Sharon Waite, Executive Director
Sharon R. Waite, EdS., Jefferson City, joined SMCAA in 2004; she was appointed Assistant Director in 2005 and Director in 2008. Before joining the SMCAA staff she was Assistant Superintendent, in charge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the Mexico School District for 3 years. In addition, she served as High School Assistant Principal for eleven years, High School Principal for six years and Assistant Superintendent for six years in the De Soto School District. She was a Communication Arts teacher and an Art teacher in both Colorado and Missouri. Sharon earned a bachelor of art degree in both English and Art education from William Jewell College, a master of arts degree in secondary administration from University of Missouri – St. Louis, a specialist degree in secondary administration from Southeast Missouri State University with additional graduate work in secondary administration at St. Louis University. She trained as a curriculum auditor and is a member of the ASCD and MASA.

Julie Knernschield ,  Administrative Assistant

Consultants

Mike Willard, SMCAA Consultant

Mike has been involved with public education for forty years.  His first thirty as a teacher and administrator and the last ten years for Show-Me Curriculum Administrators Association.  He served six years as the first SMCAA Executive Director.  Working with the SMCAA Board of Directors, Mike helped create a statewide organization with membership of over 350 school districts, ten regional groups, and two yearly statewide conferences.  He was also instrumental in working with the Instructional Materials Laboratory at the University of Missouri-Columbia to create the Educational Alignment Tool and yearly improvements.  To facilitate continuity of the organization, he also served as the Assistant Director.  For the last three years he has been an SMCAA Consultant. His classroom experience included middle school to graduate-level college classes.  The last nineteen years of his public school experience included being Curriculum Director and Assistant Superintendent of the Troy R-III School District.  In this capacity, he worked closely with teachers at all grade levels and content areas, other administrators, and the public.  His passion for education has led to involvement in various activities with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, work with several professional educational organizations (MASSP, MAESP, MASA, MNEA and MSTA), numerous school districts, and universities.

Tony English, SMCAA Consultant

Tony has served as Assistant Director from 2001 until 2004 and Executive Director of SMCAA from 2004 until his partial retirement in 2008. Since that time Tony has served as a part time consultant to SMCAA. Before joining SMCAA, Tony spent 28 years at the Eldon R-1 Schools as communication arts teacher, guidance counselor, Director of Guidance, Middle School Principal, and the last seven years as Assistant Superintendent in charge of Curriculum and Assessment. Tony attended Southwest Baptist University for his undergraduate degree and the University of Central Missouri for his Masters and Specialist Degrees in Administration.