The Columbia Public Schools Foundation (CPSF) named its 2024 Hall of Leaders, to be honored at CPSF’s Hall of Leaders event this fall. Honorees include Outstanding Alumnus Taylor Trogdon and Outstanding Retired Educators Chris Belcher, Mary Humlicek and Sue Young.

“The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is pleased to honor this year’s Hall of Leaders,” said David Townsend, president of the CPSF Board of Directors. “We celebrate those who have made outstanding contributions, whether as alumni or educators.”

The event, which will include a reception and program, will be held Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm Street. Tickets are available online at cpsf.org/event-tickets.

Outstanding Alumnus

Taylor Trogdon

Taylor Trogdon attended Shepard Elementary, Lange Middle School, Oakland Junior High School, and Hickman High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and atmospheric sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree in atmospheric sciences from Creighton University.

Taylor is a meteorologist and software engineer with more than 15 years of operational forecasting experience. He is currently the acting associate director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Systems Laboratory in Boulder, CO. He works to develop, implement and evaluate new software capabilities for communicating hazardous weather watches and warnings. He works with NOAA National Weather Service stakeholders to define modernization requirements that meet the demands of next-generation watch/warning dissemination.

He previously served as a storm surge specialist for the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and as an operational forecaster for the National Weather Service. His passion for social and behavioral science and consideration for social vulnerability factors have helped redefine how to communicate tropical and marine hazards. He has repeatedly been invited to conduct research at the NHC during hurricanes. Taylor is an active member of the American Meteorological Society.

Outstanding Retired Educator

Chris Belcher

Chris Belcher served as superintendent of the Columbia Public Schools (CPS) from 2009-2014. During his tenure, he established a 10-year long range facilities plan, which included plans to reduce the number of mobile classrooms, and a five-year model for budget planning. He began the design and planning for a third high school, including redrawing district boundaries, and realigned the secondary school configuration to combine middle and junior high schools, eliminating a transition for students. He also implemented the Achievement via Individual Determination (AVID) program, still in use today, to help close the achievement gap for students.

Chris previously served as the superintendent for the Kearney School District, the assistant superintendent for student services for the Warrensburg School District for five years, as an assistant to the superintendent for the Blue Springs School District, as a principal at Blue Springs High School and an assistant principal at Liberty Junior High School. He also served as an assistant teaching professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia and as an associate professor of secondary education at Central Missouri State University. He began his teaching career as a high school chemistry teacher in the Holden School District.

Chris received his bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry, a master’s in educational administration, and an education specialist degree in educational administration, all from Central Missouri State University, and a doctor of education degree in educational leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Among his honors, he has been recognized as the Administrator of the Year by the Missouri School Public Relations Association.

Outstanding Retired Educator

Mary Humlicek

Mary Humlicek retired after a 30-year career with Columbia Public Schools (CPS), serving 25 years as the district’s Title 1 coordinator. As Title 1 coordinator, she was responsible for overseeing the federal program, which included coordinating and evaluating projects including preschool, Reading Recovery, reading intervention and extended time summer programs. She developed the early childhood program and oversaw all aspects of the program as it grew from serving 30 children to more than 600 during her tenure. She previously worked for CPS as a secondary reading teacher and secondary reading consultant.

Prior to joining CPS, Mary taught elementary education in Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master’s in education-reading from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and also completed graduate course work at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Lindenwood University.

Mary is active in the community and is currently serving a second term as president of the Assistance League of Mid-Missouri. She served as chair of the Links to Learning committee, which provides grants to CPS teachers. She is a former board member of First Chance for Children, past president of the Missouri Association of Reading Recovery Educators and is a member of Broadway Christian Church.

Outstanding Retired Educator

Sue Young

Sue Young retired in 2005 after a 17-year career teaching at Rock Bridge Elementary for the Columbia Public Schools (CPS). She primarily taught fourth grade, with one year at third grade and two years as a Fellows Program mentor. In addition to engaging her students, she served on district committees and led fellow teachers in RBE Teachers as Readers. This teacher-organized group met year-round to read professional literature to enhance teaching and develop student-centered programs. She also shared her expertise and innovative teaching strategies through professional development workshops and collaborative projects.

Sue previously taught elementary grades for the Elmhurst, Illinois Public Schools and for Iowa City, Ia. Public Schools, as well as teaching middle school/junior high gifted education for the Fulton, Mo. Public Schools. Sue has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia. As a senior year on-site clinical faculty/liaison at the University of Missouri-Columbia, she helped lead and prepare the next generation of teachers. Since retiring from CPS, she gathers monthly with other RBE retirees.

Sue received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Tulsa as well as a master’s and doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Among her honors, she was awarded the Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year, grades 3-5, from the Columbia Fund for Excellence.

The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is a private foundation established in 1996 by community volunteers dedicated to the enrichment of public education through community giving. The Foundation has funded projects in every school, allocating more than $1.6 million to enhance education in the Columbia Public Schools. CPSF has supported teachers and students for more than 28 years.