Four young professionals from the fields of higher education and banking have been selected to represent Rotary District 6080 as part of a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team that will visit Central America in April. The team will travel to the four countries of District 4240 (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador) from April 1 to 29, 2013. Members of the team include:
Kim Greene is the coordinator for dual credit at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, where she also teaches public speaking. Greene is a native of Chilhowee, Missouri and a member of the Rotaract Club of Springfield. She was nominated for the GSE team by the Springfield Sunrise Rotary Club.
Charles Parker, Jr. is the coordinator of diversity programs at the University of Missouri – Columbia. While a student at Mizzou, Parker co-founded Project United, a student-led group that fosters cross-cultural dialogue among students. He is originally from St. Louis. Parker was nominated by the Rotary Club of Sunrise Southwest in Columbia.
Jimmy Stilley is the vice president of commercial loans at OakStar Bank in Springfield, where he has developed a specialization in international trade financing. Stilley is a native of Houston, Missouri and a member of the Rotaract Club of Springfield. He was nominated for the GSE team by the Rotary Club of Springfield.
Christine Sudbrock is an agricultural business instructor and outreach coordinator for the Darr School of Agriculture at Missouri State University. In her outreach role, Sudbrock educates the public about MSU research programs ranging from beef production to plant genetics. She is originally from Lexington, Missouri. Sudbrock was nominated by the Ozark Rotary Club.
The team will be led by Paul Reinert of the Rotary Club of Springfield, a Rotarian with significant experience leading service projects and business ventures throughout Latin America.
The Rotary Foundation’s GSE program is a vocational and cultural exchange for non-Rotarian professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The team will spend one week in each of the four countries of District 4240, experiencing the culture and institutions of Central America. Team members will observe how their professions are practiced there, exchange ideas and develop professional relationships.
The District 6080 team also will make presentations at Rotary Clubs in Central America, introducing their hosts to our state – from the perspective of four young professionals who have experienced the rural and urban diversity of Missouri.