2025 Most Influential Women: Alison Roffers

Advocacy isn’t something Alison Roffers switches off at the end of the day. It’s at the core of who she is.

“I aim to be a friendly force of nonstop fire, a bold yet compassionate leader who brings energy, empathy and action to every space I enter,” says Roffers, Springfield Public Schools’ director of counseling services.

Roffers’ primary responsibility is to lead and support the nearly 90 school counselors across SPS. She’s also the district’s liaison for foster care and Missouri’s Children’s Division and is the school-based health supervisor in partnership with Burrell Behavioral Health.

“Every leadership role I hold is ultimately about lifting others – students, families, staff and community partners – toward success, well-being and a future where they feel seen, supported and empowered,” Roffers says.

Leading came easily. In high school, Roffers was selected for a college leadership scholarship. After earning her college degree in early childhood education, she was chosen as a graduate assistant for that program, which led to teaching third grade at Greenwood Laboratory School. Roffers was a school counselor at SPS before becoming its first coordinator of counseling services in 2017. She’s in her fifth year as director.

“I aspire to lead with both compassion and conviction — what I often describe as being compassionately assertive,” Roffers says. “Whether in a professional or personal context, I hope those who know me would describe me as a servant leader who uplifts others through both empathy and action.”

Through her efforts to support foster and at-risk children, Roffers works at the intersection of education and child welfare for some of the most vulnerable students. She is a member of numerous community coalitions, including Community Partnership of the Ozarks’ Child Abuse and Neglect Collaborative, Greene County Child Fatality Review Board, Missouri Kinship Navigator Steering Committee and FosterAdopt Connect’s advisory council.

“Through these partnerships, I help ensure that policies, funding decisions and wraparound services are aligned to support student success and family stability,” Roffers says. “These efforts don’t just shape systems. They directly influence the lived experiences of those we serve, opening doors to safety, opportunity and a sense of belonging.”

She brings compassion to her work borne of personal experience as a parent of a child with special needs.

“This journey has profoundly influenced how I lead with empathy, perspective and unwavering advocacy,” Roffers says.

“I am often called upon to support other parents of children with special needs. It’s a responsibility I carry with deep respect.”