Celebrating 50 Years

To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are going to feature important people and events from our history. And there is only one person to start with; Dr. Don Butler, Bowling Green – Warren County Community Education’s first director!

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Originally from Mason County, KY Dr. Butler was hired in July of 1973 after completing his Ph.D. in Community Education and Educational Administration at Michigan State University. Dr. Butler was the first full-time Community Education director in Kentucky and was the Founding Charter President of the Kentucky Community Education Association in 1974. Dr. Butler went on the become the “Father of Community Education” throughout the Commonwealth.

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Looking back on our 50th anniversary, Dr. Butler reflected, “Did we achieve all our goals back then? No, but we did create a vision for the future of Community Education here and across Kentucky. So many people worked tirelessly to achieve where Community Education Bowling Green and Warren County is in 2023 – still evolving to changes, and making a difference in the lives of children, families, adults, and seniors.”

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Dr. Butler still drops by our offices to share stories and encourage our staff. Thank you, Dr. Butler, for all you have done for our community!

Our next Community Education alumni profile is Ryan Dearbone. After leaving Community Education, Ryan worked in Philanthropy at WKU for several years and is now an Assistant Professor of Broadcasting. Originally from Hopkinsville, Ryan has his Broadcasting degree and Master’s degree in Communications from WKU. Ryan, his wife Bonita, and daughters Echo and Legacy live in Bowling Green.

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Ryan’s roots with Community Education go back over 16 years. “While I was on staff I ran Camp Extreme, the before-school program, and helped with media, marketing and fundraising.” Prior to working at Community Ed, Ryan worked as a Multimedia Journalist in Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, KY/Clarksville, TN, and Lexington, KY. When he left to work at WKU Ryan found a new way to be involved with our mission. “I have been an Advisory Council member and currently serve on the Board where I was the Chair for the past two years.”

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Ryan’s outside interests include his family, watching and playing sports (Go Raiders!), running, music, TV, and relaxing. Ryan also currently serves as President of the Bowling Green-Warren County Chapter of the NAACP.

The subject of this week’s 50th Anniversary profile doesn’t fit neatly into the alumni category or the Staff category. Bill Oldham, Community Education’s seventh and current Executive Director could be considered both. “I feel I have been involved with Community Education one way or another for most of my adult life.”

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Bill’s daughters, Abbey and Alex, went to the After-School program at McNeill Elementary starting in the late 1990s. Sparked by that connection, Oldham went on to serve on the Advisory Council and eventually the Board of Directors while continuing to work in hospital marketing. His “third career” plan was to work in non-profit management. (Oldham worked in broadcast television production upon graduating from WKU). “Deep in my heart, I have wanted to work at Community Ed for a long time. I’m very fortunate that things worked out the way I hoped they would.” Founding Executive Director Dr. Don Butler chaired the search committee that hired him.

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Three months after Oldham began in his current position, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all programs operated by Community Education. “It completely blindsided me. I had several very dark months.” Oldham had two major challenges. “I wanted us back up and running so we could serve the families that count on us, and I wanted to care for the staff. It was a very difficult time for them.”

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Bill’s outside interests include his family, making craft lamps upcycling interesting bourbon bottles, and volunteering. Bill serves on the executive committee of the Bowling Green-Warren County Chapter of the NAACP and is the Board chair for Saturday Meals. A native of Indiana, Bill is very proud to be a Kentucky Colonel, having been nominated by his daughter Abbey.

Debi Wade Jordan’s relationship with Community Education began when she was a single mother working at Western Kentucky University in the mid 1990s.

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“I had no extended family in Bowling Green,” Jordan said. “The school age program allowed me to work while my son was in a safe environment that was both active and educational.”

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In 2000, Jordan, who holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WKU, accepted the position of executive director of Community Education.

Under her leadership, Community Education grew to add programs such as Teen Angel, Summer Activities Fair, and Spellabration.

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“Serving the residents of our community is my passion,” Jordan said. “I was most fortunate to be able to do that through Community Education and collaborations with other agencies and organizations, including both local school districts.”

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In addition, Community Education built the first permanent home for the agency on Westen Street during Jordan’s time as executive director.

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She was extremely active in the Kentucky Community Education Association, in which she served in several offices, including president.

Both of her children worked in entry level jobs for Community Education during their college years.

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Jordan retired in 2019 to assist with her aging parents. Her daughter, Bailey Jordan Warner, also was bitten by the Community Education bug and became the agency’s adult enrichment coordinator in November of 2021.

Nancy (Firkins) Hinten was the fourth Community Education director in Bowling Green/Warren County, serving in that capacity from 1993 to 2000. Before coming to Community Education, Hinten worked in Children’s Ministry at Fountain Square Church, was an aerobics instructor, a bank teller, and a research assistant on a youth substance usage survey. Hinten has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Master of Arts in counseling.

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“The things I am proudest about during my time at Community Education were increasing community involvement with the schools by expanding student involvement in service learning activities (we planted 2,000 trees in the year 2000 on public lands,) the expansion of the school-age care and summer care programs, and the creation of the Youth Activities Program for middle schoolers.”

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The biggest challenges Hinten faced, identification as a quasi-governmental agency and the limitations and advantages for our programs and personnel, are not that different from several of the ones Community Education faces today.

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After leaving Community Education, Hinten worked as development director for a community/school program (Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County, Kan.,) planned giving director for Friends University (Wichita, Kan.,) and executive director for Communities In Schools/Pando Initiative.

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“Working for Community Education exposed me to grant writing and community development opportunities. It gave me the opportunity to work with a variety of organizations and groups who were interested in creating programs that would help youth and their families thrive in our community.”

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Now retired, Hinten is married to Marvin D. Hinten and has two children, a stepson, three grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Anne Blane Grubbs came to Community Education to lead the then wrap-around kindergarten program at McNeill Elementary.

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At that time, kindergarten was only a half day. The Community Education program took care of students during the part of the day that students were not in class, allowing parents to work a full day.

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After kindergarten became all day, Grubbs moved into the enrichment and volunteer coordinator position.

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She developed a network of instructors who taught a wide range of classes.

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Grubbs was ahead of her time in offering classes online, way before other entities did.

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The Martinsville, Va., native also was an incredible fundraiser.

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One of the most successful programs that she started at Community Education, Stand For Children Day, remains a tradition providing children and their families with community resources. This year marks the 25th annual Stand For Children event.

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Grubbs was passionate about education at every level.

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When she retired, Community Education established a scholarship named in her honor at Western Kentucky University to be awarded each semester to a Community Education staff member.

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Grubbs died in 2014 and is missed by the entire community.

Natalie Taylor (Herrington) Gentry came to Bowling Green seeking a bachelor’s degree in early childhood development at Western Kentucky University. She quickly began what would progress into a long-lasting relationship with Community Education.

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Her first position at Community Education was as a student group leader at the Cumberland Trace Elementary after-school program. After spending a few semesters as a group leader, she was promoted to site supervisor and continued in that role throughout college.

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After graduating in 1992, she managed a private daycare center provided for employees of a local business.

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Several years later, she returned to Community Education as director of School-age programs from 1998 through 2008. Part of what brought her back to the agency was the chance to work closely with families and their children on a larger scope than she could in the private sector. Gentry left after purchasing Creative Learning Child Development Center in Bowling Green.

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She credits her combined experiences at our agency and then Executive Director Debi Wade Jordan’s support as helping her take on that and other challenges.

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“The Community Education staff, we were all a big family,” Gentry said. “That family helped me through my father’s passing, my becoming a single parent, and ultimately my decision to explore actually owning a childcare center.”

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After six years, Gentry sold her business to embark on a different journey, allowing her to continue her passion of working with young people, including those outside her new community of Tell City, Ind.

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She and her spouse Bryan Gentry acquired Taylor Tours, a company founded by her late father. Natalie serves as co-owner, vice-president, and hands-on tour escort for young adult school trips to destinations such as New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

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When Gentry is not traveling around the country with her Taylor Tours groups, she spends time with family, including her daughter, Taylor, who grew up in the midst of Community Education programs and also worked here while in college. Gentry enjoys her horses and dogs and is an avid golfer.

Vivian Foe was born in 1936 and grew up in Smiths Grove, Ky. She attended North Warren school, and had perfect attendance for 11 of her 12 years. After working in the private sector for a year, she returned to her first love of teaching and enrolled at Western Kentucky State College, now known as WKU.

Foe left home to teach in San Diego, California after earning her degree in 1959. “I wanted to go somewhere I had never been,” she said. This would be a recurring theme throughout her life.

She moved back to Kentucky to marry fellow teacher John Foe in August 1960. They have three daughters: Brookie Henry of Bowling Green, Marcia Wozniak of Victoria, Texas, and Lori Hughes of Frankfort, and three grandchildren: Ashton Henry, John Cole Wozniak, and Anne-Grayson Wozniak. One daughter and two grandchildren have carried on the family tradition and become teachers. A substitute teacher for several years, Foe returned to teaching full-time when their daughters were in junior high. She was at L.C. Curry when she was invited to join the Community Education Advisory Council.

Foe has served as chair of the Advisory Council and the Board of Directors, and has worked at nearly all of the 24 Stand for Children Days. She is particularly proud of the current facility on Westen Street that houses the organization. “We were able to purchase the property and remodel the existing building,” which was quite an accomplishment for a non-profit.

“The before and after-school programs provide safe places for children. That is very important,” she says, also mentioning the value of the Enrichment program. “I have enjoyed working with the staff at Community Education.”

A map in the Foe house has pins placed in all 50 states, and in the many countries the couple visited while teaching Vacation Bible School. There are 139 nativity scenes and 300 dolls from around the world. Each year the house is decorated with 18 Christmas trees, and it has been the location for the Community Education holiday potluck for many years. The couple once hosted an exchange teacher from Austria, where Foe returned later to teach.

In retirement, the Foes were active in AARP, Warren County Retired Teachers Association, and Woodmen Life. Foe has also been involved with the Bowling Green Women’s Club, Alpha Delta Kappa sorority, the Ombudsman program, Emmanuel Day Care board, and First Baptist Church. The Foes were married 57 years when John Foe died in 2017.

“I have seen many changes over the years to the schools and to Community Education,” Foe says with pride, knowing that she played an important role in the lives of many school-age children and their families.

#CommEd50

Jason Kupchella’s career has been one focused on education. Kupchella is the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Operations Officer for the Warren County Public Schools and the current chair of the Community Education Board of Directors.

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Born in Louisville, Kupchella has lived in Warren County since he was 16. He is a graduate of WCHS and WKU with a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in education and a Rank I in administration.

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Kupchella was a science teacher and Girls’ basketball coach at Warren East Middle School, then the assistant at Warren East High School. After a year as a math teacher and head girls’ basketball coach in Asheboro, NC, Kupchella returned to the area in 1999 as a math and science teacher and head girls’ basketball coach at BGHS. After a year of teaching math at Greenwood High School in 2007, Kupchella moved to Briarwood Elementary, where he was the Assistant Principal and then the Principal. In 2015 Kupchella moved into his current role as the Warren County Public Schools’ Assistant Superintendent.

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Kupchella and his wife have two children – Griffin is a freshman at WKU, and Julia is a junior at Greenwood High School, where she plays basketball and tennis.

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“Community Education is basically an extension of the school system by providing our students before and after school care. I’ve worked with Community Ed a great deal in my years at Briarwood, and now I help as the two systems work together.”

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“I am proud of Community Education for our ability to provide care for families who need the help before and after school, but also that the care is an extension of their school day, not just a ‘babysitting’ service. Also, I love all of the things Community Education provides for the young members of your community, such as Teen Angel and Stand for Children day.”

Karen Schmalzbauer served as the third Community Education director for 14 years starting in 1978. Dr. Don Butler, Community Education’s first director, was her mentor. “The way Dr. Butler set up Community Education was such an asset,” Schmalzbauer said. “We had access to resources others would have loved to have had.”

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Under her direction, Community Ed grew exponentially. “It was a prime time for Community Education to expand,” she recalled.
Milestones achieved during Schmalzbauer’s tenure include the first after-school program housed in Kentucky schools at McNeill Elementary in 1983, with a second program at Potter Gray Elementary in 1984. By 1991, after-school care expanded to seven sites.

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Super Summer Club was first offered at two elementary schools in 1991.

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Schmalzbauer is most proud of the Bowling Green-Warren County Rape Crisis and Prevention Center (now known as Hope Harbor,) which Community Education helped establish in 1985.

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“A friend who had been raped years earlier was appalled by the lack of resources available to survivors of traumatic events such as hers,” Schmalzbauer said. “We secured funding, advertised for a volunteer director, and opened an office next to ours in the former High Street School facility.” The center started with $500 in funds from the local board of realtors. Schmalzbauer and her friend covered every shift on the crisis line until they could recruit volunteers. The 24/7 crisis line is a critical service Hope Harbor provides today.

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Originally from St. Paul, Minn., Schmalzbauer earned a bachelor’s degree in education in Wisconsin and a master’s degree in adult learning from Western Kentucky University.

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Schmalzbauer left Bowling Green to become the state community education consultant, overseeing all the community education programs in Kentucky for the Department of Education.

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Now retired, Schmalzbauer and Gippy Graham, who held the first community education position at the state level and is credited with facilitating the growth of community education throughout the commonwealth, live in Florida, where she teaches yoga, stretching, and water aerobics. Schmalzbauer has two children and two grandchildren.

Derick Marr, the principal at Rich Pond Elementary School with Warren County Public Schools, started his career in education when he worked at Community Education in the early 2000s. Marr has a Bachelor of Science degree in Middle Grades, a Master’s degree in Education, and a Rank 1 Instructional Leadership. He and his wife, Christie, have two sons, Tanner and Kye.

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Over Marr’s four years with Community Education, he was a group leader and site supervisor at after-school programs. One of Marr’s proudest accomplishments with Community Education was being an integral part of launching one of the summer camps, Eagle Roc, during its first year in operation. Eagle Roc served students in grades third through fifth.

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“Community Education prepared me to be an educator by working with children, parents, and community members. Being a site supervisor for the afternoon school programs and summer camps helped me develop my leadership skills.”

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“Much of my college career was shaped by the friendships I developed while working with Community Education. It was such a great experience and helped prepare me in so many ways for my career in education.”

Wes Watt is the Public Information Officer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 3 Office in Bowling Green. His experiences while working at Community Education helped prepare him for that career.

“Working for Community Education allowed me to develop a wide range of skills,” Watt said. “I got media experience by going on live television on multiple local stations as well as radio interviews and newspaper interviews.”

Watt began working at Community Education in 2002 as a group leader, now called direct services, at L.C. Curry Elementary School. By the time he left in 2013, Watt was the assistant director of school-age programs.

“Dealing with kids and parents from all types of backgrounds in numerous situations allowed me to develop some in-depth people skills,” Watt said.

“Since I worked at multiple levels at Community Education I was able to develop teamwork skills with my co-workers and supervisor skills in various roles.”

Watt said that the everyday challenges of working with large groups of students and staff at multiple sites developed problem-solving skills.

“All of my experiences while working at Community Education has transferred to all aspects of my life, personally and professionally,” Watt said.

Working at Community Education was rewarding, according to Watt.

“I loved helping the kids with their homework,” he said. “The teachers would sometimes share with me that students’ grades would go up because they were able to get their homework finished in the after-school program. I really felt like I had a positive impact.”

Watt said he runs into several people who, as kids, were in Community Education programs and now as adults work for Community Education or for similar programs.

“It’s really cool to see kids whom I had in our programs now working in them as adults,” Watt concluded.

Joshua Smith knew from an early age that he wanted to spend his life helping people, wherever that journey might take him. As a young adult, he thought he would accomplish that by entering health care administration, with finance as a double major. However, he had an epiphany three years into working toward an accounting degree at WKU. “I had a conversation with my campus minister, Sami Wilson, who felt God leading her to share with me that I should consider some other options for my life, and that discussion literally changed my life,” Smith said.

Smith completed his accounting degree as planned but switched gears completely by graduating from Asbury Theological Seminary with a Master’s in Arts Pastoral Counseling. Bowling Green had become Smith’s second home while at WKU, so in August 2007, he returned and joined the Community Education staff as the Client Services Representative. In 2012 Smith was offered the position of Enrichment & Volunteer Coordinator, following in the footsteps of Anne Grubbs, which he held for two years before leaving the agency. However, the hiatus did not last long. Smith returned in June 2016 to serve as Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, ultimately becoming Assistant Director at the end of 2021.

While with Community Education, Smith has served as a volunteer middle school youth director, eventually becoming student pastor, dedicating countless hours of his time and energy. When asked about that experience and the challenges it might have presented with him holding a full-time job, he stated, “I was so fortunate that my second job just naturally went hand-in-hand with my work here at the agency.”

Smith says he is proudest of having a hand in leading Community Education’s Stand for Children Day, the Teen Angel Christmas Assistance Program, and the Volunteers of the Year Awards. “It is truly an honor to serve this community and to be a part of an organization like Community Education with such a great history.”

When not at work, Smith volunteers at his current church and other faith-based organizations, including missions, which remain very important to him. He also enjoys spending quality time with family and friends.

Originally from the Chicago area, Erin Lightfoot lived near Pittsburg for five years but calls Bowling Green home, living here for 28 years. Lightfoot is the Assistant Director of the School Age Programs at Community Education, a position she has been preparing for all her working career.

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Lightfoot worked part-time in the Before-school and After-school programs for two years while a student at WKU. After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education, Lightfoot joined Community Education full-time, working 17 in an administrative position of some capacity.

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“I started working at Community Education as a young college student working towards becoming a teacher. Once I graduated college, I realized that while I still wanted to work with children, the classroom environment wasn’t meant for me. I joined the administration side of Community Education, and I love that I have different ways to be impactful to students and families.”

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Aside from being employed with Community Education, Lightfoot was also a parent of the programs. “My son, JD, grew up in the programs and now serves on our Advisory Board. Seeing how the after-school programs impacted him and many of his friends is amazing. They still talk about their experiences to this day.”

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Asked what she is proudest of accomplishing while at Community Education, Lightfoot responded, “I don’t think there’s just one thing. I’ve accomplished much over 19 years with my colleagues’ help. At the height of programming before COVID, I oversaw 27 before and after-school programs, a summer program serving close to 200 students, and many all-day programs to help working families. We are working hard to get back to our pre-pandemic levels in terms of the number of families we can serve.”

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Lightfoot lives with her husband Brent, their son JD, and three slightly spoiled dogs.

Before coming to Community Education, Rhonda Bartley Roye worked as head caterer and prep manager at one of Bowling Green’s fine dining restaurants. When the restaurant was sold with little warning, she knew her life needed a new direction. As a nontraditional student, she enrolled at SKYCTC and graduated with a board-certified diploma in Business Technology. While enrolled, she worked evenings at the school as an office assistant.

In 2000, Roye was hired by Debi Wade Jordan, the Executive Director of Community Education, as a part-time administrative assistant. Roye says, “Even though I really needed more hours, something told me to accept the offer. I felt it was where I belonged, somehow.” Within a short period, she transitioned to full-time hours with benefits. In that position, she experienced many aspects of CE, from human resources, accounts payable, school-age programs, community outreach, and enrichment—including teaching classes.

Roye was offered the position of Accounts Receivable and Billing Specialist in 2007, where she continues to work today. During this time, she returned to SKYCTC to further her education and received her Associate of Applied Sciences degree with honors. She was honored to serve on and chair the school’s Business Studies Advisory Committee for many years. In August, she will celebrate her 23rd anniversary with Community Education.

When asked what she is most proud of accomplishing here, Roye says, “Being able to help the families we serve and making their lives easier in some way is paramount.” She also says that volunteering in the community, from mentoring students to the time she spends at a local food bank, “has been very special to me.”

Roye is a Bowling Green native and an alum of Warren Central High School and Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College. She is married to her husband of 15 years, Steve. She enjoys traveling, perusing estate sales, and is an old movie buff.

When School Age Programs Coordinator Jarrod Shive was getting his bachelor’s degree from WKU, he planned on teaching social studies to middle-grade students. He didn’t know it then, but taking a part-time job at Community Education would change his plans.

“While taking classes, I worked part-time at Community Education in the before and after school programs. After I graduated in 2013, I was hired as an intern to help in the Community Education office. In March 2014, I received a full-time position. I was and still am so thankful this opportunity was presented to me. I love being able to interact with students and families in this capacity. The memories I’ve created over the years will last a lifetime.”

Shive explains that working at Community Education prepared him for the rest of his career. “I tell our part-time staff that working in a before or after-school program at Community Education can help prepare you for any field you may go into, not just education. The number of soft skills you learn working with students and families is invaluable. This was especially true for me. I am so grateful for the time I spent in the before and after-school programs while in college. I believe this time adequately equipped me with skills that I use daily.”

When asked what he is proudest of accomplishing at Community Education, Shive had to try hard to narrow it down to one thing. “The broad answer would be hiring and overseeing the part-time staff members to work in our programs. We have an awesome staff base that makes this possible! So many working families depend on our programs to keep their students in a safe and enriching environment during out-of-school time.”

Shive’s job is not without challenges, however. “During the pandemic, there were a lot of unknowns which was quite unsettling. We had some regulation and staffing hurdles, as did almost everyone. That period proved to be quite challenging. But we rallied together and weathered the storm. We are in a much better spot than we were this time last year, and we hope that trend continues!”

Originally from Tompkinsville, Shive and his family moved to Bowling Green when he was in middle school. Shive and his wife, Kristi, have a son, Paxton, who is 5. “Being a dad has been the most rewarding and fun part of my life! He keeps us very busy as we’re always looking for a new adventure.” In his spare time, Shive loves being outdoors, hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family and church family.

Christy Vickery, originally from Tompkinsville, KY, graduated from WKU in December of 2005, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Advertising. She began her career working for a local attorney assisting them with their marketing plan. In 2009 she moved to Pensacola, Florida where she worked as the Guest Services Manager for the local mall. In 2014 she returned to Bowling Green to be able to raise her daughter closer to family. Christy joined the Community Education team in 2016 as our Client and Administrative Assistant.

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Over the years, Christy has worked with parents to get their students registered for our many school-age programs, clients with our Enrichment program, and with all our events. Most recently she was asked to be on and chair the 50th anniversary committee. “I am very proud of the work that I am doing to help our office and our community celebrate such a significant milestone.” She has faced some challenges along the way, “When planning the open house, we decided we wanted to use pictures from the last fifty years. It was a challenge getting the many years of pictures sorted, selected, and organized into categories for framing, but now that it’s done, I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”

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“As a working parent, I know the importance of what Community Education offers to our community and I am very proud to be a part of it.”

Christy lives with her husband, Josh, her daughters, Audrey and Lyla, and one spoiled dog named Douglas.

“I started working in Community Education’s Super Summer Club seven years ago just as a bridge from one full-time preschool teaching position to what I thought would be a different job once summer was over. I soon realized I absolutely loved what Community Education does for families and knew I wanted to continue being able to work with them.” That’s how Katie Johnson describes her time starting at Community Education.

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Johnson has worked in and out of childcare and preschools since she was 18 and babysat kids of all ages as early as she can remember. As the School-Age Programs/Human Resources Assistant, Johnson is often the first person perspective staff talk to.

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“I’m proud to assist in creating ways to organize our multiple programs and working on staffing situations for our school-age programs.”

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Once summer camp was over in 2016, Johnson took over as supervisor at Alvaton and then began helping in the Community Education office. “It was a struggle at times because there wasn’t an office position in place. However, as our programs continued to grow, the need for more assistance in the hiring process opened up a job for me to become a regular part-time office staff member.”

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“I love getting to see firsthand the experiences the programs offer and how they affect our students.”

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Johnson isn’t just a staff member. She is also a Community Education client.

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“I love that my son has opportunities to play with friends and be active during afterschool instead of sitting at home bored or playing video games.”
Johnson and her husband of 13 years, Josh, have two children; Everlee, four, and Lucas, eight. The Johnsons enjoy living in Warren County.

Kim Mills Papp has overseen Accounts Payable, Payroll, and Human Resources for the past two and a half years. With her outgoing personality and genuine interest in others, it seems like Papp has been a part of the Community Education team for much longer.

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“Other than entering the staff’s payroll information, I don’t work much with the before and after school programs. However, I do interact with as many of our part-time staff as possible. I enjoy making new relationships with them.” Staff members have come to expect Papp to greet them by name when they come into the office.

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Born in Louisiana, Papp grew up in Bowling Green, attending Warren Central High School and WKU, where she received her degree in Accounting and Business & Marketing Education.

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Before being hired by Community Education, Papp’s professional experience was in the healthcare Industry doing various human resources and accounting tasks. “My biggest challenge was going from a profit mindset to a non-profit mindset. I enjoy my time here and am very happy to have transitioned to Community Education.”

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Papp and her husband, Allen, have a son (Alex) and a daughter (Alizabeth). They also have two grandsons with whom they love to spend time together.

Community Education is fortunate to have an enrichment coordinator who also is their resident artist.

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Meet Bailey Jordan Warner, whose Community Education roots run deep.

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Warner said Community Education has been part of her family as long as she can remember. Her mother was the executive director for nearly 20 years.

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Warner’s first personal experience with Community Education was attending the afterschool program as a kindergartner at McNeill Elementary. She continued participating in afterschool and all-day programs throughout her years at Bowling Green Junior High.

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“I think Community Education has been a big part of who I have grown up to be,” Warner said. “Many of my connections in the community have come from my time in Community Education programs, volunteering for Teen Angel, and now, being enrichment coordinator.”

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Degrees from Western Kentucky University in art and fine arts, with minors in business administration and marketing, made Warner an excellent fit for the position that coordinates and promotes enrichment classes.

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She enjoys working with instructors and clients, and especially likes using her artistic abilities to design countless advertisements, flyers, promotional items, shirts, and more for Community Education.

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“One of my proudest achievements with Community Education’s graphics is bringing the birds in our logo to life and giving them fun, quirky personalities,” Warner said.

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So the next time you see a bird in our logo wearing snorkeling gear, a Santa hat, or dressed like a turkey, you will know whose talents created that.
Warner came to Community Education from Warren County Public Library, where she was an assistant librarian and art teacher.

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The Bowling Green native lives here with her husband, Chase Warner, and their two cats.

Community Education has been fortunate to hire some of the best community collaborators over the years. Christopher Lauth, who came to us with a background in higher education and nonprofits, was one of them.

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Lauth was Community Education’s associate director and enrichment coordinator.

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“As someone who values community and civility, I was most proud to meet members of our community and discover how much talent and expertise we had among ourselves,” Lauth said.

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“It was incredibly rewarding to leverage the strength of our community by providing a pathway for people to share their talents, skills, and passions with others,” he continued. “All people experience satisfaction in sharing and learning from others. In a way, we weren’t just providing education but connecting like-minded people and forming friendships. How could you not love doing that work!”

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Lauth said his biggest challenge while at Community Education was navigating the early period of the COVID-10 pandemic.

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“We really didn’t have all the information, but we had to do the best we could and communicate expectations to our families and clients,” Lauth said. “We quickly pivoted to enable remote work and move enrichment classes online.”

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Lauth, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Flagler College and a master’s degree from Canisius College, is now the director of operations for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Tampa Bay, Fla.

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He said he is blessed to find rewarding careers serving others. In this new role, he leads a team of caring individuals who support families while their children receive life-saving medical care in the local hospital and from medical partners.

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“When you work in the nonprofit field, you wear many hats,” Lauth said.

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Working at Community Education prepared Lauth for his current position in countless ways, but he said two stand out.

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First was the wide latitude he had at Community Education to continue learning and practicing in a variety of areas, including people management, family management systems, technology, and other fun projects.

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“The second was seeing how important making connections with others is to expand your mind, horizons, and your network of friends to help support you through all of life’s journeys,” Lauth said.

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“I was immensely proud to be a part of the team at Comm Ed and was especially proud of Bowling Green-Warren County for the resources they put into creating such a robust and adaptive Community Education in our county,” Lauth said. “We are incredibly lucky to have such an organization in our county.”

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Lauth said the people he came to call his work family at Community Education meant more to him than they will ever know. “They enriched my time in Bowling Green,” said the Great Meadows, N.J. native. “I’m excited to see what the future holds for this great organization and this great team!”

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Lauth lives in Tampa Bay with his dog and constant companion, Bernie.

Originally from Owensboro, KY, Elliott Law ventured down to Western Kentucky University to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology. During his time at WKU, Law worked part-time in the after-school program for a year and a half. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Law finished his education at the University of Louisville, gaining his master’s degree in business.
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Over the year and a half Law was with Community Education, he was an assistant supervisor and later site supervisor for after-school programs. Law states that his time spent in the programs helped prepare him in areas for the rest of his career.

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“[Community Education] helped me multitask school and work and ensured that I prioritized my time properly.” And while he would “face challenges during snack-time getting the kids’ attention,” when asked what he was proudest of accomplishing while in his positions, Law responded, “being a role model for many of the kids.”
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Though Law had to move on from the after-school programs to pursue his career, he is still involved with Community Education through the enrichment program. Since becoming a Medicare Sales Representative for Humana in 2018, Law offers Medicare classes to the community almost monthly through the program.
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Law continues to live in Bowling Green with his wife, Cassidy, and their two cats.

It is a true pleasure to highlight Daniel McCoy this week. McCoy is starting his 18th year as a professional educator.
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“I never planned to be an educator,” he said. “The experience I gained through Community Education led me to the classroom.”

McCoy said he began working in the after-school programs during the fall semester of 1998. “Community Education was my first regular job,” he said.

He continued working as a group leader and site supervisor at various before and after-school sites and summer programs while he pursued his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Western Kentucky University.
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McCoy holds a special place in the agency’s history. He created Community Education’s first website in 2001.
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Since his time with Community Education, McCoy began teaching in Ohio County in 2006 and has held various positions, including special education teacher, technology resource teacher, and preschool coordinator.
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He also earned his education specialist degree from the University of the Cumberlands during that time.
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This fall McCoy begins a new chapter in his education career as he begins a position teaching special education at Bowling Green High School.

Jennifer Shoemake has made caring for children in one capacity or another her life’s work, which began at an early age. She enjoyed babysitting and a co-op class at Bowling Green High School, which allowed her to work with Dishman McGinnis Elementary School preschool children.
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Shoemake started her career with Community Education during the summer of 1995. “I was fresh out of high school and applied to work at the summer camp program.” When the school year rolled around, she transitioned to working as a group leader for the McNeill Elementary after-school program and then as site supervisor at Potter Gray.
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Shoemake experienced several changes and challenges in her career with us, eventually becoming part of the office staff as an Area Coordinator. This required her to oversee multiple after-school sites and staff members. “I think my professional growth during my time at Comm Ed is something I am most proud of,” said Shoemake as she recounted some of her good works with the agency. “My years there were some of the best in my life! Not only did I get great work experience, I also developed life-long friendships that I still cherish.”
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Shoemake received her Associate’s Degree from WKU in 2005. She left Community Education to become the Family Resource Center Coordinator at T.C. Cherry Elementary after graduating. There she provides invaluable services to many students and their families. Her connection with our agency continues today through our staff members serving on the FRC Advisory Council and other collaborative efforts.
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Shoemake spends her leisure time shopping, attending concerts, and traveling.

From the little town of Battletown, KY, Ashley Melloy grew her love for working with school-age children during college. While a student at WKU, Melloy majored in Psychology, graduated Summa Cum Laude, and became a Specialist in Education/School Psychology in 2012. Over the years, she has worked at Simpson County Schools, Hardin County Schools, and Meade County Schools as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.

Before Community Education, Melloy babysat and worked at a golf course. In 2007 Community Education was fortunate to have her come aboard as a group leader and site supervisor at an after-school program and the previously known Super Summer Club program until 2009.

According to Melloy, “Working at Community Education prepared me for my career because I was able to discover my love for working with school-aged children. I also had the opportunity to become a supervisor, which prepared me with leadership skills and organizational skills. It also prepared me to be a team player with coworkers and build relationships with students and parents. I loved my time with Community Education, and it was the perfect job for me while attending college. I don’t recall facing any challenges during my time at Community Education.”

Melloy and her husband, Kyle, love to spend time with their three-year-old son, Grant, and dog, Fin. They enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and boating on the lake.

Beth Moore currently lives in Memphis, TN but grew up in Portland, TN. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in public health from WKU and her Associate of Applied Science in Radiology Technology degree from Vol State Community College in Gallatin, TN. She is the Lead Interventional Radiology Technologist at Vascular Interventional Physicians.

Moore started her Community Education journey in 2003 as a group leader at Natcher After School. She worked at the previously known summer program, YAP, with the middle schoolers. In her last year with Community Education, she took the full-time position of Area Coordinator.

When talking about her time with Community Education Moore says, “To be honest, I was not a fan of small children. Yet, I still applied for a job to work at Community Education. I had a friend who worked there, and she said that it was a decent job with the added bonus that they were not open on weekends. That meant having my weekends free! I thought to myself that three hours after school every day won’t hurt me. So, I took the job, and I am forever thankful that I did!”

According to Moore, her experiences while working at Community Education taught her many things.

1.) KIDS ARE BRUTALLY HONEST.

“There were several times when I asked the kids questions and they did not hold back with their opinions. For example, one day I was talking with a student, and I mentioned that I was going to get a haircut. The first thing out of their mouth was, “You’ll look ugly if you cut your hair.” I was so caught off guard that all I could do was laugh and thank them for their opinion.”

2.) YOU WILL HAVE SO MANY NEW BEST FRIENDS UNDER THE AGE OF 10.

“The most heartwarming moments were when the children would tell me I was their favorite “teacher.” I had many kids that only wanted to hang out with me. Everyone knew which kids favored which teacher. My favorite thing was when I would walk into work and there would be five or six of them waiting at the door asking me to play kickball or Phase 10.”

3.) YOU’LL GET TO EMBRACE YOUR INNER 5-YEAR-OLD EVERY DAY.

“Yes, I did have to be the mature one most of the time. But I really did get to embrace my inner child while I was at work. How many 20-year-olds answer that yes, they get paid to play kickball and go play tag outside… not many.”

4.) POSITIVITY IS KEY.

“The most important thing I learned from my days with the kids was that every situation has the potential to be a positive one. Having to be the role model and mediator for all the kids I oversaw, I quickly learned that positivity is key. I realized that if I was looking at things with a positive outlook, the kids would do the same. This made my job a lot easier and their days a lot better. This is something that has carried over into my daily life and improved it. Now when I am faced with a challenge, I try to face it with positivity.”

“All these things that I have learned through working with children have made both my job and my everyday life more enjoyable. I have learned that sometimes you just must be brutally honest with people, that you must take time to have fun, and that being positive will make a world of difference.”

While working at Community Education Moore made many lifelong friends, but most importantly she met her husband, Brad, of 12 years. They have a 4-year-old son, Maddux. Moore is grateful she was able to keep in touch with a few of the kids from her time at Community Education through social media. Seeing them thrive as adults and parents is a great feeling.

Ashley Buchanon had this to say when asked for information to be used in this profile. “I am so thankful for this opportunity to reflect on my time at Community Education. It truly was a mighty building block for my success as a teacher, even at this point in my life. The confidence I gained in various roles and the experiences I had each school year are priceless. Without my time there, I may have never sought out opportunities such as becoming a Kentucky Math Teacher Leader, a Go Teach Kentucky Ambassador, or a recipient of a Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award Winner in Frankfort.”

Buchanon attended Warren East High School and continued her education at WKU, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education with an endorsement in gifted education. “Following Community Ed, I completed my student teaching and was hired just after graduation as a teacher at Rockfield Elementary.” Buchanon has been employed in Warren County schools for 14 years and is currently an Elementary Education classroom teacher at Rockfield Elementary School in Warren County.

“Prior to working at Community Education, I volunteered as a Big Sister through Big Brothers and Big Sisters Club of Southern Kentucky. I discovered Community Ed because my Little attended one of the afterschool programs. I asked a site leader about his experience and whether he would recommend working there.” That site leader recommended Community Ed; Buchanon applied and served as a group leader and later a site leader.

“My proudest moments would be reflecting on the opportunities I was given and where I have been in my profession. Natalie (Harrington) Taylor was a driving force in challenging me to be a site leader and found ways to use my talents in education to make Comm Ed programs fun and engaging for the kids. She saw my leadership skills, and I am so grateful.”

Buchanon says that working at Community Education helped her with one of the most foundational pieces of a successful teaching career: relationships.

“From the group and site leaders becoming my friends and attending events with them like the annual Spelling Bee or Homecoming Parade to the custodians and school staff inviting me to their church or the school field day, I began to understand the importance of each role in our program and the school. Also, learning that to have relationships with our afterschool students, time chatting, making melting beads, pushing them on the swing, or even engaging with their parents during pick-up was preparing me to become an educator.”

Buchanon and her husband, Chris, a Bowling Green firefighter, have three children: Corbin (9), Amelia (6), and Charlotte (1).

Originally from Mundfordville in Hart County, Adam Hatcher earned a B.A., M.A., and Rank 1 from Western Kentucky University. Hatcher is the principal at Greenwood High School in Warren County and has over 20 years of experience as an educator. In addition, Hatcher has coached and officiated multiple sports.

However, one of his fondest professional memories happened when he was on the staff of a summer program offered by Community Education.

“I would argue that Jr Hayes and I taught the most expensive and successful summer class ever, ‘Grilln and Chilln.’ Any middle school student attending that year’s YAP summer camp will fondly remember that class!” (Former Executive Director Debi Wade Jordan, who had a son in the program then, says the barbequed hot dogs that year were “legendary!” So much so that Jordan’s son, Ted, prepared them at their family beach gathering in May.)

Hatcher worked at Community Education for six years, eventually leaving to become a teacher and coach at Franklin Simpson High School.

“Community Education taught me that one of the most essential elements of any successful organization is creating a positive culture.” Asked what he is proudest of accomplishing while at Community Education, Hatcher replied, “Every before and after school program I worked with had an excellent rapport with the families and schools we served. I still have former students from 20 years ago who are now adults, reminiscing about how much fun the summer YAP program was for them.”

Hatcher is married to Pauletta Hatcher, a Warren County Public Schools social worker. They have two daughters attending Greenwood High School; Lindley, a senior, and Keeley, a freshman.

“I have so many positive experiences from Community Education, and it was due to the high-quality people (former director) Debi Wade Jordan hired. I am extremely grateful and appreciative of my time at Community Education.”

Not everyone who works in the school-age programs at Community Education gets a degree in a child-related subject or goes on to pursue a career working with students. Emily (Ulber) Lintner is one such person.

Linter has a Bachelor’s degree in News/Editorial Journalism and a master’s degree in Organizational Communication, both from WKU. “I’d completed a couple of newspaper internships during undergrad but felt myself being pulled more toward a career in communications and marketing. After graduation, I applied for a part-time position at Community Education, managing McNeill’s after-school program, and that turned into a full-time job as Communications Coordinator.”

Linter worked for Community Education from 2011 to 2014 and is currently the Member Experience Program Delivery Lead at Humana in Louisville. “I started working in pharmacy communications at Humana in 2014 and just celebrated my ninth anniversary at the company in May 2023. I now focus on member experience and marketing strategy.”

Linter says she developed several skills working at Community Education that helped prepare her for the rest of her career.

“I was able to hone so many different skills there; problem-solving, project management, communication, leadership, public speaking, etc. What started as a part-time position at McNeill turned into so much more. I’m eternally grateful to (former Executive Director) Debi Wade Jordan and the rest of the Community Ed team for the opportunity!”

“Working for a nonprofit often means wearing many different hats,” according to Linter. “In addition to my work in communications and fundraising, I spent time as an after-school program supervisor at McNeill and was in charge of the Eagle ROC summer camp. I also created the monthly parent newsletter template for each after-school program, helped oversee our yearly Spellabration fundraiser, and managed our social media accounts and TV/radio appearances. Those were very long but rewarding days. The school-aged program staff is truly the backbone of Community Ed!”

Originally from Owensboro, Linter and her husband and fellow WKU graduate Jonathan are the proud parents of their six-month-old son Henry.

A family friend of Erica Dowdy worked with Community Education and encouraged her to apply because they loved their job there.

“I worked at Community Education for four years. I became very passionate about the job and loved the support that Community Ed gave me along the way.” Dowdy started at Potter Gray Elementary as a group leader. Upon learning about the Summer program at McNeill and TC Cherry, she decided to work there as well.

Dowdy, a dedicated advocate for child development and family empowerment, hails from Bowling Green. Her educational foundation, a Bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Science and a Certificate in Home Visits from WKU, is evident by her commitment to nurturing growth as a mother to two sons aged 10 and 8 and in her professional pursuits. “My sons keep me going, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They are very active in sports and school.”

Dowdy says her proudest accomplishment was when she became site supervisor for the program at Bristow Elementary, where she worked for three years. “My biggest challenge was when 20 extra students were bussed from Oakland Elementary to our site!” She says handling this situation was her most significant accomplishment at Community Education, underscoring her leadership and unyielding commitment to progress.

Post-Community Education, Dowdy embarked on a new chapter with the Bowling Green Independent School District, solidifying her commitment to catalyzing positive change in young lives. Dowdy started working as a Special Education assistant at McNeill Elementary in August 2008. Later that same year, she transferred to Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary, where she worked with Special Education students until 2012. In 2017, Dowdy was named the Family Resource Coordinator for Dishman-McGinnis Elementary.

In her current role, Dowdy spearheads initiatives that uplift families and champion student well-being. Her career’s inception, however, traces back to her formative years as a babysitter, igniting a passion for supporting young minds.

“I am passionate about helping others, the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and my faith. I love working with children and their families.” Dowdy says she takes pride in knowing that so many families she works with feel comfortable coming to her for help or advice.

“Community Education helped to prepare me for this journey. I am very thankful that I was able to work with such a great organization that supports their staff and gave me a foundation for the work I do now.”