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Stephen Webber
Stephen Webber attended Grant and Ridgeway elementary schools, was part of the first class to open Smithton Middle School, and finished his Columbia Public Schools education at West Junior and Hickman High Schools.
At Hickman, Stephen was a varsity soccer player and captain of the debate team. Stephen is also an Eagle Scout from Boy Scout Troop 707.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Stephen enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. As an infantry rifleman, Stephen served two combat tours in Iraq, eventually earning the rank of Sergeant. During his second tour, Stephen led a 12-man squad through months of urban combat in the city of Fallujah.
Shortly after returning home, Stephen was elected as the youngest member of the Missouri House of Representatives, where he served the constitutionally mandated maximum of eight years. Stephen then worked for the Missouri AFL-CIO, the largest coalition of labor unions in Missouri.
He was elected to the Missouri State Senate in 2024 to represent Boone County. He serves on the Education; General Laws; Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety; and Veterans and Military Affairs Committees. During his time in the House and Senate, Stephen has been an advocate for public education.
Stephen has a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Louis University and a juris doctor degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
J’den Cox
J’den Cox graduated from Hickman High School, where he was an all-state linebacker in addition to a standout high school wrestler. He lettered in wrestling and football all four years.
J’den attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, coming to Mizzou with one of the most impressive high school wrestling resumes in the country. At Mizzou, he was honored as a four-time All-American, only the second wrestler in program history to earn such a distinction. He was a three-time NCAA Division 1 national champion and four-time Mid-American Conference champion, becoming one of the most accomplished Tigers in the program’s history. He was awarded the Most Outstanding Wrestler three times, and, among many program records, finished his collegiate career ranked first in winning percentage and second in wins. He was inducted into the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022 as one of the most accomplished and successful athletes in the long history of athletics at the University of Missouri.
On the international stage, he earned two Senior World titles, a World silver medal and two World bronze medals. J’den won a bronze medal in men’s freestyle wrestling at the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016. He retired from wrestling in 2024 at the U.S. Olympic trials, leaving his shoes behind to a standing ovation.
J’den currently serves as the national freestyle and resident coach for USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he coordinates U.S. Pan American and World teams and works with the nation’s elite youth wrestlers.
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.
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.
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.
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 began his teaching career as a high school chemistry teacher in the Holden School District. He then served as an assistant principal at Liberty Junior High School and as principal at Blue Springs High School before becoming an assistant to the superintendent for the Blue Springs School District. He also was the assistant superintendent for student services for the Warrensburg School District. Following his tenure with CPS, Chris taught education at both the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Central Missouri.
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 the University of Central Missouri, 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.
Wanda Brown
Wanda Brown retired in 2012 after 34 years with the Columbia Public Schools (CPS). She served as the district’s assistant superintendent of secondary education for seven years. Prior to that position, she served as principal of Hickman High School, principal of Smithton Middle School and assistant principal of Hickman. She also served as the director of multicultural education and middle school coordinator for CPS. She began her CPS career as an English teacher at Hickman.
Wanda holds a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in speech/theatre from William Woods. In addition, she has a master of education degree in educational administration, an educational specialist degree in educational administration, and a doctorate of education in educational leadership and policy analysis, all from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Throughout her tenure with CPS, Wanda served on numerous district and community committees and boards to plan and implement best practices for the schools. She was the leader of the Design Committee for Muriel Williams Battle High School and the Secondary Reorganization Committee, and co-founder of the Minority Achievement Committee (MAC) Scholars. Among her many honors and professional achievements, Wanda is the recipient of the Outstanding Service MLK Award, the Community Champion Award, and the NAACP Outstanding Educator Award.
Wanda’s son, George Galbreath, was honored as an Outstanding Alumni in the 2018 Hall of Leaders, making them the first mother-son pair to be inducted into the Hall of Leaders.
Craig Adams
Craig Adams retired in 2018 after a 30-year career with the Columbia Public Schools (CPS). During that time, he served as a technology education teacher at Jefferson Junior High, where he also was head coach in boys’ basketball and girls’ track. He spent five years as the information technology specialist and six years as the practical arts coordinator for CPS. As STEAM coordinator and STEAM bus driver for the district, Craig created a nationally-recognized STEAM program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) with a 99 percent positive staff rating. The STEAM bus, a custom-designed full-size school bus, traveled to schools and programs to provide students with a lab and access to technology not available in the schools.
Craig is a founding member of the Columbia STEM Alliance, a local network of educators, business partners and volunteers that inspire interest in and provide support for STEM in the Columbia area.
Craig is part of a family of CPS educators: his wife, Susie, retired from Battle High School in 2023, son Jacob is currently the principal at Jefferson Middle School, daughter-in-law Samantha is an assistant principal at West Boulevard Elementary, daughter Whitney is a teacher at Parkade Elementary, and son Taylor is a former teacher at West Middle School.
Colonel Matthew Peach (posthumous)
Matthew “Matt” Peach was born in 1928 in McBaine, Mo., and attended a one-room schoolhouse during grade school. He graduated from Douglass High School in 1946. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Tuskegee Institute and a master’s degree in personnel management from Troy State University. Matt was Columbia’s first African American military aviator promoted to the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Air Force.
Col. Peach earned his pilot wings in 1957 and became a command pilot in 1972. During a thirty-year career with the U.S. Air Force, Col. Peach flew missions all over the world, undergirding a love for international travel. While serving in Vietnam, he was rescued in Laos after a reconnaissance mission. His many military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. In 2006, he was recognized as an honored guest by the Salute to Veterans Corporation air show in Columbia.
Upon retirement from the Air Force, Col. Peach began a second career as a certified financial planner. He served as treasurer of the Heart of America Chapter/Kansas City of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., for nearly two decades. He passed away at age 88 on April 15, 2017, in Kansas City, Mo.
Adam Beckett
Adam Beckett attended West Junior High School and is a graduate of Rock Bridge High School. Adam earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his medical doctor degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, followed by a residency at Resurrection Hospital in Chicago. Adam served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1995-1999 and served as an infantry platoon commander in the First Marine Division. He has been an attending emergency room physician at the University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics since 2006 and an attending physician at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital since 2020.
Adam is the founder and president of Global First Responder (GFR), a nonprofit international medical relief organization. Global First Responder connects medical professionals in the U.S. with international services and medical care in places of critical need. Since its founding in 2011, the all-volunteer organization has provided healthcare and humanitarian services to more than 50 countries including Haiti, Kenya, Cambodia, Jordan, Ethiopia, India, the Congo, Morocco, Liberia, Ukraine and Turkey, among others.