- Home
- Departments
- Foundation/Alumni
- Board Members
Board Members
President Phil Parke
Phil Parke moved to Raymore in 2002 to open a new office for Edward Jones Investments as a Financial Advisor in Belton. He moved to the Raymore office in 2005. He received a bachelor's degree in General Engineering in 1990 from Olivet Nazarene University and a master's degree in business management, with a concentration in finance, in 1992 from Purdue University.
He has been a member of the Belton and Raymore Chambers of Commerce since 1993. He served on the Belton Regional Medical Center Trustee Board for four years (2009 - 2013) with one year as President (2012). He has served on the Raymore-Peculiar Public School Foundation Board for more than seven years and became President of the Board in 2013. He has coached youth baseball and basketball for several years. He and his wife, Joy, have four children: Nathan, Jaron, Ross, and Annelise. Nathan and Jaron both graduated from Ray-Pec High School.
Vice President Shauna Stephenson
Shauna Stephenson and her husband, Tim, are 1998 Ray-Pec High School graduates and live in Raymore. They have two children, Alex and Brooke, who attend Stonegate Elementary. Their children keep them very busy with competitive soccer, baseball, basketball, gymnastics and dance.
Shauna has always taken a special interest in being actively involved in a number of organizations within the community. She has been in banking for 17 years and works for Community Bank of Raymore.
Secretary/Treasurer Pam Steele
Pam Steele moved to Peculiar when she started working for the Raymore-Peculiar School District in August 1993 as the secretary to the Special Services Department and School Board. In 1998, she became the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and continues to serve as the secretary to the School Board. Pam is the Secretary/Treasurer for the Foundation.
Pam and her husband, Terry, live in Raymore. They have two daughters. Andrea is a 2002 Ray-Pec graduate and is currently employed as an event coordinator and is the mother of twins, Kason and Kensey. Niki is a 2006 Ray-Pec graduate and is a special education teacher in Lee’s Summit. Pam is a member of the Missouri Association of Educational Office Professionals as well as the Cass County Association of Educational Office Professionals.
Board Member Leo Anderson
Leo Anderson attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Central Missouri. He was instrumental in designing cell phone technologies such as mobile data, Push-to-Talk and text messaging. He holds 13 United States patents and is employed with AT&T as a principal engineer responsible for U-verse Advanced TV.
Since moving to Raymore in 2002, Leo has been active in the community. He was a member of the Raymore-Peculiar Board of Education for six years. He coached football with the Cass County Junior Athletic Association, was member of the Optimist Club, served Hope House and currently serves on the Raymore Planning and Zoning Board. Leo and his wife, Frenchette, live in Raymore. Their son, William, graduated from Raymore-Peculiar in 2015.
Board Member Rich Bartow
Rich Bartow graduated from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan., in 2001. He continued on to receive his Juris Doctor from Washburn University in Topeka. He works with Community Financial as a financial adviser, and his office is located inside the Community Bank of Peculiar. Rich started the Watch D.O.G.S. program in three schools, and is an active member in the program.
Rich and his wife, Kara, have four boys. Kara is a former teacher at Raymore Elementary. They enjoy spending time with family, coaching the boys in sports, and attending Sporting KC soccer games.
Board Member Allison Bruflat
Allison Bruflat is an active education advocate and community volunteer. She and her husband, John, have lived in Raymore for four years and have three children in the Raymore-Peculiar School District. In addition to being co-owner and part-time bookkeeper of Pioneer Supply Company, Allison works as a substitute teacher. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and former science teacher.
She is a member of the PTAs at Raymore-Peculiar East Middle School and Raymore Elementary School, and has served in multiple board and volunteer positions. In fall 2014, she became Chairperson of the Caring About Nutrition (C.A.N.) Board of Directors through the Ray-Pec Foundation. Before moving to Raymore, Allison was on the Raytown School Board and served three years as the board president for Jackson County Girls on the Run.
Board Member Larry Dobson
Larry Dobson is a life-long resident of the Raymore and Peculiar communities and is a Ray-Pec graduate. Larry holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist degrees from University of Central Missouri. He spent 44 years as an educator with 10 of those years at Ray-Pec, and the remaining 32 years in the Blue Springs and Belton school districts. Larry served the Raymore-Peculiar School District as a school board member from 1992-2004 and was president two of those years.
He joined the Ray-Pec Public School Foundation at its inception. Larry is President of Caring Hearts of Peculiar, Wills Cemetery Board, and Centennial Farms Homeowners Association. He is vice president of the Missouri Bluebird Society, secretary of the Peculiar Charitable Foundation and serves on several other area boards. Larry and his family operate Dobson Development, Inc. and Dobson Homes, Inc. Mary, his wife of 42 years, is also a Ray-Pec graduate. Larry and Mary have two children who are Ray-Pec graduates -- Lauren, a teacher in Blue Springs, and Scott, an electrician for Ray-Pec. Larry was a recipient of the Ray-Pec Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014.
Board Member Matt Hocker
Matt Hocker grew up in Pleasant Hill and graduated from University of Central Missouri in 2001 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration marketing. He has been the agency owner of Matt Hocker Agency, Inc. - American Family Insurance since 2005.
Matt moved to Raymore in 2010. He has been active in the community, serving in officer roles in the Belton-Raymore Rotary Club and as a member of the Ray-Pec School District Early Childhood & Citizens Advisory task forces. Matt has three children. Two children are students in the Ray-Pec School District. He enjoys family time, sports, camping, fishing and his competitive BBQ team.
Board Member Pete Kerckhoff
After graduating from college, Pete Kerckhoff joined a start-up company in California as an engineer. He went on to earn his masters’ degrees in business and in technology. His experiences include working as an engineer, engineering manager, university professor, college dean, chief academic officer for a university, and a small business owner. Pete served on the City of Raymore Board of Planning and Zoning for two years, the City Council for five years, and as Mayor from 2012 to 2016.
Pete and Renee, his wife of 34 years, have lived in Raymore for more than 20 years. Their daughters graduated from Ray-Pec schools and Missouri colleges and now live in Springfield and Phoenix.
Board Member Brad Kiehl
Brad Kiehl is a graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in architecture with an emphasis on community development. Brad is the vice president and principal for the DLR Group working as a Co-K-12 Leader. His experience includes project management and master planning, community engagement, public speaking, construction administration and cost estimating.
Brad and his wife, Tiffany, have three children. They enjoy sports and the outdoors together. They moved to Raymore more than eight years ago.
Board Member Meryl Lange
Meryl Lange is a former Associate Circuit Judge in Cass County. She is now conducting mediation for family law litigants. Meryl has been a practicing attorney in the Raymore-Belton area for 25 years.
She and her husband, Ted, had five children graduate from the Raymore-Peculiar School District. She wants to help Raymore-Peculiar Schools continue their outstanding tradition of excellence in educating our children.
Board Member Don Laffoon
Don Laffoon began his career in the electrical contracting industry in 1979. He served a four-year apprenticeship and worked on numerous construction projects around the country.
In 1996, Don moved into management and in 2003 became President and CEO of Electrical Corporation of America. He has been with ECA for the past 36 years. Don encourages his employees to participate in many community activities.
His professional memberships include the National Electrical Contractors Association (Governor), the Electric League of Missouri and Kansas, Electri International Founder, and the UMB Advisory Board. He also sits on the Board of Directors for NewCon Insurance Company.
Don and his wife, Lynn, reside in Peculiar. They have two children, Amanda and Rhett, and a granddaughter, Nora. Don and his children are graduates of Raymore-Peculiar High School.
Superintendent of Schools and
Foundation Board Member
Dr. Kari Monsees
Dr. Kari Monsees came to the Raymore-Peculiar School District in 2013. Prior to coming to Ray-Pec, he taught math at Smithton High School, was a principal at California (MO) High School, was an assistant superintendent in the Warrensburg School District, and was the Chief Financial Officer in the Wentzville School District.
Kari received his bachelor’s, master’s, and education specialist degrees from the University of Central Missouri, and his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Missouri. Kari is married to Laura Monsees – her son, Christopher, lives in Overland Park with his wife, Emily, and their children Jaxon and Anlynn.
Allison Scott
Allison Scott moved to Raymore in 2007 with her husband and three boys. She is currently as a behavior specialist with the Raymore-Peculiar School District. Allison is the chairperson of the Ray-Pec Community Alliance through the Foundation and has helped co-found the Refuge student center, as well as co-sponsored the Girl Talk mentoring program for youth in our community, She is a member of the middle school PTA board and is active with the sports and activities in which her sons participate.
Board Member Kim York
Kim York was elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2014 to the Raymore-Peculiar Board of Education. She attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she obtained her accounting degree. After graduating, she become a CPA, obtained her master's degree in business administration, and worked in the areas of auditing, budgeting and strategic planning.
She serves as the Cass County Circuit Clerk in the 17th Judicial Circuit. Kim lives in Raymore with her two daughters who attend Eagle Glen Intermediate school and Raymore Elementary School.
Executive Director Jodie Huston
Jodie Huston joined the Foundation in January 2013 when the Executive Director position was created. She also works part-time as the Director of Development of the Harrisonville Christian School and as a private piano instructor. Jodie received a bachelor's degree in office administration from Northwest Missouri State University. She is married to Bob Huston, and they have two daughters, Kailey and Abbey.