Gates named as Purdy superintendent
Gates
May 15, 2019
Purdy R-2 Board of Education President Todd Schallert introduced Mrs. Mindi Gates as the District’s 2019-2020 Superintendent at a staff breakfast reception on May 13. Gates, whose introduction was met with vigorous applause, is no stranger to the Purdy Schools staff. She began her career with the District in 2013 as the District’s first official Instructional Coach, a position which she held for two years. In 2015 the Board of Education announced her promotion to Associate Superintendent.
In her remarks to the staff Gates noted that she attended kindergarten screening at Purdy as a five year-old, but her family’s path took them a bit further south. Gates grew up in Cassville, where she attended school from kindergarten through her 1999 high school graduation. She continued her education at Drury University, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. She received her Masters in Education Administration from Southwest Baptist University in 2012 and completed her Education Administration (Superintendent) Specialist Degree at Missouri State University in 2017. Mindi and her husband, Justin, make their home in Cassville. They have two children: Simon, age 12 and Ava, age 7.
Gates will accept the mantle of leadership from current Purdy Schools Superintendent Steven Chancellor on July 1. Chancellor has served the District for the past seven years, during which time the District has enjoyed unprecedented educational advancement. He organized and led a committee of community and school staff members that produced the school’s first Strategic Plan, which called for upgrades in technology and facilities. Chancellor met and exceeded these demands by paving the way for placing iPads in the hands of each student in grades three through twelve, upgrading the north high school entrance, adding a commons and concessions area and most recently spearheading the successful passage of a $1.3 million bond issue which provided a new Performing Arts Center, FEMA shelter and preschool. Of her predecessor Gates noted, “I have very big shoes to fill.”
Purdy Community Teachers Association President and fifth grade teacher Abbi Coy summed up the staff’s response to the changing of leadership. “Dr. Chancellor will be greatly missed, but I can’t wait to see how our district flourishes under Mindi. She is an amazing leader and person.”
Chancellor declared full confidence in Gates when he stated, “The Board of Education has selected both a great leader and a phenomenal person as the District’s next superintendent. She has worked hard to earn the trust and confidence of the staff and this will undoubtedly carry over into our community as she assumes her new role. There is no one more excited about her selection and the future of the school district than me.”
Gates observed of her new position, “I am humbled beyond words at the trust our Board of Education has placed in me, and I consider myself incredibly blessed by this opportunity. I look forward to continuing to serve our students, parents and community alongside our incredible team of teachers and staff. I am proud to be a Purdy Eagle.”
Purdy R-2 Board of Education President Todd Schallert introduced Mrs. Mindi Gates as the District’s 2019-2020 Superintendent at a staff breakfast reception on May 13. Gates, whose introduction was met with vigorous applause, is no stranger to the Purdy Schools staff. She began her career with the District in 2013 as the District’s first official Instructional Coach, a position which she held for two years. In 2015 the Board of Education announced her promotion to Associate Superintendent.
In her remarks to the staff Gates noted that she attended kindergarten screening at Purdy as a five year-old, but her family’s path took them a bit further south. Gates grew up in Cassville, where she attended school from kindergarten through her 1999 high school graduation. She continued her education at Drury University, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. She received her Masters in Education Administration from Southwest Baptist University in 2012 and completed her Education Administration (Superintendent) Specialist Degree at Missouri State University in 2017. Mindi and her husband, Justin, make their home in Cassville. They have two children: Simon, age 12 and Ava, age 7.
Gates will accept the mantle of leadership from current Purdy Schools Superintendent Steven Chancellor on July 1. Chancellor has served the District for the past seven years, during which time the District has enjoyed unprecedented educational advancement. He organized and led a committee of community and school staff members that produced the school’s first Strategic Plan, which called for upgrades in technology and facilities. Chancellor met and exceeded these demands by paving the way for placing iPads in the hands of each student in grades three through twelve, upgrading the north high school entrance, adding a commons and concessions area and most recently spearheading the successful passage of a $1.3 million bond issue which provided a new Performing Arts Center, FEMA shelter and preschool. Of her predecessor Gates noted, “I have very big shoes to fill.”
Purdy Community Teachers Association President and fifth grade teacher Abbi Coy summed up the staff’s response to the changing of leadership. “Dr. Chancellor will be greatly missed, but I can’t wait to see how our district flourishes under Mindi. She is an amazing leader and person.”
Chancellor declared full confidence in Gates when he stated, “The Board of Education has selected both a great leader and a phenomenal person as the District’s next superintendent. She has worked hard to earn the trust and confidence of the staff and this will undoubtedly carry over into our community as she assumes her new role. There is no one more excited about her selection and the future of the school district than me.”
Gates observed of her new position, “I am humbled beyond words at the trust our Board of Education has placed in me, and I consider myself incredibly blessed by this opportunity. I look forward to continuing to serve our students, parents and community alongside our incredible team of teachers and staff. I am proud to be a Purdy Eagle.”
