
cally, it means something different to them
when they see you outside of where you’re
supposed to be. With teens, the relation-
ship side of it is really important and the
relationship takes time to build. That was
something I learned when I first got here.”
Once Brown retired, Burgoon found
himself as both a youth and associate pas-
tor for Maplewood. He said the job change
has pulled him away from the youth more
than he’d like, but he still spends every
Sunday and Wednesday night with them in
the second-floor youth room. He said he’s
fortunate to be at a church like Maplewood
that recognizes the importance of having a
full-time youth pastor rather than part-
time.
Both Brown and Burgoon said it’s
important for children and teenagers to
have positive role models they can talk to,
especially with changes in society that can
make it hard for young students to avoid
peer pressure.
“Our youth need young people who
have navigated those troubled waters before
them to show the best ways through those
difficult passes,” Brown said. “Ty and Emily
have done a good job of that.”
Burgoon said the breakdown of the fam-
ily unit has caused a lot of societal prob-
lems, and that teens can sometimes feel a
sense of abandonment in certain family
situations.
“Teens are still figuring out their iden-
tity, and so a lot of people make up their
mind about faith in their teen and young
adult years,” Burgoon said of why it’s im-
portant for youth to have young role mod-
els like himself. “… I think Christ should be
a big part of people’s lives, and so if they’re
forming those in those young years, that’s a
good time to be reaching them.”
Nicole Cooke can be reached at 660-530-
0138 or on Twitter @NicoleRCooke
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Page family dedicated
to life of serving
By Nuria Martinez-Keel
nuriam@sedaliademocrat.com
A calling. A discovery. A desire for service.
When Jeff and Megan Page explain their dedi-
cation to Sedalia, they describe these words.
The do-it-all couple is among the most active
in the community, Megan, 32, through city
government and a multitude of organizations. For
Jeff, 35, it comes with the job as funeral director of
Heckart Funeral Home.
“Here in the funeral business we have to be
seen in the community,” he said. “From my per-
spective, going into business together as a couple,
as a family, it’s all the more important now to be
active in the community.”
Jeff and Megan are in the process of purchas-
ing the funeral home from longtime owner, Sue
Heckart, whose family purchased the business 70
years ago. Heckart has prepared Jeff over the past
five years for ownership, but he has worked at the
home his entire adult life.
He started his career in May 2002, the day
after his high school graduation. In Jeff ’s mind,
there was no reason to wait, no need for a
summer vacation. He had already received all the
clarity he needed for his life’s path.
“I view this not as a job, not as a career even,
but as absolutely a calling and a ministry,” Jeff
said. “This is how I’m able to put my faith into
action and serving people at their most difficult,
the lowest time of their life.”
Jeff once believed working in a funeral home
would be the last job he would ever take. His
perspective suddenly changed when a friend and
schoolmate in his hometown of Otterville was
killed in a car accident.
Jeff, a high school junior at the time, was
shocked at her death, as was the rest of the town.
As the community rallied in support and grief,
Jeff got an inside look into her funeral prepara-
tions and came to a life-changing realization.
“Literally in the days between her death and
her funeral, God revealed his plan for me, what
he wanted me to do and called me into this
profession,” he said. “I obeyed. I’ve never known
anything more clearly in my life.”
Jeff decided to enter the field as quickly as he
could. He wrote letters to Heckart and another
funeral home ahead of his graduation. When
Heckart offered him a position, he started as soon
as he finished his final semester.
The funeral home hired Jeff to assist with em-
20 UNDER 40 Sedalia Democrat • 3
balming, making arrangements and carrying out
funeral services. He completed mortuary school
in the meantime through Kansas City Kansas
Community College.
Jeff climbed the ladder at the home to the
position of funeral director, prompting Heckart
to strategically place more responsibility on his
shoulders.
“The stresses, the worries, the hard work, the PHOTO BY NURIA MARTINEZ-KEEL | DEMOCRAT
extended hours, she has really let me experience Jeff and Megan Page stand outside Heckart Funeral Home, the business they
all those things,” he said. “So that really as I go are in the process of buying from longtime owner Sue Heckart.
into this, not much changes because I’ve already
been there. She has really tried to let me see as an Both she and Jeff are active in the local Re- to service has ultimately set an example for their
owner.” publican Party as members of the Pettis County sons, Jonah, 7, and Jude, 5.
Jeff ’s work at Heckart eventually introduced Pachyderm Club, for which Megan now serves as “For me, it’s showing them that life is not about
him to Megan in 2005. The two became acquaint- president. the kingdom you can build for yourself,” Jeff said.
ed when she came to the home with her family to Megan said she has discovered an ability to “It’s about serving and making this about those
make funeral plans for her great uncle. Not long make a difference through politics, a passion she around you. This life is not all about what you
after, they went on a date. They married two years hopes will someday lead her to the Capitol in as an individual can accomplish for yourself but
later to the day in 2007. Jefferson City. For now, she is focused on creating what you can accomplish for your fellow man.”
Megan had skipped college and opted to positive change within Sedalia. Nuria Martinez-Keel can be reached at 660-
work as a bank teller after high school. She has Most importantly, Jeff and Megan’s dedication 530-0146.
advanced to the position of loan officer assistant
at Movement Mortgage, with the intention of
becoming a loan officer in the near future.
The Marshall native had limited involvement
outside of work and her church, the Celebration
Center of First United Methodist Church. She
was struck with a calling of her own, though,
while listening to a guest sermon.
A speaker had visited the Celebration Center
to encourage more activity in local politics. The
message of Christian leadership in government
inspired Megan to run for the Sedalia City
Council.
Campaigning against an incumbent office-
holder was far outside Megan’s comfort zone, 903 S. Ohio Ave.
but it paid off when she was elected as Ward 4
Sedalia, MO
councilwoman in April 2017.
“It was scary and it was hard, but it was defi-
nitely worth it,” she said. “It has shown me that I
have bigger goals and aspirations in politics, and
I love it. I love what I do. It’s an honor to serve the
community.”
On Behalf of Heckart Funeral Home,
Though she holds a demanding year-round
position, Megan’s community involvement out-
side of the council has exploded.
She is a member of Sedalia Young Profession-
Congratulations to
als, Mid-Missouri Young Republicans, Sedalia
Business Women and the Board of Directors for
the Boys and Girls Clubs of West Central Missou-
ri. Many of these organizations have Megan in an
Jeff and Megan Page!
officer position. 541155b
4 • Sedalia Democrat
Thomas, SYBA providing valuable opportunities
By Alex Agueros
aagueros@sedaliademocrat.com
Kevin Thomas understands the value of
opportunity.
Luck is fickle and chance is a game, but
opportunity – matched with hard work – can
produce something special.
Born in Vallejo, California, and raised in
Jacksonville, Florida, Thomas started his
college basketball career in Poplar Bluff,
Missouri. At Three Rivers Community
College, he advanced from the 17th man to a
part-time starter worth more than 20 minutes
per game.
From there, Thomas helped Drury to a
Division II South Central Regional appear-
ance and led the Panthers in scoring for two
coaches in as many seasons. He spent the
next two seasons as a graduate assistant at
Drury, helping the Panthers amass a 42-16
record.
And in eight seasons as head coach of State
Fair Community College, some of the most
successful recruits were products of capi-
Congratulations Kevin Thomas!
Thank you for your
commitment to
the community!
20 UNDER 40
talizing on opportunity – and an aversion to
traffic.
“Kenny Chery (Baylor), who ended up being
a great player for us, we were fortunate
enough to get a phone call at the right time,”
Thomas said. “Joe Thomasson (Wright
State), literally when he signed our letter of
intent, there were three or four other junior
colleges that were en route to his home to try
and sign him.
“We got there first and got him signed.”
Now coaching at Smith-Cotton High School,
Thomas, 35, is going the extra mile as he
and his family appeared settled in Sedalia.
His wife Taylor teaches at Sedalia Middle
School, while his youngest of three, twins,
started kindergarten in August. Recently,
Thomas accepted an appointment to the
Sedalia Park Board and launched the Sedalia
Youth Basketball Association, which began
competition in October.
“Whatever your job is, do it to the best of
your ability,” Thomas said. “If you’re a bus
driver, be the best bus driver you can be. If
you’re a cook, be the best cook you can be.
541518s
Kevin Thomas talks with a Smith-Cotton basketball player during a timeout last
season in Sedalia.
Well, I’m a basketball coach, and I feel like I
have to do above and beyond what I have to
do. When you do that, then I have credibility.
… You can’t be a leader if you’re not willing
to do the extra things.
“My wife and I, whatever we do we put 100
percent, put all our heart into what we’re
doing. She’s a teacher, and people have no
idea. She stays at work for two more hours,
then when she leaves and gets home, she’s
up grading papers, doing lesson plans. …
That’s the standard.”
Thomas said he draws his philosophy from
the five men who coached him from high
school through college: Terry McCarter
(Mandarin High School), Gene Bess (Three
Rivers Community College), Gary Stan-
field and Steve Hesser (Drury). Some were
easy-going, focusing on technique. Others
were disciplined, imposing authority like a
drill sergeant.
“I’ve tried to take the good and bad from
them, and make it my own,” Thomas said.
All coaches, Thomas said, emphasized a
player-coach relationship based on respect.
He wants the SYBA and its coaches to foster
a positive environment.
“That’s probably one of the biggest things
we’ll preach to our coaches,” Thomas said.
“Treat kids the right way, coach the right
way, coach for the right reasons. It’s not
about wins and losses, it’s about develop-
ment and kids having fun and seeing kids
getting better and grow.
“I’ve seen coaches screaming and hollering
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
PHOTO BY ALEX AGUEROS | DEMOCRAT
at 7- to 8-year old kids, like ‘What are you
doing?’ Well, he doesn’t know what he’s do-
ing. He really doesn’t. You’re going to have
to teach them. And you’re probably going to
have to tell them over and over again.”
In years time, Thomas’ youth league should
have an effect on his program at Smith-Cot-
ton High School. But he and the SYBA hope
to provide more than just a feeder program
for the Tigers.
“Hopefully this will benefit not just
Smith-Cotton, but some of the other high
school programs in the area as well,” Thom-
as said. “Give their kids an opportunity to
play.”
State Fair Community College continued
without Thomas after the 2016-17 season,
leaving he and his family with a cross-
roads decision. He and Taylor discussed
for months the possibility of moving from
Sedalia – chasing new jobs in a new city – or
accepting an opportunity at Smith-Cotton.
Thomas, accustomed to long, holiday break
drives from Poplar Bluff to Jacksonville, or
eight-hour recruitment trips to Dayton, Ohio,
said there is a certain charm to small towns –
and less traffic.
“I lived in a big city my whole life until I
went to college. This is where we want our
kids to grow up at,” Thomas said. “Going
places, you see somebody you know, people
are friendlier.
“Traffic, that’s something I don’t miss.”
Alex Agueros can be reached at 660-826-
1000, ext. 1483 or on Twitter @abagueros2.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018 20 UNDER 40
Giving back through business, civic service
By Nicole Cooke
ncooke@sedaliademocrat.com
A love of drawing and architecture
at a young age eventually led Kevin
Wade to Sedalia, where he’s become a
familiar face in the community.
At a small firm like Robert Roll-
ings Architects, Wade said everyone
does a little bit of everything, includ-
ing meeting with clients, production
work, managing projects, handling
bidding, and checking on construc-
tion sites to catch any errors and to
make sure the client’s needs are being
met.
Wade, 33, said he knew in second
grade he wanted to be an archi-
tect, always playing with Legos and
drawing buildings. He took art and
PHOTO BY NICOLE COOKE | DEMOCRAT drafting classes in high school and
Kevin Wade, 33, stands with a set of architect attended Kansas State University.
drawings at the conference table at Robert Rollings When he graduated from college
Architects in Sedalia. Wade has worked for the firm in 2009, the recession had hit Amer-
since 2011. ica and architecture jobs were scarce.
Wade opted to join AmeriCorps for
two years, working in Massachusetts
and Alabama.
Once the two years were up, Wade
was able to land the job at Rollings
about seven years ago.
“It’s (architecture) always been a
part of me, I’ve always enjoyed it. The
two years I wasn’t in it like I wanted
to be after school, it made me realize
all the more that this was what I
wanted to do,” he said. “From the day
I started here (at Rollings), it’s a very
challenging job, but in its challenges
it’s rewarding. Everything we do is
new every time. We learn from every
job, but something new will come up
and the players change. It’s constantly
learning.”
Beverly Rollings, who owns
Robert Rollings Architects with her
husband, said she wishes there were
more people like Wade in Sedalia.
“He embodies what you hope a
citizen would be — engaged, cares
Sedalia Democrat • 5
about the community, gets the big
picture and why involvement is
important,” she said. “He jumped in
from day one (at the firm) and is a
team player. … He is dedicated and
willing to put in whatever hours are
needed to get the job done well.”
Wade’s job isn’t the only thing
keeping him busy. He’s also involved
in Sedalia Young Professionals,
United Way of Pettis County, Sedalia
Area Chamber of Commerce, Sedalia
Planning and Zoning Committee,
Sedalia Smart Growth Committee,
and the American Institute of Archi-
tects Mid-Missouri chapter.
He became a founding member of
the current version of SYP in 2014,
something he said was a combination
of good timing and having the right
people ready to get involved.
When Angie Thomas, former
executive director, first started work-
ing at the Sedalia Area Chamber
Continued on Page 21
541153b
6 • Sedalia Democrat
Shaw stokes passion for learning through fire service
By Nuria Martinez-Keel
nuriam@sedaliademocrat.com
The head of a classroom might be the last
place Daniel Shaw thought he would end
up.
The idea of it seemed much less likely to
the Sedalia Fire Department captain than
standing at the end of a hose line at a house
fire or giving medical care at a car accident.
In Shaw’s words, school “wasn’t much
fun” as a teenager. But, that same student,
once happy to skate by in his classes, later
became the lead instructor of SFD’s fire-
fighter academy.
“The kid who really didn’t enjoy high
school and what I am today are two com-
pletely different things,” Shaw said. “Once
you figure out what you actually like to do,
school’s not a chore anymore. You’re feeding
what you want to learn about and what you
want to know.”
Shaw, 34, is the epitome of a homegrown
SFD firefighter. Born and raised in Sedalia,
he has spent 12 years with the department
and, before that, volunteered with the Pettis
County Fire Protection District.
As any firefighter has, Shaw learned he
had the will to run into a burning building
instead of fleeing away. He discovered he
could cope with witnessing grisly accident
scenes and remain calm in an emergency.
The chance of finding a familiar face,
though, at the source of a 911 call gave extra
impetus to serving his home community.
“That kind of drove home to me the
opportunity that I would have to help those
that I love and those I know,” he said. “I
want to see the best for Sedalia and the
whole. I want to grow my community, and I
want to make our department the best that
On Behalf of Moore’s
Greenhouse and Flower Shop
Dec. 16,
Congratulations
9 shopping
to all Winners!
days to Christmas
3311 Green Ridge Road 1 Block West of Best Western • Sedalia, MO • 660-827-5800
20 UNDER 40
PHOTO BY NURIA MARTINEZ-KEEL | DEMOCRAT
Capt. Daniel Shaw has risen through
the ranks at the Sedalia Fire
Department to an administrative role.
He now oversees all of SFD’s training
programs and its inspection bureau.
we can for my home. I don’t have any desire
to go anywhere else.”
Shaw’s path to the fire service began on a
frozen highway between Pettis and Johnson
County. He was driving to his shift at the
Swisher’s factory in Warrensburg, where he
worked after graduating from Smith-Cot-
ton High School in 2003.
Christmas
Driving to Warrensburg at 5 a.m. each
day became perilous on winter mornings.
One particularly icy day, Shaw’s truck slid
Florals,
into a ditch while a Ford Bronco crashed
and overturned directly behind.
Poinsettias,
Shaw left his truck and discovered two
of his factory coworkers in the SUV, one
of whom had an injury to his head. While
and Cemetery
helping the men out of the car and calling
911, he was struck with a new idea. Maybe,
this didn’t have to be the last time he rushed
Arrangements at
y Owne
F amil d “I felt strongly enough about it that I
3311 Green
Ridge Rd
Sedalia
sin
660-827-5800
ce the 1940s!
541313hb
to aid in an emergency.
“That was pretty cool, so I think that’s
something I wanted to look into,” he said. “It
was just kind of an ah-ha moment for me.”
Shaw began volunteering as a Pettis
County firefighter and took a job in Sedalia
to be able to respond to emergency calls
more frequently. He continued as a volun-
teer until he turned 21, the minimum age
limit to apply at SFD.
Upon passing his initial tests, the
department sent Shaw to the Columbia
fire academy and put him through emer-
gency medical training. At 22, he finished
his courses and started his career as a paid
firefighter July 31, 2006.
After four years, he advanced to the rank
of engine driver, and his role at the depart-
ment continued to grow. He was active as
an officer in the Local 103 union of Sedalia
firefighters, becoming involved in discus-
sions with department and city officials on
staff retention and payment plans.
SFD had become caught in a pattern of
losing firefighters to other metro areas. The
department identified a common cause
that drew staff members away. Sedalia often
hired firefighters from – and eventually
lost them to – Kansas City and Columbia,
the only two cities in the region with fire
academies.
At the same time, several command staff
officers, including then-Fire Chief Mike
Ditzfeld, were approaching retirement,
promising massive turnover at the depart-
ment.
To cultivate more firefighters with local
ties, SFD founded Firefighter I and II cours-
es in Sedalia. When the opportunity arose,
Shaw agreed to help implement the State
of Missouri’s fire training curriculum and
became a certified instructor.
kind of took that on,” Shaw said. “I enjoyed
the challenge of it, but it developed me far
more than (command staff ) going, ‘Hey,
here’s the step-by-step process you need to
take.’ It was, ‘Hey, go figure this out,’ and I
grew tremendously through that process.”
Shaw now teaches one-third of the
Firefighter I and II courses, often educating
more in a classroom setting than field train-
ing. As the lead instructor, he is responsible
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
for the program’s paperwork and schedul-
ing.
The program has shown its worth, with a
quarter of SFD’s staff having come from the
Sedalia fire academy since it graduated its
first class in 2016.
“Daniel has grown in the fire service
like so many of the young men in this
department,” Fire Chief Greg Harrell said.
“He enjoys the interaction with others and
really enjoys teaching. I hate to single him
out because like so many of our firefight-
ers, he continues to grow and increase his
knowledge of the fire service. He is more
of an example of what is good about this
department.”
Shaw has long since discovered a pen-
chant for education, both for himself and
others. He continued taking new training
courses and earned his bachelor’s degree in
fire science through Columbia State Univer-
sity’s online program.
The person who once avoided academics
is now, as Harrell said, constantly “studying
and learning and then sharing that with
others.”
He obtained a further Fire Instructor II
certification and became a leader in Rental
Inspection Committee meetings. The
committee, which the city has put on hold,
worked with Shaw to develop a checklist for
rental property inspections and to build a
class to certify future inspectors.
In April of this year, Shaw received the
rank of administrative captain. He now
oversees all of SFD’s training programs and
its inspection bureau. This brought on a
new challenge of learning fire inspection
requirements and interpreting international
fire codes.
By now, studying is a habit for Shaw, and
teaching in front of a classroom is anything
but unexpected.
“I believe we deserve the best depart-
ment we can have, and you can only have
the best department when you have the best
people,” Shaw said. “I attribute a lot of my
success to my opportunities.
“Anybody who wants to be in the fire
service in this community, I want them to
have that opportunity.”
Nuria Martinez-Keel can be reached at
660-530-0146.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018 20 UNDER 40 Sedalia Democrat • 7

The science of caring and compassion

By Hope Lecchi
hlecchi@sedaliademocrat.com

The practice of medicine is a sci-

ence, but it is also an act of compas-
sion and caring.
One needs to look no further than
Jordyn Mullins, a critical care nurse
at Bothwell Regional Health Cen-
ter, to discover how the two merge,
resulting in life-saving work.
At 23, Mullins didn’t grow up
dreaming of becoming a nurse.
Instead she thought of becoming a
veterinarian. That changed when her
father was in a car accident when
Mullins was in junior high school.
“I did not always want to be a nurse
but all through high school I wanted
to be,” Mullins said. “I really made my
decision when my dad was in a bad
car accident and had to be flown to
the University of Missouri Hospital in
Columbia. I saw all the nurses caring
for him and decided that could be
something I might like.”
By her freshman year in high
school at Green Ridge, Mullins said
her decision was made. During her
junior and senior years of high school
she took prerequisite dual-cred-
it classes before enrolling in the
ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing)
program at State Fair Community
College. Mullins was 21 when she
graduated from SFCC in 2016.
Hired by BRHC following her
graduation, Mullins has worked at the
hospital for two and a half years.
As a charge nurse in the critical
care unit, Mullins assigns patients to
other nurses and organizes patient
care. In that capacity, she is responsi-
ble for moving patients to other units
and communicating with the multi-
disciplinary care team including case
managers, social services, dietary and
therapy departments among others.
Kasey Fredendall, a former col-
league in the critical care unit at
Bothwell and now an instructor in the
nursing department at SFCC, com-
Jordyn Mullins stands outside a patient room in the Critical Care Unit at
Bothwell Regional Health Center. Mullins was inspired to become a nurse after
her father was injured in a car accident when she was in junior high school.
mented on how deserving Mullins is
for recognition of her work.
“Jordyn advocates for her patients,
and she always goes above and be-
yond in providing care to her patients
and their families,” Fredendall said.
“She readily takes on new tasks and is
the first one to help a co-worker.
“I have enjoyed working with her,”
she added. “She always has a smile on
her face.”
It is her positive outlook that has
helped Mullins in her daily life.
“As a CCU nurse we also respond
to any codes in the hospital includ-
ing code blue (CPR), rapid response
(change in patients’ condition on an-
other unit) and code strokes (possible
stroke patients),” Mullins said. “Being
a CCU nurse, we see people at their
worst and I really enjoy seeing the
PHOTO BY HOPE LECCHI | DEMOCRAT
people that we helped get better.”
In her work, and her life away from
the hospital, Mullins is quick to give
credit to others. It is a product of the
values she was taught by her family.
“I grew up on a farm in Green
Ridge and my family has always been
really close,” Mullins said. “I knew I
always wanted to stay close to Sedalia,
my family is here and it has always
been ‘home.’
“My family today continues to be
close,” she added. “I am married (to
Ethan Mullins) and we have a little
girl, Mya, who will turn 1 in Decem-
ber,”
At times, Mullins has to deal with
community issues that are troubling
to herself and others in the communi-
ty: violence and substance abuse.
“My main hope for the communi-
PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDYN MULLINS
Jordyn Mullins is pictured with her
husband Ethan Mullins while holding
their daughter, Mya, at the Missouri
State Fair in August.
ty is that the drug use and violence
decreases,” Mullins commented. “I
know that every town has it but ours
seems to be getting worse.”
Caring for others, no matter what
their circumstance or condition, is
what led Mullins to nursing and is the
primary reason she continues in the
profession.
“There are so many memorable
moments, too many to count,” Mull-
ins reflected on her career. “The best
part of my job is seeing the patients
that get better, and then seeing them
out in public whether they recognize
me or not — I remember them.
“My most memorable moment was
when I had a patient tell me that I
had saved him,” she continued. “I was
a new nurse and the patient had been
through a lot and I will never forget
that moment. That is why I do what
I do — to help people. Bottom line is
that I became a nurse to help people
when they are at their worst.”
Hope Lecchi can be reached at 660-
826-1000 ext. 1484.
8 • Sedalia Democrat
Guevara gives back
through Guesa
By Nuria Martinez-Keel
nuriam@sedaliademocrat.com
Jorge Guevara always knew he would own
a company.
He knew it as a child when he sold lem-
onade and cookies by the side of the road in
his hometown of Caracas, Venezuela.
He knew it at 15 when he worked as a
mobile DJ, equipped with lights and a smoke
machine. He knew it when he and his father
sold donuts together at a corner in down-
town Caracas.
Guevara, 32, didn’t know when he arrived
in Missouri on Aug. 10, 2002, that his future
company would have its headquarters in
Sedalia. It took him a few weeks to figure
that out.
“I knew I was going to start something,”
Guevara said. “I knew I was going to do
something. I always envisioned myself want-
ing to make a difference.”
Now, Guevara accomplishes his goal
every day when he walks into work at Guesa
USA, a subsidiary of his family’s Venezue-
la-based company, Guesa.
While the parent company grows and ex-
ports sesame seeds in Venezuela, Guesa USA
manages several businesses and commercial
properties in the United States, particularly
in Sedalia.
The local Steak ’n Shake, Dairy Queen
and American Family Care fall under
Guesa’s management as do concessions at
the Missouri State Fair grandstands. The
company also holds multiple buildings in
downtown Sedalia and invests in other
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2018 Winners!
Each Office Independently 1435 Thompson Blvd | Sedalia, MO 65301
Owned and Operated 660-826-9911 office | 660-826-4224 fax
Billie Barnes
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20 UNDER 40
businesses.
Guesa, Steak ’n Shake, Dairy Queen
and AFC are regularly active in the local
community through sponsorships and
donations. Last year, the four businesses
collectively gave away $25,000 in donations
and paid $20,000 in sponsorships.
These dollars contributed to multiple
causes and community events, such as
purchasing sports equipment for youth in
need and founding the Show-Me Freedom
Festival as a free event for the Fourth of July.
The restaurants donated 4,000 free
meals in 2017, totaling to a value of at least
$10,000, Guevara said. Guesa also gave
$6,000 in college and Sacred Heart School
tuition scholarships.
These efforts follow Guevara’s personal
motto, which he often expresses as a hashtag
on social media: #TogetherWeCanMakeA-
Difference.
“I believe in a better community, a better
result,” he said. “I believe that we were bless-
ed by God with what we have, so we have to
try to make sure that we bless others with
what they don’t.”
Guevara’s ties to Sedalia reach back to
2002 when he came to spend the year at Sa-
cred Heart as an exchange student through
Rotary International. His host family lived
in a country home north of Sedalia where
the only neighbors were cows grazing in a
nearby field.
The rural scene was a shock to the
17-year-old, who had just come from Vene-
zuela’s capital city with millions of residents.
The small-town atmosphere, though, felt
of Sedalia
I’m the key you
need to unlock
541151hb
the right door!
Jorge Guevara stands at the Guesa
USA office where he manages the
company, its three franchises and
its investments. Guevara came to
Sedalia as an exchange student from
Venezuela in 2002 and eventually
established roots in the city.
PHOTO BY NURIA MARTINEZ-KEEL | DEMOCRAT
like home. Caracas, despite its significant
size, had a familiar face at every turn, and
Guevara discovered Sedalia could be the
same way.
“I loved the small-town personalization
of service, treatment, care,” he said. “It’s a
comfort factor. It’s much better than going to
a big city and everywhere you go it’s some-
body different.”
Guevara spent two difficult weeks adjust-
ing to his new environment before his senior
year at Sacred Heart began. By the end of
his first week of school, he was ready to give
back to the city that had welcomed him.
Guevara was unsure where or how to
volunteer his time. He simply knew he was
eager to help and his Spanish fluency could
be an asset.
He soon learned Sedalia had a sizeable
Hispanic population, and local public safety
agencies were often in need of translators. A
month into the semester, Guevara received
permission from Sacred Heart administrator
Mark Register to go to the Sedalia Police
Department during school hours and sign
up as a volunteer translator.
His agreement with SPD was put to the
test one school day when a bus crashed on
its way to the Tyson Foods plant. An officer
showed up at Sacred Heart, requesting to
take Guevara from class.
“I remember the teachers were like, ‘OK,
what do we do? How can we let him out and
nobody else?’” Guevara said. “An officer was
outside like, ‘We need help. There’s a lot of
Hispanics injured.’ And they actually pulled
me out of school. In that moment, I felt like I
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
crossed the line to where the school trusts
me to go help this community.”
Despite his passion for business, Guevara
developed an interest in the medical field.
His volunteer work with ambulance and fire
department personnel encouraged him to
complete an EMT certification.
He graduated from Sacred Heart and
jumped into the nursing program at State
Fair Community College. He then went on
to complete a bachelor’s degree in business
management at the University of Central
Missouri.
His ailing grandfather drew him to
Florida for a short period of time. After
his grandfather died, Guevara returned to
Sedalia and never moved again. In the years
since, Guevara has become a U.S. citizen, a
husband to his wife, Megan, and a father to
their 1-year-old daughter, Carolina.
He established Guesa USA in 2009,
making his lifelong goal of entrepreneurship
a reality. Guevara has since set out to create
a company full of incentives for employees
– most famously giving a car to a longtime
Dairy Queen worker – and one that leaves
a positive mark in its community through
programs and donations.
“I got to have opportunities that other
people wouldn’t have,” Guevara said. “So, it’s
important that if I got those opportunities I
have to somehow try to create those oppor-
tunities for others.
“We have the platform, so why not help
each other?”
Nuria Martinez-Keel can be reached at
660-530-0146.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Devoted to family
and community
By Hope Lecchi
hlecchi@sedaliademocrat.com
If it is true that home is where one starts
from, for Pettis County Clerk Nick La Stra-
da home not only defines who he is, it also
defines his hope for the future.
The definition of home has never been
traditional for La Strada but it has led him
to accomplish much at the age of 33.
“Thanks to my mother (Becca La Stra-
da) I learned early on what it means to be
a hard worker,” La Strada began in explain-
ing his upbringing. “She has played both
roles as a mother and a father. Personally,
growing up with a single mother definitely
showed me how important penny pinching
is and that family is what is most important
in life.”
Not having the most expensive clothes
or the fanciest home did not deter La
Strada growing up. In fact, they were an
incentive to work hard and focus on his
goals.
“As a child, I would always tell people,
‘I will be the governor of the great state of
Missouri,’” La Strada recalled. “Everyone
including myself would chuckle.
“My mom’s response to most things I
dreamed about then and now was, ‘I can
do all things through Christ who strength-
ens me,’ Philippians 4:13. It is my favorite
Bible verse.”
While he hasn’t considered a formal run
for the Governor’s Mansion yet, La Strada
is heavily involved in the political process
and elections.
A 2004 graduate of Smith-Cotton High
School, La Strada received a dual Bache-
lor’s of Science in human services recre-
ation management from Missouri Valley
College. He then continued his education
by attending the Election Center through
Auburn University. There he became a
certified election/registration administrator
(CERA), earning a master’s certification.
La Strada was elected into office in 2010
as the Pettis County Clerk/Election Au-
20 UNDER 40 Sedalia Democrat • 9
Pettis County Clerk Nick
La Strada stands beside a
voting machine in his office
on the second floor of the
Pettis County Courthouse.
Elected in 2010, La Strada
has implemented a number
of changes to his office to
thority. In 2016, he was elected as a trustee ensure the voting process
to the State Fair Community College Board is simple and accessible
of Trustees. to all registered voters in
“I can’t help but to feel immensely bless- Pettis County.
PHOTO BY HOPE LECCHI | DEMOCRAT
ed,” La Strada said. “Serving Pettis County
is definitely something I take pride in.”
Among his duties are supervising elec-
tions, candidate certification and filings,
running polling locations and training
election workers. His office is also respon-
sible for maintaining the voter registration
database, which includes address changes,
cancellations, deceased, and convicted
felons.
“One of the biggest successes for me
was accomplishing the 2016 presidential
election,” La Strada noted. “The climate of
the political environment was changing
and the pressure was on.
“Every time I hear a voter say that
‘voting was so easy,’ it keeps me going,” he
added. “I aspire to make the voting process
professional and to accommodate the
voters in any way that I can.”
Acquiring and maintaining state-of-
the-art election equipment for the voters
of Pettis County has been a priority for La
Strada. La Strada is both proud and humbled by minds to are among my most important
“Nick has the office updated and these accomplishments, but he considers values,” La Strada added. “Above all, they
continually works on that,” Pettis County his greatest as being the proud single parent are what motivate me from the time my
Presiding Commissioner David Dick said. of two “healthy and beautiful daughters,” eyes open in the morning to the time they
“He has looked for new equipment that will Sophia, 10, and Olivia, 9. shut at night — Sophia and Olivia will for-
be usable and adaptable for a number of “Teaching them to never forget where ever be my two greatest accomplishments.”
future elections by embracing technology.” they come from to cherish life moments, Hope Lecchi can be reached at 660-826-
According to Dick, La Strada also puts and that they can do anything they set their 1000 ext. 1484.
forth an effort to make sure the voters of
Pettis County are well aware of ballot mea-
sures and the voting process.
La Strada is involved in the community Congratulations!
in numerous ways including serving as a
member of the Juneteenth Committee and
the Pettis County Republican Committee I’m so proud of
as well as serving as president of TAR-
GET for two years. He is also a member
of the Mid-Missouri Young Republicans,
you and I love you.
Optimist Club and Lions Club. In 2014, he
was the recipient of the NAACP Award for ~Your favorite sister, Tiffany
Outstanding Community Service. 541312s
10 • Sedalia Democrat
Taylor taking a stand for mental health
By Faith Bemiss
fbemiss@sedaliademocrat.com
Always looking at the glass as half full,
Capri Taylor, 36, a licensed professional
therapist, is proud to live in Sedalia and be
one of the community’s mental health care
advocates.
In 2008, Taylor received a master’s degree
in counseling psychology from Bowie State
University in Maryland, one of the 10 oldest
HBCU, or Historically Black Colleges or
Universities, in the country. She has been in
private practice for three years as Ambitions
Counseling LLC.
She credits a grandfather-figure, the late
Webster W. Morgan, as one who guided her
into the field.
“He was one of the most intelligent
people I knew, but he never graduated from
school,” she said. “I remember talking to
him about what I wanted to be when I grew
up. He lived in Washington, D.C., so I went
to the school that was by him … so it kind
of fit together. I remember being 13 or 14
and talking to him about these universities
(HBCU) … and it all fit together later. I
managed to go to one.”
She added as a child they often talked
about psychology together and Morgan
would always be the one to answerer her
tough questions.
Since 2008, Taylor has also received
credentials in professional alcohol and sub-
stance abuse counseling. She said initially
she wanted to go into the criminal defense
field but found the psychology aspect
worked well with counseling prisoners. She
combined the two.
“I was interested actually in working with
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To all the nominees and winners! Thank You for all
your service to the community. We Appreciate You!
Becca’s Framing
308 S. Ohio • Downtown Sedalia
660-826-2229
20 UNDER 40
prisoners, that’s why I have the substance
abuse (credentials),” she said. “I wanted to
keep them out of prison once they were out;
lower recidivism. That’s actually what my
thesis was on.”
She said working with people and seeing
them improve is rewarding.
“When I meet people usually they are
not having the best moments in their lives,”
she noted. “To walk with them, and be
beside them, and get them back where they
are supposed to be, I get to see progress.”
She added that watching individuals heal
mentally is like watching the renovation of
a home that’s in disrepair and seeing how,
in the end, it's once again beautiful and
inhabitable.
“You get to uncover the pretty things
again,” she said.
She also credits Colleen Pollitt, a retired
licensed professional counselor with Com-
munity Counseling Services, for helping get
her established in Sedalia.
“Colleen Pollitt is amazing,” Taylor said.
“I found her by fluke. I was in Italy and I
had to do my practicum and my internship,
and I had interest in recidivism, and people
who were coming back into the communi-
ty. I actually had my mom (Crystal Sims)
call her, I had never met this lady … so I
could fly back to her and do my practicum
and internship in the states.”
Pollitt was thrilled to have Taylor on
board and encouraged her to come back to
Sedalia.
“What a sweet, sweet lady,” Pollitt said.
“She’s probably the most self-motivated
young woman I’ve ever seen. When she has
an idea about something, she researches it,
and she dives into it, and she asks every-
541342J
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
body what their opinion is, then she moves “Officer (Mark) Cherry is over the
forward. I was just so impressed with her.” CIT committee, so I volunteered to help
Pollitt said Taylor completed 3,000 hours him,” Taylor noted. “And since I’m dual
at her practice to receive her license. credentialed … I helped the police officers
“It was a blessing to have her,” Pollitt learn about substance abuse and mental
added. “The thing is, whatever she wants, health. I presented to them as part of their
she goes for it and she doesn’t let anything CIT training. I volunteered time for that,
get in her way. If there were any questions, because I thought it was important.”
she knew where to find the answers, she’s a Taylor, a 2000 Smith-Cotton High
very, very smart lady.” School graduate, noted she is happy to live
Pollitt said Taylor always has a positive and practice in Sedalia versus a larger city.
attitude. She said she believes it’s the perfect place to
“The nice part about it is she doesn’t get raise her daughter Marrillassa, 9.
taken in by people,” Pollitt explained. “She “I’ve tried to stay here,” Taylor said smil-
can really see their needs and she’s able to ing. “A lot of my classmates who have gone
address them in a very positive way. She just professional routes have left. I’m home here,
influences so many people with her attitude my daughter is safe. I know my neighbors;
and her ideas.” my neighbors know my dog’s name. It’s that
Taylor has also worked locally with the hometown thing you can’t get somewhere
Stepping Up Initiative and with the Sedalia else.”
Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Faith Bemiss can be reached at 660-530-
Team program. 0289 or on Twitter @flbemiss.
PHOTO BY FAITH BEMISS | DEMOCRAT
Capri Taylor, 36, stands in her office on South Ingram Avenue recently. Taylor, a
therapist, has a master’s degree in counseling psychology and owns her own
private practice, Ambitions Counseling LLC. She participates with the Stepping
Up Initiative and has also presented concepts of mental health to the Sedalia
Police Department’s CIT program.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018 20 UNDER 40 Sedalia Democrat • 11

Schmidt a lead
storyteller of Sedalia
By Nuria Martinez-Keel
nuriam@sedaliademocrat.com
Unique stories abound in Sedalia, and
Emily Schmidt has made it her mission to
tell them.
A career in journalism brought
Schmidt, 32, to the city in 2012, when area
residents first met her on the pages of the
Sedalia Democrat.
She has kept her thumb on the pulse of
the community as the Democrat’s former
city reporter and now as the communica-
tions director for the Boys and Girls Clubs
of West Central Missouri.
Both positions have challenged her to
deliver information to readers through
a variety of forms: writing, photography
and social media. The Boys and Girls Club
relies on Schmidt to highlight its role in
the lives of nearly 2,000 local children.
“We have really good stories of kids
who enjoy the club, who need the club,”
Schmidt said. “Part of my job is showing
what we do. A lot of people don’t really
understand Boys and Girls Club.”
Through the Democrat, Schmidt
reported on contentious smoking and
rental inspection ordinances and wrote a
collection of articles on downtown Sedalia.
She and former managing editor Dennis
Rich crafted the award-winning 10-part
series “Meth at the Crossroads,” detailing
the impact of the regional drug trade.
Schmidt’s work at the newspaper earned
her the Missouri Press Association’s award
for Outstanding Young Journalist in 2013.
Former Democrat editor Bob Satnan, who
nominated her for the award, said Sedalia
quickly recognized Schmidt as an “influ-
ence in the community.”
“Em came in with an almost super-hu-
man ability to turn around a story on
deadline, but as she grew in her role she
developed really good enterprise report-
ing and writing skills,” Satnan said. “She
started seeing issues more deeply, and the
Democrat's readers were rewarded for
that.”
She is now applying her expertise to a
public relations role, one which she has
seen grow significantly since joining the
Boys and Girls Club in May 2014. Schmidt
travels to club sites throughout the week
with a camera to document after-school
programs around Pettis County.
From academic tutoring in Dresden to
a digital coding class in Smithton, Schmidt
has become a familiar face to students,
teachers and site directors across the
county.
Back at her office in Sedalia, Schmidt
writes press releases, speeches and, per-
haps most importantly, grants.
Grant writing has shaped her into an
essential cog in the club’s financial support
system. Despite their strict requirements
for use, grants bring needed dollars to
support the club’s operations, though the
organization has started to focus more on
private donations.
“We always know we’re going to have
PHOTO BY NURIA MARTINEZ-KEEL | DEMOCRAT
Emily Schmidt talks with a student participating in an art class through the Boys
and Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri at the Smithton R-VI School District. As
the club’s communications director, Schmidt visits multiple after-school sites in
Pettis County every week to take pictures and meet with teachers and students.
some grant money, and we’re going to use intern and weekend reporter for the Dem-
it to the best of our ability,” she said. “But, ocrat during her junior and senior years of
we’re really trying to get people to think college.
more philanthropically.” By the time she earned her bachelor’s
Schmidt has also become heavily degree in 2007, Schmidt thought she had
involved in connecting with donors and seen the last of Pettis County. But, a road
assisting with fundraising events. The winding through other local papers, in-
generosity of Pettis County residents has cluding stops at the Lee’s Summit Journal
endeared her to the community she adopt- and the Blue Springs Journal, led her back
ed nearly seven years ago. to a job opening as a city reporter at the
“It always amazed me,” Schmidt said. Democrat.
“Working at the club and seeing the dona- Her byline at the time read the last
tions that come in and the people who are name Jarrett, as she has since married and
like, ‘I don’t want my name on this. Don’t planted roots in Sedalia.
take a picture. Here you go. It’s for the “She is a great role model for Sedalia's
kids. It’s important.’” young women,” Satnan said. “Sedalia is
Schmidt grew up in St. Louis before fortunate that Emily Jarrett has decided to
moving to Warrensburg to study journal- make this city her home.”
ism at the University of Central Missouri. Nuria Martinez-Keel can be reached at
She got her first taste of Sedalia as an 660-530-0146.

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12 • Sedalia Democrat 20 UNDER 40
From beautiful game to government, Baeza making waves
By Bryan Everson
bryane@sedaliademocrat.com
Unless it’s one of a goalkeeper’s, you
can’t put Israel Baeza in a box.
As a young Hispanic-American, Baeza
is not what most would the picture as
President of the local Mid-Missouri
Young Republicans. After years of com-
manding a back line on the pitch, it’s only
now that he’s gaining recognition for his
voice within politics.
Baeza began his traveled soccer jour-
ney locally at age 11 for the Warrensburg
Scorpions, saying beforehand, “I didn’t
even know how to kick a soccer ball.”
It didn’t take long for that to change.
Since then, soccer has taken him a variety
of places, including Guadalajara, Mexi-
co, where he was born, to training with
Sporting KC and, most recently, to Sacred
Heart School and State Fair Community
College.
His travels have perhaps uniquely
prepared Baeza to step into a bigger role
politically.
Israel Baeza smiles during a pregame drill in October at the Kaysinger
Conference Soccer Tournament in Stover.
“Being able to play soccer, you get to
see a lot of different cultures and meet a
lot of people who maybe don’t think like
I do,” Baeza said. “But any time you can
learn from people, it’s always good to lis-
ten and get a broader idea of what’s going
on in other people’s lives.
“One of the biggest things I’ve loved
about soccer is meeting people from dif-
ferent countries, having teammates from
all over the world and learning about the
way they see life.”
Baeza, 26, said he’s always had an in-
terest in government, but finally jumped
in last year to take on a role as an election
clerk at the Pettis County Clerk’s Office.
“That opened up a lot of doors to meet
a lot of people within the party and a lot
of great citizens,” Baeza said. “Working
at the clerk’s office, we get to deal directly
with a lot of citizens and hear a lot of con-
cerns. I’ve always been interested in being
a voice for people who maybe think their
voice doesn’t count.”
Getting more voices involved, partic-
ularly young ones, has been a goal for
PHOTO BY ALEX AGUEROS | DEMOCRAT
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISRAEL BAEZA
Israel Baeza (orange) is outfitted in goalkeeper attire along with teammates
during his time at Real Zamora. Baeza had several stints with clubs in Mexico
during his playing career, but now passes on his knowledge as an assistant
coach for both Sacred Heart High School and State Fair Community College.
Baeza – no matter party affiliation. Missouri – speaks volumes about the
“I think the biggest thing with Young “openness” of the Republican party.
Republicans was that I wanted to get “There’s always been a lot of talk. …
young people engaged in the political Negative stigmas, about our party, but it
process and, I’ve said it before, but I didn’t has always opened a lot of doors for me,”
really care what side they were on,” Baeza Baeza said. “Being a Hispanic-American,
said. “They could have been Democrats, I’ve always felt welcomed, and they’ve
Green Party, Libertarian, anything. always given me support, and that talks
Young people are engaged in presidential about the type of community we have
elections, but not at the local level. So that where everybody’s welcome. At the end
was the biggest thing, and I’ve seen a lot of the day, we’re all just Americans, and
of support.” I think people (locally) understand we
His involvement is expected to increase all just want to see our county and state
dramatically after the Pettis County Re- succeed.”
publican Central Committee nominated As for the goalkeeper’s box, Baeza
Baeza recently to fill the vacant seat of hopes that his potential new job won’t
Pettis County Eastern Commissioner. An keep him from continuing to teach young
appointment from the governor’s office is soccer players in Sedalia.
expected after the November elections. “I don’t plan to give up coaching,”
“It was very encouraging to get such Baeza said. “It’s something I really enjoy,
large support and when people who see and a way I can always give back to the
you on a daily basis give you enough community, to a sport that gave so much
trust to represent them on a county level,” to me. I know the commission, if I were
Baeza said. “That’s a humbling experi- to get appointed, would take up a lot of
ence. It makes me want to get to work as time and be my priority, but I’d love to
soon as I can and continue to work for continue coaching. Just working around
the people.” those kids and teaching them gives me a
He said his nomination – he’s thought lot of satisfaction.”
to be the first Hispanic-American to Bryan Everson can be reached at 660-
serve as a county commissioner in 530-0147 or on Twitter @BryanEversonSD.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018 20 UNDER 40
sA driving force in the economic community
By Hope Lecchi
hlecchi@sedaliademocrat.com
The heart of any community is the peo-
ple, but to have people locate to a commu-
nity there must be workplace opportunities
for residents to thrive.
At the heart of Economic Development
Sedalia-Pettis County is Jessica Craig.
Craig became executive director two
years ago after spending 15 years leading
economic development teams throughout
Missouri.
“I was very excited to have the oppor-
tunity to lead that team right here in the
community where I am from, where I live
and where I am raising a family,” Craig said.
“it truly is a dream job – I often say that I’ve
come home to Sedalia.
“My husband and I have always lived
here but this is the first time in my ca-
reer where I haven’t traveled full-time for
work,” Craig added. “It is very rewarding
to be a part of that team creating jobs and
economic opportunity right here in my
hometown.”
According to Craig, the old rule of
thumb is that for every dollar brought into
a community by industries that are typi-
cally manufacturing, transportation and
logistics and industrial-based operations,
that $1 changes hands seven times before
leaving the community.
“What that means is that a company
building a $30 million expansion here pro-
vides an economic impact of $210 million,”
Craig explained. “When more industrial
development occurs it stimulates retail and
commercial development. More houses are
sold, more cars are purchased and more
people have disposable income to spend
right here in central Missouri.”
Within the past 14 years EDSPC has
assisted 58 companies build new and ex-
panded facilities, resulting in $615 million
in capital investment and 2,332 new jobs
with a total new annual payroll of nearly
$103 million.
“Jessica has the unique ability to get
the community to work together for a
common goal,’ Pettis County Presiding
Commissioner David Dick said. “She is
constantly seeking opportunities and access
Sedalia Democrat • 13
to opportunities – she is well versed in the
community’s assets and aspects of what
they can provide.”
One of the qualities Dick said he ad-
mires most in Craig is her agenda is that of
the people she serves.
“It is never about personal gain for Jes-
sica. She thinks outside the box, but Jessica
has never been contained by a box – she
explores all the possibilities,” he added. “She
has the ability to see the what-ifs and turn
them into possibilities.”
Craig explained that during a time when
most communities saw a decline in busi-
ness due to the recession, Sedalia and Pettis
County have continued to move forward.
“I’ve been in the field for about 15 years
now and after all these years, I believe my
parents are just now realizing what in the
world economic development is and what
I do,” Craig said. “I find it easy to tell you
about my professional career but not so PHOTO BY HOPE LECCHI | DEMOCRAT
easy to dig into how I got here.” Economic Development Sedalia-Pettis County Executive Director Jessica
Craig said while it may sound cheesy, Craig stands outside the EDSPC office. At 37, Craig was named in Economic
her parents and her heritage played a pivot- Developer of the Year by the Missouri Economic Development Council for
al role in her life, helping to shape her into 2018. Her work has lead to a number of businesses and industries choosing
the person she has become. A mix of native Sedalia as a base of operation including most recently, Nucor.
American, German and Irish, Craig finds
characteristics of persistence, stubbornness, She played collegiate ball while completing Craig professed. “It is true to say that we
resourcefulness and a strong will inside. a double major in accounting and finance. are a competitor in the international site
“I was raised in the household of a union “What I learned on the field, which selection process to bring new business and
equipment operator and an elementary followed me in business, is teamwork and industry right here to Sedalia. I realize on a
teacher and counselor,” Craig commented. leadership,” Craig stated. “Nothing we do is daily basis how lucky I am to be where I am
“Among a lot of things, my dad taught me done by ourselves. personally and professionally.”
the value in making something with my “I would be remiss if I didn’t end my list Hope Lecchi can be reached at 660-826-
hands and having pride in doing so. of drivers of my success to date with my 1000 ext. 1484.
“My mom taught me to cherish every- husband, (Brandon Craig) and our two
one’s story and make it personal,” she con- daughters,” she added. “As you can imagine,
tinued. “They both told me that I can do I’ve spent many years traveling all over the
anything I put my mind to. Whether I was country and internationally growing my
getting ready to pitch in a championship career all the while we have been raising
softball game in college or preparing for a our daughters.”
critical meeting, I hear my mom telling me: Although both Craig and her husband
‘Take the bull by the horns.’” were raised in the county, they did not
It is that motto that Craig said carried grow up in farming families.
her into adulthood and have formed the Hoping to provide a life of farming for
values she hopes to hand down to her their children, the couple purchased 40 PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA CRAIG
daughters. acres and 10 cows in 2010. Today they are Jessica Craig is pictured with her husband
Softball played a huge role in her life as the proud owners of 250 acres with 75 cows Brandon Craig and their daughters
well. Beginning to play competitive ball at and an additional 75 calves. McKinzey, 6, and Savannah, 4, during a
age 8, through hard work and determina- “I’m a firm believer that with hard work, family trip to the Smoky Mountains in
tion Craig was offered a full-ride scholar- a little luck, and God’s will life leads you 2018. The couple is awaiting the birth of
ship to Missouri Valley College in Marshall. to exactly where you are supposed to be,” their third child in October.
14 • Sedalia Democrat
A passion for farming
By Faith Bemiss
fbemiss@sedaliademocrat.com
OTTERVILLE – One young couple be-
gan with a dream of creating a cattle farm
five years ago and are continuing to expand
in new and innovative ways.
Kyle Rupe, 33, a driver with the Sedalia
Fire Department, and his wife Allison
Rupe, 31, former members of the Sedalia
Area Farmers’ Market, have expanded
their small farm into owning their own
market stand with a pumpkin patch and
corn maze. They have plans for next season
with 5,000 strawberry plants already in the
ground.
Kyle noted they already have 57 feeder
calves with the vegetable gardens produc-
ing enough monetarily for the couple to
purchase farm equipment and calves.
“Then, we can use that equipment for
the cattle, they work together,” he added.
“The sale of the vegetables is helping get
the cattle operation started.”
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Kyle & Allison Rupe —
Rupe Family Farms
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20 UNDER 40
He noted that he would rather raise
cattle because they are less labor intensive.
Kyle and Allison do most of the labor on
their 20-acre produce farm; Allison full
time and Kyle part time since he works
three days a week at SFD.
They have two children Dale, 5, Whit-
ney, 7, and a baby due in January.
“We mainly vegetable farm all sum-
mer,” Allison said. “Then we do a five-acre
pumpkin patch for the fall. We started with
the Farmers’ Market when my son was
born and he’s 5 now.”
The couple participated in the SAFM for
three years before opening their “on-farm
store” on Quail Road. They are considering
selling again at the market next year and
are excited about the opportunity their new
strawberry patch will offer.
“We put in a big strawberry patch so
we’ll have a lot of spring strawberries,” she
added.
They believe the SAFM is what gave
them their start and inspired them to grow,
Delivery
Take-offs & Design
541156b
Kyle, 33, and Allison Rupe, 31, sit at a photo prop in early October on their family
farm and market near Otterville. The couple began their vegetable farm five
years ago and are working toward a future cattle operation.
sell and expand their operation.
SAFM Market Manager Brenda Raetz
said the couple are genuine and a pleasure
to work with.
“They are just real and very authentic,”
she added. “They are passionate about what
they do and about supplying local food for
this community. I think they’re passionate
about working the land. Having a place for
the kids to grow up in the country is very
meaningful to them.”
Raetz noted the couple is one of the
market’s success stories. The Rupes began
selling at the SAFM and then were able to
branch out on their own.
“They are very loyal to their communi-
ty,” Raetz said. “And, they both work really
hard. I think they’re being very responsible
in their dreams … we (SAFM) just love
them.”
“When we very first started we had just
a small garden plot,” Allison noted. “Basi-
cally, Kyle decided that if we were going to
grow vegetables and meat, we should do
it a little bit bigger, and go to the market
with it. And, every year it’s just grown from
there.”
The couple said farming is a learning
experience.
“We learn new things every year, and
we get a little bit better at it every year,” Al-
lison said. “But, neither one of us had any
background in vegetable farming, so we are
learning from scratch.”
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
PHOTO BY FAITH BEMISS | DEMOCRAT
Kyle said he was raised on his parents’
Bob and Peggy Rupe’s cattle farm in Flor-
ence; growing produce was new to him.
“I knew I wanted to farm,” he said. “But
it was hard to get started when you don’t
have anything. It’s hard to get started into
cattle and make money. So, we decided on
vegetables, where we could basically put in
more labor with less land.”
He added that they knew they could
acquire equipment and land as they went
along.
The Rupes open their summer market
stand in June, then by mid-September
they offer customers a fall festival market
with a pumpkin patch and corn maze on
the weekends. The pumpkin patch is also
popular with schools for field trips.
Their goal for the future is to find land
to buy.
“We don’t know if we want to be much
bigger in vegetables, but we just want to get
better at it,” Allison noted. “Then (acquire)
more cattle ground.”
They plan to stay local and noted they
enjoy living in the area.
“It’s where we’re from, we were both
born in Sedalia,” Allison said. “His family
lives in Florence and my family lives in
Green Ridge. We like it, all of our friends
and family are here. We’ve never had any
reason to think about leaving.”
Faith Bemiss can be reached at 660-530-
0289 or on Twitter @flbemiss.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018 20 UNDER 40 Sedalia Democrat • 15

LaCasse: Sedalia is ‘special’

By Faith Bemiss “strong, entertainment-driven center being decision to bring younger people on our
fbemiss@sedaliademocrat.com the heartbeat of a vibrant downtown area.” board to ensure that our organization is
“I believe a strong downtown area is prepared for the lightning speed changes
A constant force in promoting Seda- vital for a community,” he added. “I really in technology,” she said. “The other side of
lia, Matt LaCasse, 39, never considered believe that the Liberty Center can be that, was we felt obligated to offer younger
living here, but once he moved to Sedalia a leader for that. That is why I’m on the people the opportunity to gain experience
he found an amazing community with Liberty Center board.” in leadership roles so they were prepared
closeknit people. LaCasse noted that if anyone had told to take the reins in the many volunteer
The Iowa native him 15 years ago he organizations in our community.
moved to Sedalia “I want to bring people to would be living and “I know some people worry about the
in 2009 and dived Sedalia, and I want to tell working in Sedalia, future and the youth, who will someday
into working in the everybody about this place he wouldn’t have shape our community and ultimately our
community includ- because it’s awesome.” believed them. world, but I believe we’re in good hands,”
ing the Boys & Girls — Matt LaCasse, “I lived in Iowa she added. “They’re already doing great
Clubs of West Cen- Liberty Center Association for the Arts and when I moved things.”
tral Missouri and board member down to Missouri, I When asked what it is about the com-
the Liberty Center moved to Columbia,” munity that inspires him, LaCasse said
Association for the Arts. He is the social he explained. “I was living in Columbia, “there is just something special” about PHOTO BY FAITH BEMISS | DEMOCRAT
media marketing specialist for Inter-State and Sedalia was like this outpost, an hour Sedalia. Matt LaCasse, 39, a Liberty Center
Studio and Publishing Co. west … “ “You can’t put your finger on it, but I Association for the Arts board member,
LCAA Executive Director Terri Ballard What he found when he came to Sedalia think it has a lot to do with the people,” he stands in the newly built LCAA art
said LaCasse is going into his fourth year was a town with “a network of wonderful added. “There’s something special here.” galleries on Oct. 11. He said he enjoys
on the board. He served as vice president people.” Faith Bemiss can be reached at 660-530- working with the community and
for two years and as president for two “They are very close-knit,” he added. 0289 or on Twitter @flbemiss. knows that Sedalia is a “special” place.
years. “There’s this wonderful culture here of
“He has been here throughout our capi- people who love each other, that love this
tal improvements and has been instrumen- place. It’s like this well-kept secret that Congratulations to Allison & Kyle Rupe,
tal in helping us get our marketing efforts people don’t want to tell anybody about. I
into the digital age,” she noted. “He is also don’t like that. Rupe Family Farms
great at looking at the mission and long-
range goals of our organization and works
“Anybody that knows me, knows that I From your friends in the field
love to talk,” he added smiling. “I’m a mar-
to make sure we’re implementing program- keting person … I want to bring people to
ming that stays within our mission. Sedalia, and I want to tell everybody about
“He has been a steady hand in our this place because it’s awesome.”
long-range goal of bringing the theater and LaCasse, who lives in Sedalia with his
arts center up to date to meet the needs of wife Brandi LaCasse and children Libby,
our community,” she added. “He is great to 6, and Luke, 2, said he loves living in the
work with and is always ready to listen to community.
staff, and offers guidance, encouragement “It’s a great place for people to come vis-
and support.” it,” he added. “I want to bring people from
LaCasse said it’s been exciting to see the Columbia, from Jeff City, from the Lake,
transformation of the Liberty Center. from Kansas City. I want them to come
“I saw what this place was before, and here, I want them to spend the weekend
to see what it is now, and to see what we’re here. I want every hotel in this town to be
going to be, we are coming up on our booked solid every single weekend. And,
100th year anniversary, it’s exciting,” he I want part of the reason to be this place
said. “FDR was here on his Whistle Stop (LCAA).”
campaign. So, we have that history here. Ballard noted that LCAA saw a need for
To know what we’re capable of moving younger people such as LaCasse and others 22089 Hwy. 127 • LaMonte, MO
into the future, I’m just really excited to see to become involved in the community. She
what this place can be.” is now seeing the positive fruition of those 660-347-5855
LaCasse explained he is not musically decisions.
inclined or artistic, but he believes in a “Several years ago, our board made the www.crown-power.com 541165J
16 • Sedalia Democrat 20 UNDER 40 Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Helping others a calling for Cromley

By Faith Bemiss
fbemiss@sedaliademocrat.com
Sharing kindness and helping others
through their cancer treatment is what
one Sedalia woman has concentrated
on for the last two years.
Whitney Cromley, 33, founded
nonprofit Cancer Perks in 2016 in
honor and memory of her best friend,
the late Karen Lamb, who was going
through cancer treatment. Cromley,
Stacy Anstine and Amanda Balke
worked together to establish the orga-
nization, which provides needed items
such as chapstick, lemon drops, lotion,
blankets, caps, gasoline cards and
handmade greeting cards to cancer
patients. Later Shelly Graf was added
to the organization; Graf is now board
president.
“(Karen) saw the need for people in
E.
BLU
1 9 6 8 -2 0 1 8
the (Bothwell Regional Health Center)
cancer center to not be alone,” Crom-
ley noted. “She was the definitely the
first one to see the need. As she sat in
chemo each week she could see that
so many people would be alone … so
she just realized there was a need for
people to feel like they had somebody.”
Since 2016, Cancer Perks has grown.
With the help of many volunteers, it
supplies care bags and other services
to cancer patients at BRHC and Fitz-
gibbon Hospital in Marshall. Cromley
noted she is hoping to expand services
to Warrensburg and northwest Arkan-
sas.
Cancer perks also hosts an annual
Rock the Runway fashion show fund-
raiser. Cromley said she is thankful
for all the volunteer help they receive,
with 50 to 100 volunteers helping
with the 2018 show. In Marshall, they
Years
WHITE. GOLDE
N.
receive help from volunteers Crystal
McGraw and Ellen Lance, who pack
the Cancer Perk bags for patients.
Community-minded, Cromley said
helping cancer patients and helping
others is a calling.
“I think we are called to help others,
before we help ourselves,” she noted.
“And, Cancer Perks is a way to assist
with mundane things. I always say
‘the little things are the big things.’
That’s especially true in Cancer Perks
– people aren’t asking for extravagant
gestures, they want the day-to-day
needs met.”
Graf noted that Cromley has a
“great heart” and that she “is” Cancer
Perks.
“In addition, when she wants to do
something it gets done,” Graf added.
“When she has a vision, it happens.”
Graf noted that Cromley runs the
organization on a daily basis whereas
she is there only part time. For Crom-
ley, Cancer Perks is a 24/7 job. She
takes calls from cancer patients and
the hospital at all hours and is ready in
a moment’s notice to help in any way PHOTO BY FAITH BEMISS | DEMOCRAT
she can. Cancer Perks Founder Whitney
“It wouldn’t run without her, she’s Cromley, 33, stands in her home
dedicated,” Graf said. beside bags filled with items for cancer
Although Cancer Perks has grown patients receiving treatment at Bothwell
substantially, Cromley wants to do Regional Health Center and Fitzgibbon
more. Hospital in Marshall. Cromley founded
“We could do so much more,” she the Sedalia-based organization in 2016.
said. “I love that about Sedalia and
Marshall, they’re just a small-town vantage in a way,” she added. “Because
feel, which is good. Everybody wants we are able to do it quickly and there’s
to help make a difference and chip in. not a lot of red tape.”

Congratulations to the “
Cancer Perks not only hands out
bags filled with comfort items, but
“She just does what needs to be
done,” Graff added. “The entire thing
was her idea. Those of us who have
Top 20 under 40 they also go the extra mile.
“The bigger issue and scope of what
come in to help are just simply there to
help. When you ask about that organi-
we do is when those people have a zation, she is it.”

Solid Gold
need, that they don’t know how to
meet, that’s were Cancer Perks really
shines,” Cromley said. “That’s when we
get to pay for medication, when we get
For 50th anniversary information, visit www.sfccmo.edu/50. to pay for gas mileage reimbursement.
“I think part of being small is an ad-
541408JS
Cromley is married to Kurt Cromley
and they have three children, Dren-
nen, 15, and twin daughters Harper
and Bayler, 9.
Faith Bemiss can be reached at 660-
530-0289 or on Twitter @flbemiss.
 Tuesday, October 30, 2018
y Woodside producing sensational artwork not so far, far away
By Bryan Everson
bryane@sedaliademocrat.com
In many ways, Brent Woodside is very
much your average Sedalian.
He practices jiu-jitsu at 10th Planet,
where he’s known John Maupins for close
to a decade. He also plays video games and
board games.
Then he mentions that George Lucas
personally purchased a piece of his Star
Wars artwork.
That’ll set you apart from most.
Woodside’s journey to supplying art for
Pictured are two of Brent Woodside’s
works inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.
One, “Mask of the Red Death,” is
inspired by Poe’s short story, the other
by “The Raven.” Each are available
to purchase on Brent and Kayla’s
website, WoodsideIllustrations.com.
20 UNDER 40 Sedalia Democrat • 17
some of the most revered series in modern
fantasy began in high school. First, a local
construction company selected a logo he
Brent Woodside,
dressed as Han
Solo, poses at a
designed for them. He then submitted a comic show booth
comic strip to a Wichita newspaper that that recreated
illustrated a classmate who was smooth the famous
with the ladies. scene from the
“He’d sit at the lunch table with one girl original Star Wars
and eat his and her food, then flirt with film where the
another girl and eat her food, working his character shot
way around,” Woodside said. “I made a strip the bounty hunter
about that and it got published in the paper.” Greedo.
After graduating in 1998, he received a PHOTOS COURTESY OF
scholarship at a local community college, BRENT WOODSIDE
briefly taking drawing classes before a knife artistically, they have also grown more Keeping a warehouse full of art for
and sword shop in the mall offered him a business savvy. conventions is a full-time job for the couple,
manager position. Around that time, he “We were pretty terrible at the start,” one that includes some help from family.
submitted fan art to Star Wars magazine, a Kayla said. “The first thing we found out After having a baby almost a year and a half
drawing of Captain Fordo, a Clone Wars- worked was drawing people as characters, ago, there’s not as many dates on the road.
era character. like a barbarian or a fairy. More and more Brent jokingly suggests instead of attend-
“Mary Franklin was the lady in charge of we got away from that, starting to do comic ing art school, aspiring artists should go to
Bantha Tracks, which was like the fan part shows, finding that we could sell prints business school and study art for fun. His
of the back of the magazine, and she said and things. It’s been one big trial-and-error honest advice is that “being an artist is ex-
they were going to publish it,” Woodside experiment that hopefully continues to pay actly like running a business, so be prepared
said. “A couple days later she emailed me off.” to learn about business.”
and asked if I wanted to work on this trad-
ing card set, and I said, ‘Well, yeah I do.’”
Two days later, he asked Franklin for a
spot in the Star Wars Celebration art show.
She agreed.
“It was an eventful week,” Woodside said.
“Those are super hard to get into, thousands
of people submit and not many get picked.”
Woodside did a limited-edition piece Sedalia School District
#200 proudly salutes
exclusive to that convention, which led to
more work for LucasArts involving the Star
Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. More
the Under 40 Leaders
work for Topps trading cards followed,
including cards for the TV show “Heroes”
and the Lord of the Rings series.
who have dedicated
“I ended up doing two or three pieces a
year,” Woodside said. “But it wasn’t enough
to be my only job for a while.”
themselves to
One love led to another for Woodside.
His love of fantasy led to meeting his wife,
Kayla, an artist from Sedalia.
our community.
“I was working at the Kansas City Re-
naissance Fair fighting with foam swords,
and it just so happened that he was very
into fighting with foam swords,” Kayla
said. “We crossed paths, fought with foam
swords and he asked me out. Ten years later,
here we are.”
For as many leaps the pair has made 2806 Matthew Drive, Sedalia, MO 660-829-6450 541504s
18 • Sedalia Democrat 20 UNDER 40 Tuesday, October 30, 2018

A legacy of service and protection

By Hope Lecchi
hlecchi@sedaliademocrat.com
To protect and serve are words all first
responders take to heart. For Sedalia Police
Officer Derick DeSalme, they are words he
lives by especially in the care and protec-
tion of children.
Teaching children and helping them to
make the best decisions possible is some-
thing DeSalme has focused on during his
five years with the force.
“I was very surprised to see how active
the police department was when I first
started working here,” DeSalme said. “I
found it interesting that we were continu-
ing to deal with the same people over and
over again.
“I noticed that we would also deal with
generations of families at some of our calls
— I think that was another reason why I
began walking through schools or teaching
D.A.R.E.,” he continued. “I wanted to get
in there and start talking to the kids while
they were still young and try to get them to
make better decisions in life and to enjoy
interaction with law enforcement.”
There is no such thing as a typical work
day for DeSalme as every day brings about
new circumstances and situations to deal
with. DeSalme tries to establish a routine
throughout his daily work.
Days begin with a 6 a.m. roll call meet-
ing with the other shift where officers dis-
cuss everything happening around the city
and different areas to concentrate patrols.
DeSalme said he usually likes to get out
on the road and start to take calls or make
traffic stops shortly after the meeting.
“I like to concentrate my stops around
PHOTOS BY HOPE LECCHI | DEMOCRAT
Sedalia Police Officer Derick De-
Salme stands on the grounds of the
Pettis County Courthouse. An SPD of-
ficer for five years, DeSalme is known
for his work as a positive role model
for the children of Sedalia.
the school zones because I think one of the
most important things I can get people to
do is to drive slower around schools,” De-
Salme noted. “I also enjoy walking through
the elementary schools as much as possible
while working.
“I really don’t do this so much for
security purposes anymore since they have
added great school protection officers,” right place at the right time and able to help
he explained. “I do this so kids can have a a few children out that were not breathing,”
positive interaction with law enforcement DeSalme said unassumingly. “I was just
as much as possible.” invited to a birthday of a young man that
DeSalme, 37, has found kids enjoy see- needed a little help when he was born.
ing him in the schools and will often come “With the help of Sedalia Fire, PCAD
up and say hi or shake his hand. Stickers go and the staff in the (Bothwell Regional
a long way in bringing smiles to the faces of Health Center) ER we were able to save
students as well. On occasion, teachers will his life and he has been able to enjoy three
ask him to step inside their classrooms for birthdays,” he continued. “Positive memo-
an impromptu talk about something they ries like this are one of the reasons I go to
are teaching in class. work every day.”
“Anything that I can do to put a positive On Oct. 16, DeSalme and his wife Anne
face on law enforcement so kids can see us welcomed the birth of their first child.
as someone other than the people who pull Anne is a fourth-grade ESL teacher in the
their parents over or arrest a parent after Sedalia School District 200. She works with
a fight is important,” he explained. “The kindergarten students at Heber Hunt on
rest of the day I spend teaching D.A.R.E. Fridays.
to sixth-grade students, responding to calls Only days prior to his son’s birth De-
and driving through the neighborhoods as Salme told the Democrat, “Anything I can
much as possible.” do to make the community a better and
DeSalme’s presence is appreciated not safer place for him and everyone else, I will
only by the students and staff but also by try my hardest to do.”
the school district administration. Hope Lecchi can be reached at 660-826-
His work extends beyond the classroom. 1000 ext. 1484.
DeSalme can often be found volunteering
at community projects including Commu-
nity Santa, the shop with a cop program
sponsored by William Woody Nissan, and
the Tip a Cop program hosted at Apple-
bee’s. He also mentors four Sedalia 200
students.
“I try to make it to all the different
community events when I am working,”
DeSalme explained. “I volunteer because I
want to try to give back as much as possible
to this community and if that means giving
up a little of my time to meet with the kids
I mentor or come in and help out with an
event, I am more than willing to do that.”
DeSalme’s work in the community has
not gone unnoticed by his supervisors

Congratulations including Sedalia Police Chief Matt Wirt.

“Derick is a hard-working officer that
believes in our community,” Wirt said. “He
Officer Derick DeSalme is dedicated to making a difference and
& all winners from helping youth see their true potential. We
Chief Matthew Wirt appreciate his positive attitude and strong
desire to leave a legacy in the community
& all members of the and police department.”
Sedalia Police Department! DeSalme has left a legacy through his
work in the lives of area children.
Protect & Serve!
541529s
Anne and Derick DeSalme stand behind
their newborn son, Sawyer, in the
maternity ward of Bothwell Regional
Health Center on Oct. 17, one day after
Sawyer was born. Anne DeSalme is
a fourth-grade ESL instructor in the
Sedalia School District 200. Derick
mentors four elementary students in
addition to teaching D.A.R.E. classes and

“I have been lucky enough to be in the volunteering at numerous public events.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Tim Barnes returns home to family farm, Smith-Cotton
By Alex Agueros
aagueros@sedalidaemocrat.com
While a list of 20 professionals under 40 years of
age usually implies prospective success, Tim Barnes
already considers himself semi-retired.
“Half retired, half not,” he said.
A native of Hughesville, where his family owns
a farm, work is never finished. As a professional
football player in the NFL, Barnes is going on two
seasons without a team. In Missouri, where Barnes
attended Pettis County R-V and the University of
Missouri in Columbia, at least three teams claim
the 30-year-old. In his first coaching position,
Barnes was named the offensive line and tight ends
coach for the Smith-Cotton Tigers this season.
“I was new with everyone else,” Barnes said.
“They were new to starting and I was new to coach-
ing. I just took it as, everyone is brand new.
“We’re very young, we’re very inexperienced,
and what they’ve done so far this year has been very
impressive.”
After four years at Missouri, a span in which
the Tigers went 40-14 and won two bowl games,
Barnes went undrafted in 2011, and was later
signed by the Baltimore Ravens. Barnes joined the
St. Louis Rams practice squad 10 days after the
Ravens cut him.
Barnes appeared in 45 games for the Rams
20 UNDER 40
over three seasons before starting at center for the
team’s last season in St. Louis and first season in Los
Angeles. Cut by the Rams after the first year of a
two-year, $5.5 million contract, Barnes, according
to SportTrac, earned about that much over his sev-
en-year career, including two short contracts with
the San Francisco 49ers.
Still claiming semi-retired status, Barnes
returned home. Tim, his wife and two children live
west of Sedalia and time spent at the family farm
near Hughesville and at Smith-Cotton’s practic-
es keep him busy. After a career that was most
lucrative in St. Louis and L.A., Barnes said he never
wanted to live anywhere else.
“I’ve just always been really deep-rooted around
here,” Barnes said. “I always felt like it was import-
ant, to me, to just stay around here.
“We have our farm, that was big as kids growing
up. It was something I always wanted to do, was
come back and take it over.”
Among other fields, Barnes is helping cultivate
an improvement on the gridiron. Smith-Cotton
has endured 49- and 51-point losses during its first
season independent of a conference. Compelled to
have a first-hand influence on the area, Barnes said
he wants more local student-athletes to match the
Division I goals set by their new opponents.
“If I can be apart of changing the culture in this
area, as far as the youth, that’s why I’m coaching,”
The Pettis County R-V
Northwest Mustangs
are proud to congratulate an Alum,
TIM BARNES
for his achievement
within the community!
Sedalia Democrat • 19
Barnes said. “I don’t want the kids to just know
about me. I want to be around them and be a role
model, coach and mentor, maybe, and actually
teach them. I feel like I would be doing a disservice
to not teach kids what I’ve experienced.”
Tigers senior Jayden Uptegrove, a linebacker
converted to tight end, has been one of Barnes’ fa-
vorite projects this season. Cut twice before a three-
year journey to being an NFL starter, Barnes could
connect with the task of starting at square one.
“It’s really enjoyable as a coach to see it, when
players, they think they’re struggling and they think
PHOTO BY JOHN CORDES | AP PHOTO
they’re not doing very good but when you can look
back and say, ‘Hey, I see on film you’ve done a great In this Sunday, December 11, 2016,
job of stair-stepping and getting better every week,’” file photo, Los Angeles Rams center
Barnes said. “I’ve been really impressed with his Tim Barnes (61) is in action during the
work ethic.” third quarter of a game against the
Snapping a three-game losing streak in which Atlanta Falcons at the Los Angeles
opponents outscored Smith-Cotton 134-9, coaches Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
rewarded 15 players with at least one carry during
a 40-point road win at Clinton -- including Barnes envisions more stories like Uptegrove’s,
Uptegrove. His 15-yard rush was his first recorded as well as a long-lasting coaching tenure as his
offensive production of the season. children become old enough for school. Unlike a
“You always got to give your tight ends a little career in the NFL, Barnes said life at home, on the
love,” Barnes said. “We know you’ve been busting farm and on the gridiron eludes routine.
your butt so, here, we drew this play just for you. “It’s always something new everyday,” Barnes
Little bit of a reward for him, knowing if they con- said.
tinue to work hard that we’ll do our best to make it Alex Agueros can be reached at 660-826-1000,
a little extra fun for you, if we can.” ext. 1483 or on Twitter @abagueros2.
541157hb
20 • Sedalia Democrat
Helping to educate future generations
By Hope Lecchi
hlecchi@sedaliademocrat.com
For Joseph Doyle, one benefit of his
job as Assistant Principal at Smith-Cot-
ton High School is that no two days are
the same. It’s not that his job description
changes but when dealing with 1,412 stu-
dents and a staff of 149 there are always
variables to face.
It is one of the reasons Doyle loves his
job.
“Being an assistant principal means
wearing a whole bunch of different hats
and I’ve found that sometimes you’re
switching between three or four of those
hats in a matter of minutes,” Doyle said
when explaining his job. “From instruc-
tional leader, to counseling students to
acting as a disciplinarian, overseeing
projects, the job is certainly never bor-
ing.”
A true example of the Grow Your Own
Initiative, Doyle, 33, grew up in Sedalia.
He attended kindergarten at Parkview
Elementary in 1990, the year the school
opened, and graduated from Smith-Cot-
ton in 2003. He then attended State Fair
Community College for two years before
transferring to Missouri State Universi-
ty in Springfield. There he received his
bachelor’s degree in middle school educa-
tion with a master’s degree in secondary
administration.
“My parents always stressed the value
of education, but the idea of someday
working in education never crossed my
mind until I was a sophomore in college,”
Doyle said. “The longer I am in education
the more I realize how common this is.
“Some people go to college knowing
they want to be teachers, but there are
Congratulations to this amazing group. Keep up the good work!
Ride With the PeoPle You tRust
541559J
2901 South Limit | Sedalia, MO 65301 | 660-826-2700 | www.bryantmotors.com
20 UNDER 40
many like myself that seem to be sort of
drawn to the profession and now that I
am 10 years in, it has sort of become a
part of who I am,” he reflected. “Being
a teacher and principal is part of my iden-
tity and I don’t see leaving the profession
until it becomes time to retire.”
Sedalia School District 200 Superin-
tendent Steve Triplett said he feels the
district is fortunate to have Doyle on staff.
“Mr. Doyle is the prototype of the
leadership we are building in the Sedalia
200 District,” Triplett noted. “He knows
our community and appreciates our Tiger
traditions.
“He builds meaningful and support-
ive relationships with both student and
staff members that help make the high
school a welcoming atmosphere,” Triplett
added. “He is a lifelong learner, pursuing
additional education that adds to his
professional toolbox. Most important, he
is driven to help students build success by
holding them accountable for their own
education.”
The accountability and student success
are areas Doyle is proud of.
“I always say the best part of being
at the high school level is you get to see
students cross the finish line,” Doyle said.
“Their 13-year journey from kindergar-
ten to graduation was possible because
of the help of numerous teachers and ad-
ministrators but we get to celebrate with
them at the finish and see them set off to
the next big thing in their lives.”
Sadly, some of Doyle’s most memora-
ble moments on the job have also been
for the wrong reasons, as he explained.
In two and a half years, five students and
two staff members have died.
“My relationship with each of them
Joe Doyle stands with his wife Danika and their daughter Bristol. The couple, both
from Sedalia, met while living in Springfield but wished to return to Sedalia to be
closer to their families and contribute to the community where they were raised.
was different — I was closer to some of
them than others — but you never forget
those sort of things,” he said.
Family is important to Doyle. He and
his wife Danika have a 14-month-old
daughter. The couple met while Danika,
a Sedalia native, was attending college in
Springfield and Doyle was teaching.
“We decide a few years ago that we
both wanted to get back to the area to be
closer to family,” Doyle said. “I applied
for and accepted the assistant principal
job at the high school and Danika was
hired shortly thereafter to teach nursing
at SFCC.
“Everything just fell into place for us
and we are truly blessed to have jobs we
love and also to be able to spend time
with our families,” he continued. “Being
an assistant principal often times means
being away from home in the evenings or
on weekends — I wouldn’t be able to do
what I do without a very understanding
and supportive wife.”
Doyle considers the Sedalia commu-
nity to be part of his extended family and
so in his free time he works on projects
for the education and betterment of the
community.
Most notable are his work as part of
the Leadership Sedalia class to design and
place three informational plaques about
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH DOYLE
the life of 2nd Lt. George A. Whiteman
at his boyhood home, his grave, and Katy
Park. Whiteman, a S-C graduate, was the
first American air casualty of the Japa-
nese attack on Pearl Harbor. Prior to the
Whiteman Legacy of Freedom project,
there were no monuments to Whiteman
in Sedalia.
Doyle also was a figure along with S-C
Principal Wade Norton and the Class of
2017 in the installation of a bust of Gen.
George R. Smith, founder of Sedalia, on
the grounds of S-C Junior High School.
“After returning 11 years after my
graduation from S-C to take this posi-
tion, I couldn’t believe how much the
district had changed for the good,” Doyle
commented. “I feel like the community
support and trust is stronger than ever.
“I believe we do an excellent job of
telling our story and making the public
aware of all the good that takes place
within our school buildings,” he added.
“Between our internship programs and
business partnerships, we have bridged
the gap between the community and our
schools. My hope is that we can continue
to make the community proud and build
upon the positive relationships we have
created.”
Hope Lecchi can be reached at 660-826-
1000 ext. 1484.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Wade
From Page 5
of Commerce, she noticed it previously
had a SYP committee. She reached out to
some people, one of them being Wade, to
get the group started again.
“It started off small, and Kevin already
started leading the team,” she recalled.
“He is very organized, knowledgeable and
his personality is wonderful.”
She said the new SYP group wanted to
socialize with other like-minded young
professionals and to help the community.
When it came time to elect officers, Wade
was an easy choice for president, Thomas
said. He also served as the SYP liason to
the Chamber board, a position he still
serves in.
Wade said SYP allowed him and others
to meet a wide group of people — he
even met his wife, Jill, through SYP. They
have two children, Maddox and Calder.
“I think the fact that the core of our
membership is people who aren’t nec-
essarily from here, and I think when we
20 UNDER 40 Sedalia Democrat • 21
were at our largest most members were
new to town and looking to get to know
other people. I met my wife through
Young Professionals — it was obviously
a great way to meet new people,” he said
smiling. “I was telling Angie the other
day, I think it’s telling that just about
everybody I know in town came from
Young Professionals one way or another
in some connection.”
SYP was a “starter platform” to get
more involved. Wade later joined the
UWPC board and helped plan the 2018
Day of Caring after SYP had a team in
previous years. He said his time with
AmeriCorp helped him see the benefit
of nonprofits, and he said he likes to use
his skills for service in the community. PHOTO BY NICOLE COOKE | DEMOCRAT
He also learned the importance of civic In addition to his career as an architect, Kevin Wade is involved in Sedalia
involvement from his dad while growing Young Professionals, United Way of Pettis County, Sedalia Area Chamber of
up in Independence. Commerce, Sedalia Planning and Zoning Committee, Sedalia Smart Growth
“It’s also proven as a good way to meet Committee and the American Institute of Architects Mid-Missouri chapter.
a diverse group of people and better
understand the issues in Pettis County,” contribute and learn at the same time. now. I think as a young person, you can
he added. “I feel I’ve been really fortunate to have bring an energy to an organization that
He said the same of his involvement on a decent education and a decent set of may be lacking and a way of thinking that
City of Sedalia boards, which allow him skills, and with that comes an obligation may be lacking.”
to learn more about city decisions, and to utilize them to help others,” he said. “... Nicole Cooke can be reached at 660-
with AIA Mid-Missouri, which lets him there’s no better time to start than right 530-0138 or on Twitter @NicoleRCooke.
541154J
22 • Sedalia Democrat 20 UNDER 40 Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Congratulations
to the 20 Under 40 winners of 2018!

We’re inspired
by the way you
are fostering
positive
change in our
Democrat’s Under 40 Employees
Front Row (Left to Right): Zana Meek, Advertising Manager,Will Weibert Publisher, Nicole Cooke Editor. Second Row:
community.
Kalee Arnold Sales Consultant, Ashley Manolias Advertising Assistant, Nikki Monsees Customer Service Manager
Third Row: Bryan Everson Sports Reporter,Hayley Cunningham Recruitment Specialist,Celeste Knox, Customer Service
Clerk, Alex Agueros Sports Editor, Hayley Petersen Sales Consultant, Nuria Martinez-Keel City Reporter

Sedalia
150 YEARS LATER,
AND WE ARE

Democrat
JUST GETTING
STARTED!
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Empowering women through fitness, nutrition
By Nicole Cooke
ncooke@sedaliademocrat.com
For some people, maintaining good
nutrition and exercise habits can be a
struggle. For 26-year-old Tanya Burton,
it’s a lifestyle she’s passionate about shar-
ing with others.
Burton is the owner of The Diet
Doc Sedalia, which helps educate and
empower women through fitness and
nutrition coaching.
“I don’t teach any fad diets or any-
thing like that,” she said. “My goal is to
help you understand why you’re losing
weight, why you’ve gained weight, and
most importantly how to maintain it
off. My biggest thing is maintenance
because America doesn’t have a weight
problem, it’s a maintenance problem.
We all know how to lose weight, it’s
maintaining.”
The first-generation business owner
and college graduate is giving back to
her Sedalia hometown through coach-
ing. After being overweight a few years
ago, Burton said she “hated how it felt
and I wanted to find a solution so I
could help other people not feel the way
I felt.”
She said she surrounded herself with
a mentor, coach and positive, successful
influences to reach her goals.
Burton’s personal healthy lifestyle
journey has been going on for years, but
her journey as a business owner only
started in February. Since then, she’s be-
come popular in the community for her
nutrition coaching and group training.
She started off with personal training,
but as more women asked her to coach,
she needed to find a way to help them
all while fitting it in her busy schedule.
“They were all intimidated to go to
the gym by themselves; they didn’t know
what to do, and they’d sign up for the
gym and never go,” she said. “I needed
to find a solution.”
And the Women Warriors Boot
Camp classes were born.
Burton teaches the group fitness
classes on a variety of schedules through
20 UNDER 40
the Sedalia Parks and Recreation De-
partment at Convention Hall. As word
continues to spread, the classes grow
each session. She said the goal is to
have fun, break a sweat and get results,
all while she’s impacting more than 20
people in 30 minutes rather than a one-
PHOTOS BY NICOLE COOKE | DEMOCRAT
Heather Santana
Tanya Burton, 26, owner of The Diet
Doc Sedalia, talks with clients in
her Monday night Women Warriors
LOAN OFFICER
Boot Camp class at Convention Hall.
Burton has owned the business
since February and is already quickly
NMLS: 1240473
gaining popularity in the community.
Sedalia Democrat • 23
on-one session.
“You feel better, and not just exercis-
ing and being stronger, but it’s your con-
fidence, your energy. It’s a ripple effect, it
just affects your whole life,” Burton said.
Burton said she wasn’t expecting the
sudden explosion of coaching requests.
Diet Doc client Jennifer Norton said
she’s not surprised.
“She has this magnetic personality as
far as when you’re around her and spend
time with her, you want to tell other
people and bring other people along to
enjoy that. It doesn’t surprise me at all,”
Norton said. “I talk about her as much
as I can. Any time someone says, ‘You
look so great,’ I say, ‘Do you want to
know what I’m doing?’
“We think health and fitness have to
be this hard thing to do. Tanya does this Tanya Burton walks between groups
to where it works in your life without of women getting ready to start sit-
much stress. There’s always a learning ups once Burton blows the whistle in
Continued on page 24 Boot Camp class.
Get start
Congratulations
GetGet
started onthethe
started on path
path
to home
to homeownership by calling
to homeownership by
calling me today!
660.6
calling me today!
660.620.0770
Heather Santana at Movement Mortgage
660.620.0770
of Sedalia would like to congratulate
Megan and Jeffrey Page for their
outstanding leadership in our community!
Heather San
1435 Thompson Boulevard, Suite A, Sedalia, MO 65301
Heather Santana 660.620.0770
| MO-10768-MLO | Movement Mortgage, LLC supports
LOAN OFFICE
Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS ID# 39179 (www.nmls-
consumeraccess.org) | 877-314-1499. Movement Mort-
gage, LLC is licensed by MO # 16-2096. Interest rates and
products are subject to change without notice and may
LOAN OFFICER NMLS: 1240473
or may not be available at the time of loan commitment
or lock-in. Borrowers must qualify at closing for all ben-
efits. “Movement Mortgage” is a registered trademark
of the Movement Mortgage, LLC, a Delaware limited li-
NMLS: 1240473
ability company. 8024 Calvin Hall Rd, Indian
Land, SC 29707. CPID 6608 | Exp 4/2019
1435 Thompson Boulevard, Suite A, Sedalia, MO 65301
| MO-10768-MLO | Movement Mortgage, LLC supports
Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS ID# 39179 (www.nmls-
consumeraccess.org) | 877-314-1499. Movement Mort-
gage, LLC is licensed by MO # 16-2096. Interest rates and
products are subject to change without notice and may
or may not be available at the time of loan commitment
or lock-in. Borrowers must qualify at closing for all ben-
efits. “Movement Mortgage” is a registered trademark
of the Movement Mortgage, LLC, a Delaware limited li-
ability company. 8024 Calvin Hall Rd, Indian
Land, SC 29707. CPID 6608 | Exp 4/2019
541472J
24 • Sedalia Democrat 20 UNDER 40
Burton
From Page 23
curve, but her personality is perfect for
what she does. She motivates people in a
positive and uplifting way.”
Norton signed up for a Boot Camp
class this spring, then signed up for
nutrition coaching. Over the last six
months, Norton said Burton has helped
her gain more self-confidence and more
energy than the 45-year-old has ever
experienced.
Norton said she was one of those
women who was uncomfortable in the
gym and didn’t enjoy exercise. Burton
has helped change that.
“She was able to take my abilities
right were I was and show me how to
use those to become more fit and active,”
Norton said. “I think everybody should
know that’s there and that it’s available.
We have fears of exercising and looking
stupid, not knowing what we’re doing,
and she takes those fears away. From the
minute she blows the first whistle you
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
know you can do it and get through 30
minutes.”
Burton’s efforts to empower women
go beyond the gym and into the com-
years ago I had that pain of wanting to
help women out of it, and now I get to
live it and see through coaching to see
lives being changed in front of me. … I
can’t wait to see where I am next year.
I’m just getting started.”
Nicole Cooke can be reached at 660-
530-0138 or on Twitter @NicoleRCooke.
munity. She frequently posts tips and
motivation on social media, offering
shoutouts to women who have found
success with her program. She also has
become a Healthy U board member
and used her Boot Camp class to raise
money for the Bothwell Foundation’s
Pinktober campaign for breast cancer
research and treatment. During a Go
Pink Boot Camp earlier this month, she
and dozens of women raised $1,000 for
the cause.
As she overcame being overweight,
Burton is now overcoming the fear of
self-doubt as she learns to be a group
coach, to motivate others and to think
outside the box with her business. With
that mentality in mind, she hopes to one
day expand her business and hire em-
ployees other than herself and become PHOTO BY NICOLE COOKE | DEMOCRAT
even more involved in the community. Fitness and nutrition coach Tanya Burton, second row, second from the right,
“It’s a dream come true,” Burton said stands with her 5 p.m. Monday Women Warriors Boot Camp class before they
of seeing her clients succeed. “Three begin working out at Convention Hall.
541351b