The EGL Team

Dr. Todd White

Phone: 816-674-9201
Email: todd.white@edgovlead.com

Dr. White’s experience in educational leadership spans three decades and includes a combined 18 years as superintendent for the Harrisonville (MO), North Kansas City (MO), and Blue Valley (KS) school districts. He has been awarded Superintendent of the Year and Outstanding Superintendent from the Missouri Association of School Administrators for partnering with Boards of Education, staff, students and the community to strategically design for rapid growth in student achievement, increased graduation rates and innovative programming for ALL students. With an understanding and commitment to leadership as a disposition, White collaborated with mental health community leaders and six Johnson County, Kansas school districts to launch #ZeroReasonsWhy, a student-led community mobilization campaign to prevent teen suicide.

Duane Martin

Phone: 816-694-5571
Email: duane.martin@edgovlead.com

Duane has extensive experience providing training and development to Missouri school boards and school leaders. Duane provides training and consulting services in the areas of board-superintendent relations, governance, school laws and regulations, strategic planning, compliance, policy development, organizational development, organizational performance, oversight of school administration, Sunshine Law requirements and risk management. Duane also founded and leads a school law firm that represents approximately forty percent of Missouri’s public school districts.

Dr. Bill Nicely

Phone: 816-527-3827
Email: bill.nicely@edgovlead.com

With thirty two years of public education experience, Bill has served in a variety of school administrative roles in districts of varying size and diversity. Regardless of the district, his mission has alway been the same, to provide the very best learning opportunities for all students, engage school stakeholders to work collaboratively toward that end and seek out educational innovation. As a self described student of organizational management, Bill recognizes districts run best when the board of education and executive leadership don’t just work collaboratively, they must also hold each other to the highest of standards utilizing mutually agreed upon goals. As a result of years of advocacy on behalf of students, Bill was honored to be awarded the President's Volunteer Service Award.

Mary Hendricks-Harris
Regional Consultant

Mary is a driven education leader who is passionate about outcomes, adult learning, strategic planning, and leadership development. In her thirty years of experience, she served Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, Educational Consultant, Director of Adult Learning, national speaker, and educator. Under her leadership, four Francis Howell schools earned blue ribbon status. Mary has experience facilitating learning opportunities for a wide variety of stakeholders, including superintendents and boards of education. She has served on the Commissioner’s Advisory Council, as a board member and board president at EducationPlus, and was a founding board member for the St. Charles Center for Advanced Professional Studies. She graduated from the Learning Forward Academy and attended the Harvard Institute for School Leadership.

Dr. Dred Scott
Project Consultant

Dr. Dred Scott is a Kansas City native who has a wealth of education and program experience as the President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City. More than a 20-year career devoted to serving children and youth with a passion for serving youth from disadvantaged circumstances. Former teacher, principal, executive director and, most recently, Deputy Superintendent of the Independence (MO) School District (ISD). Dr. Scott demonstrates a high level of civic engagement through current service on the Truman Medical Center Board of Trustees and the Drumm Farm Center for Children Board of Directors.

Destry Brown

Destry has 38 years of experience in education. His experience ranges from teaching, to building administration, and finally central office administration.  During the past 16 years, he has been the Superintendent in Frontenac, KS (3 years), Pittsburg, KS (9 years), and Clinton, MO (4 years).

Mr. Brown was a finalist for KS Superintendent of the Year and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the KS School Superintendents Association in 2018.  He has also been recognized in various ways for his involvement and leadership in the communities he has served. 

He is passionate in his advocacy for kids. He believes strongly that the schools are a reflection of the community and community involvement in schools creates the positive environment that students need to be successful.  

Destry has experience in working with school boards as they search for new superintendents.  He enjoys working with school boards to find the right person to fit their particular needs.  He enjoys mentoring young leaders and is an avid student of leadership.  He believes that the relationship between the district administration and the school board is key to the success of a school district. 

Dr. Aaron Zalis

Dr. Zalis served the Rolla Public Schools for 26 years retiring as Superintendent in 2020. He currently serves the Director for the South Central Regional Professional Development Center at Missouri S&T in Rolla.  This is his 36th year in the field of education.

He holds a Doctor of Education Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Saint Louis University; an Ed Specialist Degree in Superintendency from Northwest Missouri State University; a Master of Arts in Art Education and Bachelor of Science in Education from Truman University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Commercial Art and Design from Culver-Stockton College.

He actively served many education associations across the State of Missouri which included:

• President of the Missouri Association of School Administrators. (MASA)

• Elected Trustee for the State Public School Retirement Systems of Missouri (PSRS/PEERS) serving as chairman from 2008 - 2020.  

• Served 2 terms as President of South-Central MASA

• Member of the Missouri Association of School Business Officials (MoASBO)

Dr. Zalis has received several leadership awards for his work in education which include:

• 2017 State recipient of the MASA Pearce Award for distinguished leadership

• 2017 State Administrator of the Year by the Missouri School Public Relations Association

• 2013 Education Excellence Hall of Fame from Culver-Stockton College

Dedicated to community service, he also served:

• Member of the City of Rolla Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee

• Member of the Rolla Regional Economic Commission

• Ex-officio member of the Rolla Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Ambassadors

• Active in many community organizations including the Kiwanis Club.

Dr. Zalis has been married for 35 years to Liz and they have two grown children, Jay and Andrea.

Dr. Tim Hadfield

For nearly three decades, Tim worked in public education with the goal of helping others achieve at higher levels. He believes that every student deserves a high quality and well-rounded education. Tim was a school administrator for 24 years and served as an elementary, middle, and high school principal as well as superintendent in the Shelby County R-IV District. He also served the Camdenton R-III District as assistant superintendent and superintendent of schools. Tim has a strong background in strategic planning and organizational health. He has collaborated with numerous entities to help support children under his care. He was honored to be named a fellow with Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy in the area of juvenile diversion.

Dr. Melinda Moss

Dr. Scott Patrick