Ozarks Profile: Rod Kissinger

What do you do?

"As the director of information services, I am responsible for creating vision, providing leadership, facilitating strategic planning and coordinating information technology and telecommunications for Springfield Public Schools. Our network includes 55 sites, 6,000 computers and 60 servers. Every classroom and office in Springfield Public Schools is wired with access to the Internet. Our Web server has over 3,000 pages and receives over 2 million hits per year. I am able to manage these resources only because of my dedicated staff. They provide countless hours of service for our students and staff and consistently go above and beyond the call of duty."

What have been the biggest challenges in your work?

"Providing the very best service to our students and staff with limited budget resources."

How have the schools been changed by technology?

"Technology has changed our schools in many ways. The ability of our staff to electronically communicate with students, parents and other staff members has increased our capacity to serve all stakeholders. An increase in the access to knowledge resources via the Internet also represents a significant change resulting from the availability of technology in our schools. These vast knowledge resources create the challenge of integrating technology in a way that ultimately transforms the process of schooling itself."

What prepared you for your career?

"My parents were the driving force in preparing me for my career. They stressed the value of education in a way that ultimately guided me into education as a profession. Helping others obtain a foundation that will allow them to achieve their life goals has been a rewarding adventure."

Tell us about your family.

"I have a great family. My father was a railroad engineer who also owned his own recreational-vehicle business. My father taught me the value of hard work and persistence. My mom has just retired from a career in the Division of Family Services and Job Security. Mom was always supportive of education and is this year's SMSU-West Plains Distinguished Alumnus. I have a brother who is a CPA, one who is a Navy lieutenant commander and a sister who is a physical therapist. My wife is director of staff development for Springfield Public Schools and is the best teacher and trainer I have ever seen. I have two great sons who continue to give me joy, especially since leaving the house to pursue their own careers. They even let me win occasionally at golf."

If you could choose another career, what would it be and why?

"I think I would choose to be a golf course superintendent. Free green fees and all the hotdogs you can eat at the turn. What more could you ask for?"