SPS, OEM fill director roles

Springfield Public Schools and the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management separately announced the hiring of new executives.

Springfield Public Schools
A month after informing employees its human resources director was stepping down, Springfield Public Schools hired a new executive to fill the role.

Penney Rector is scheduled to start July 1. She’ll succeed Lisa Turner, who’s moving back to Florida after holding the job since mid-2016. Turner will help Rector transition into the role during June, according to a news release. Turner took over for Parker McKenna, who left in April 2016 for a job as director of human resources for Omaha, Neb.-based Union Pacific.

Rector, whose title will be chief human resources officer, comes to SPS from the Jefferson City School District, where she’s worked as assistant to the superintendent for human resources and legal counsel since 2011. She has past experience as legal services and governmental relations director for the Missouri Council of School Administrators, Missouri Association of School Administrators, Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals and Missouri Council of School Administrators Outreach.

"Ms. Rector possesses a unique skill set that will benefit SPS and our employees," Superintendent John Jungmann said in the release. "As a lawyer and human resources professional, she has expertise that will help us continue to improve in our efforts to attract, develop and retain the best and brightest employees to serve our students."

Rector will be tasked with leading HR efforts for a district with roughly 25,000 students across 36 elementary schools, an intermediate school, nine middle schools, five high schools, and multiple alternative education and choice programs. SPS is Missouri’s largest public school district.

Rector’s 2017-18 salary is $140,000.

Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management
The OEM selected Michael Dixon as its next director.

Starting May 10, Dixon began leading the disaster response group working to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters in southwest Missouri. The OEM this week reported $168,500 in public damages from the late April flooding. The organization received 174 damage reports from Greene County residents related to their homes, properties or businesses.

“OEM provides our community with critical and vital services, as evidenced by the recent flooding event. The director position is key to its success, and Greene County is very pleased to have someone of Michael Dixon’s caliber to serve in that role,” Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Cirtin said in the release. “Given his years of service to the emergency management industry, we feel he will be a great asset to our citizens and the county as he helps to elevate an already outstanding group of professionals.”

Dixon succeeds Chet Hunter, who accepted a job in August as assistant director of emergency management for Washington University in St. Louis. Larry Woods, who served in the interim, will stay on as deputy director.

Dixon’s past experience includes working as director of the Benton County Emergency Management Agency in Arkansas and vice president of the Arkansas Emergency Management Association.

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