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. 

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. 

Sarah Serio, MAAE's Director of Marketing and Communications,  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. 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. 

Lauren Hanahan, MAAE's Assistant Director of Professional Learning 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. 

Profile coming soon!

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.

Rachel Johnson is passionate about recognizing students with awards and scholarships for their great accomplishments. In her career she has always worked to find ways to give back to the community and using her platform to give students the confidence to apply for achievements and to be rewarded. Rachel has over 15 year's of music education experience.