2025 Most Influential Women: Judy Brunner

Judy Brunner’s extensive career in education is on full display in her role as president of the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education.

Elected to the board in 2023, Brunner became its president this year after previously serving as vice president. Brunner brings decades of education experience to her role on the board, as a teacher, school administrator, college instructor and education industry consultant. 

Brunner’s SPS role involves working with other board members to set district policy, serve as a community liaison, conduct the superintendent’s yearly evaluation and green-light a budget exceeding $369 million.

“From a civic standpoint, being elected to the board of education was a privilege and honor I do not take lightly,” Brunner says. “This year as president of the SPS school board, the largest public school district in the state of Missouri, as a collective body we are monitoring and supporting student learning, operations, polices and direction of the school district.

“Our primary role is to ensure schools are effectively serving the educational needs of the community while being accountable to the public.”

In her education career, Brunner says she taught more than 800 high school students and 600 university students, supervised 250 student-teachers and mentored more than 50 school administrators.

“I have modeled lifelong learning, a student-centered mindset and the importance of building professional relationships,” she says.

Currently the chief education officer at Edu-Safe LLC and Instructional Solutions Group and a clinical faculty member at Missouri State University, Brunner has provided school safety and crisis planning and management training in 32 states. Brunner has also served as the author or co-author of 90 journal articles, nine books on literacy and study skills and four training modules. Her additional civic achievements include serving on the Mayor’s Commission for Children, as an ex officio member of the SPS Foundation, and on the boards of Greene County Crimestoppers and University Child Care Center, as well as founding the Do Something Fund.

Brunner says she brings a positive influence to organizations she serves.

“There seem to be two types of people: those that compete against others and those that compete against who they were yesterday,” she says. “The second group – they’re the ones that lift others up, share what they’ve learned and believe that success isn’t a piece of pie because there should always be enough to go around.

“In short, I try each day to live by the words, ‘If you want to win, help other people win, too.’”