MAAE Leadership

Phyllis Pasley - Master in Art of Teaching , Webster University, Bachelor of Science in Education (Elementary)  and Bachelor of Music Education (K-12 Vocal) from University of Central Missouri. Retired after 34 years in public school teaching from Pattonville School District  July 2019, where she spent the bulk of her tenure as a K-5 General/Vocal Music specialist at Willow Brook Elementary. Her teaching experience also included long-term sub positions at Duchesne Catholic High School and St. Louis Public Schools. Phyllis has served on boards and commissions  for the Creative Motion Alliance, and the Maryland Heights Cultural Arts Commission. She has worked closely on a series of benefit concerts for the Branson Regional Arts Council and Neighbors and Friends of Table Rock Lake. Married to Tom since 1985, the couple reside in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Phyllis Pasley began training in January 2020 with Ben Martin and assumed the executive director role July 1, 2020.

Kyna Iman a Missouri lobbyist, has an unusual name, pronounced Ki-na I-mahn. Since 1993, Kyna has run her own one-person lobbying firm, Kyna Iman LLC. The one person is her, and it’s how she likes it.  Iman went to William Woods University in Fulton, Mo., where, unlike some of her colleagues at the Capitol, she did not study political science or law; she was an English and communications Major, who minored in dance. She's worked with the Arts Council,  since 1988, and now represents a wide variety of issues related to arts, education and health including Missouri Alliance for Arts Education, Missouri Citizens for the Arts, Gifted Association of Missouri,  American Red Cross, the Missouri Nurses Association (MONA), Missouri Southern State University, Missouri Canoe and Floaters Association, among others. 

Sarah Serio, MAAE's Communication Manager  is a nationally exhibiting printmaker residing in southwest Missouri. She received degrees in fine art and graphic communication. She is active in her area arts community and currently serves on the Neosho Arts Council Board of Directors. Learn more about Sarah by visiting her weebly website. Contact Sarah at  communication@moaae.org

Dr. Melissa A. Cooper serves as MAAE's Director of Public Policy. From Northwest Oklahoma State University- she received her Bachelors of Music Education (BME), from Southeast Missouri State University - Masters of Arts, and  her Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, from the University of Missouri - Columbia. Melissa is a retired PK-12 General Music, Band and Choir teacher, having taught 30 years in Oklahoma and Missouri. She currently teaches private piano, and will be teaching part-time general music and choir in the private sector, as well as serving as a co-mentor for the Southeast Missouri Music Educators Association. Melissa is married to Kevin S. Cooper since 1991, and is the mother to Katrina, Kathlyn, and Keegan.

Dr. Cynthia Williams Phelps holds a Ph.D. in Music Education, with an emphasis in learning, teaching, and curriculum, from the University of Missouri. Dr. Phelps teaches graduate courses in music education online at the University of Missouri.  As a music teacher educator, university supervisor, public school music educator, and choral/instrumental performer, she cultivated a unique perspective for the importance of fine arts advocacy and arts integrated learning communities. Dr. Phelps has collaborated with Literacy and Art Education specialists in teaching expressive arts projects, developed integrative course materials, and presented arts integration workshops at state and national conferences. 

Lauren Hanahan, MAAE's Arts Across the Curriculum Program Specialist currently (also) works as an Early Childhood Teacher at The College School in St Louis, MO. Lauren's current teaching follows a Reggio Approach where she uses many mediums to help students become observant of the world around them. Lauren was an Arts Integration advocate and Instructional Coach in Virginia for over 10 years, where she collaborated with others to develop grade-level and school-wide Arts Integration lessons and units, coordinated research, planning, and budgeting for teaching-artist-in-residence visits, and led professional learning sessions in arts integration techniques and strategies. Lauren has received over 100 hours of arts integration training and looks forward to assisting MAAE's efforts in this area. 

Kristi Ponder, MAAE's Arts Across the Curriculum Program Specialist began a career in the art world started with receiving a BFA in studio art at Maryville University in Saint Louis in 2004.  In Kristi's words:  "I am still an active artist and exhibit in shows locally and in the Midwest. I decided to continue my education to become an art educator through a Post-Baccalaureate program that later led to my first masters degree in 2008.  I received my masters in educational leadership in 2016 from Northwestern Missouri State University."

Kristi's work with Ritenour High School in Saint Louis began in 2008.  "During my ten years there, I taught art classes, served as a building co chair of professional development, led K-12 visual art teachers through curriculum development, and facilitated the high school teacher induction program." Kristi  traveled to the Lindbergh school district in 2018 and taught middle school art and was an elementary instructional coach.  In 2021, she joined the Parkway School District and taught visual art in the virtual academy, then joined Parkway West High School’s art department.  

Kristi says: "I have previously taught ESOL (English as a second or other language) at Saint Louis University, and art history at MERS Goodwill Excel Center.  

From 2010-2016, I facilitated sessions annually at the international Systems Thinking conference, Camp Snowball. 

I am a person that continuously strives to learn from everyone I meet and every situation I am lucky enough to experience. "

Dr. Marschnee Strong is an entrepreneur, vocal instructor and adjunct faculty member at Webster University with 22 years of experience planning and coordinating community and fundraising events from inception to execution and in leading, mentoring, and managing people in arts and education. Learn more about Make Music Day and Make Music Day - St. Louis

Dr. Karen Stafford is a retired music educator with decades of experience as an elementary music specialist, and collegiate level instructor. She received her PhD from the University of Kansas, Lawrence.  She has worked in the School District of Washington, New Haven, Adrian and Kingsville, MO and also as an adjunct professor for Lindenwood University, and Central Methodist University and as a supervisor of student teachers for Missouri State University.

Joan Murray grew up in Somerville, NJ.  She attended Northwestern University on a music scholarship. Ms. Murray served in the military in a combat arms specialty and cross-trained into the Army Band, where she served for 18 years with the SHAPE International Band in Belgium, the 1st Infantry Division Band in Germany, and the 399th Army Band, where Dr. Murray retired as a 1SG, the Enlisted Bandleader.  She completed a Masters Degree in Education while on active duty and, through the GI Bill, a second Masters Degree from Missouri State University, certifying as a teacher.  Dr. Murray is in her 17th year as a certified teacher, currently teaching at Rolla Middle School. She taught from 2012-2018 with Drury University’s School of Continuing Education. Dr. Murray completed a doctorate in the Teacher Leader program in 2016, and was honored to be selected as the Rolla Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year for 2021-2022.  

Vicki Bean is retired visual arts educator who coordinates this massive project for MAAE and MAEA each year. Vicki has taken on a number of leadership roles thorughout her career including President of MAEA, Advocacy Chair, District and Division representative and more. She has served the Alliance in several ways including a seat on the Advisory Council. She was named the National Secondary Art Educator of the Year and National Western Regional Art Educator of the Year in (both in 2015.) Among her duties as exhibit chair, Vicki not only collects the student art and distributes it for selection, but also oversees the student recognition, the duplication and the display of the work in the Senate Hallway at the Capitol Building in Jefferson City. In addition, she has overseen the distribution of copies of the selected prints to the Missouri Senators who chose them, and has also brought visual displays to MAEA conferences to celebrate this work.Learn more about this annual project here.