NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For additional information, contact MOSPRA Executive Director, David Luther, (573) 353-‐0590 or email to [email protected]. Dr. Gary Sharpe Named Distinguished Service Award Recipient March 27, 2015 Dr. Gary Sharpe, former Missouri Association of School Administrator’s (MASA) Executive Director and long-‐time public education supporter, has been named the Missouri School Public Relations Association’s 2015 Distinguished Service Award recipient at their annual Spring Conference held March 25-‐27 at the Lodge of the Four Seasons, Lake Ozark, Missouri. Dr. Sharpe is well known both statewide and nationally as a leader is public education. MOSPRA President, Michelle Cronk, stated, “MOSPRA is proud to recognize Dr. Gary Sharpe for his outstanding career. Dr. Sharpe has played a role in the lives of public school children for his entire adult life. Whether it be as a teacher, coach, principal, superintendent, member of the Missouri House of Representatives, as the Executive Director of MASA, or in his current role as the President of the Missouri Public School Advocates, Dr. Sharpe’s focus in assuring that Missouri’s school children are provided a quality education.” Roger Kurtz, Executive Director of MASA, noted that Dr. Sharpe, “…built two administrative associations from a borrowed office in the back room of a teacher organization to one of the most effective and powerful education associations in Missouri. His knowledge of educational issues in Missouri is unmatched in any other state education organization.” The Missouri School Public Relations Association (MOSPRA) is the Missouri state chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). While the membership in MOSPRA is primarily composed of school communication practitioners from both public and private school districts, members also include superintendents, principals, secretaries, education association staff, board of education members and others who work to gain public confidence in education. Like its parent organization, MOSPRA is dedicated to providing citizens with a better understanding of the objectives, accomplishments and needs of the schools within our communities. -‐-‐30-‐-‐