Midwest Memory Grant

Midwest Memory Grant is sponsored by Forecast Public Art (funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation). The Midwest Memory Grant, supported by the Mellon Foundation, funds monument and memorial projects in rural Midwest communities that honor untold local histories and stories, address systemic inequities, and advance racial justice and Indigenous visibility.

Midwest Memory Grants for Rural Midwest Communities | Forecast Public Art Midwest Memory Grant Opportunity for Rural Midwest Communities Supporting the expression, elevation, and preservation of diverse stories through monuments and memorials in Midwest communities Forecast proudly announces the launch of Midwest Memory, an initiative to fund new monuments that celebrate and preserve diverse stories and prioritize the inclusion of voices and experiences of BIPOC communities in the rural Midwest.

The program will select eight communities with monument or memorial projects needing support, providing them with funding and a collaborative cohort experience. With generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation , Midwest Memory will grant $100,000 to each of the eight selected communities, plus an additional $10,000 in funding for cultural advisors.

These projects will prioritize public memory through research and storytelling, addressing systemic inequities and advancing racial justice and Indigenous visibility. In partnership with Justice + Joy and The Outside , Forecast Public Art will offer one-on-one coaching, technical assistance, documentation support, and networking opportunities to ensure the success of these projects.

The initiative also aims to highlight the importance of cross-sector collaboration and contribute rural and Midwestern BIPOC perspectives to the national conversation on monuments and memorials. Additionally, an online toolkit of resources will be created for other interested communities across the country.

Mellon Foundation’s the Monuments Project supports efforts to express, elevate, and preserve the stories of those who have often been denied historical recognition, and explores how we might foster a more complete telling of who we are as a nation. The Foundation’s commitment to the Monuments Project reflects both the urgency and the gravity of fostering more complete and inclusive storytelling of who we are as Americans.

Row 1, L-R: Buffalo Star People; Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee (a committee of the Steelville Area Historical Society). Row 2: Keweenaw Bay Indian Community; Friends of Lakeside Lab. Row 3: The Red Lake Memorial Fund- a family fund of the NW MN Foundation; Lincoln School Project; Hardin County Historical Museums.

Row 4: Hardin County Historical Museums (cont’d); Red Wing Arts. Announcing the Midwest Memory Grant Recipients: Eight Rural Communities Honored with $110,000 Each to Celebrate Local History Forecast Public Art is excited to announce the eight recipients of the inaugural Midwest Memory Grant.

This initiative, funded by the Mellon Foundation, supports rural Midwest communities in creating, recontextualizing, and preserving monuments and memorials that honor important untold local histories and stories. Selected from a competitive pool of applicants, these grantees represent communities dedicated to telling powerful stories through public art, monuments and memorials.

Each team will receive $75,000 to bring their project to life, $25,000 for capacity building, an additional $10,000 for cultural advisors, plus 80 hours of technical assistance from Forecast’s team. About The Midwest Memory Grant Program Supported by the Mellon Foundation, this initiative provides financial resources, training, and guidance to rural communities seeking to elevate significant stories through public art.

Selected teams represent small towns with populations under 25,000, over 40 miles from a metropolitan area. In addition to funding, grantees will participate in two in-person retreats, six virtual cohort gatherings, and receive support to strengthen their projects. This opportunity intends to build cross-sector collaboration in these communities to help enrich these projects.

Forecast excitedly welcomed applications from non-profit, 501c3 organizations that are based in a rural community with a population less than 25,000 and more than 40 miles from a MSA (metropolitan statistical area), and based in and serving the Midwest (Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, and the Native Nations located in those same geographies).

$75,000 grant to realize a unique monument project $25,000 for capacity building plus an additional $10,000 to pay cultural advisors 80 hours of technical support from Forecast’s team of BIPOC technical assistants (TAs) Six quarterly, virtual cohort gatherings Who Should be on the team? We are looking for applicants who are engaging a coalition of community members and organizations to realize their monument or memorial projects.

We believe these cross-sector teams will help the sustainability of these projects, and any future efforts.

BIPOC and/or Native artists will be essential to supporting these teams, but other team members could include community organizers, historians, government staff, educators, community leaders, etc. The Lead Applicant on the team must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has a demonstrated commitment to addressing social and racial equity in their community.

At least one team member must have initiated an effort around monuments or memorials in the community. A non-profit, 501c3 organization and Based in a rural Midwest community with a population less than 25,000 and more than 40 miles from a MSA (metropolitan statistical area). Federally recognized tribes are eligible as lead applicants.

All other government agencies (local, regional, and/or state governments) can and are recommended to work with a non-profit organization as the lead applicant.

ADDITIONAL TEAM MEMBERS must include: A city or town staff member, Tribal leader, or community leader with responsibility over existing and future monuments and memorials Up to 3 more team members from community groups, artists, historians, and/or Culture Bearers who are engaged in this work in their communities Be multi-racial and/or multi-ethnic.

Represent a diverse cross section of the community in race/ethnicity, age, gender, range of skills, and connections to the community. Be committed to both learning and action. Have initiated an effort around monuments or memorials in their community for which they need additional support in order to take their project to the next level.

This could be a new proposed permanent or temporary monument, the recontextualizing of an existing monument/memorial, removal of a monument/memorial, or the updating of policies that affect monuments and memorials in their community. Applicants seeking to launch a new project from scratch would not be eligible. Demonstrate current involvement in work around monuments, memorials, public history and/or public memory in their community.

This could include facilitating community conversations, advocating for policy change around monuments and memorials, creating artistic projects that address racial equity in monuments, research, and more. Focus on addressing deep systemic inequities, advancing racial justice and/or Indigenous visibility. Have public memory and/or public history as its core focus.

Show commitment to amplifying the stories and histories of BIPOC and Native communities, and other communities who have been silenced and oppressed in the Midwest, specifically projects that uplift the stories of Black settlers, Tribal nations and communities, and immigrants of color. Commitments and Expectations Forecast Public Art offers the Midwest Memory Grant thanks to the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.

Our role includes: Providing funding as described above. Providing a team of national experts and practitioners to guide grantees through project planning, capacity building, and project implementation. Documentation of each team’s project.

Development and dissemination of a simple toolkit that other communities can use on monuments projects. Managing the planning and development of each in-person learning exchange and virtual cohort gathering. Evaluation of the process through a systems change lens.

A simple portal for ongoing information sharing and relationship building among Grantees. Engage a cultural advisor on your team (if you did not apply with one). Your TA (technical assistance) provider will support you through the project with resources, planning, and other assistance you may need, and can help you identify a cultural advisor if you need help with this.

A cultural advisor is someone who can support the cultural elements of your project, like someone who holds specific cultural knowledge, is uniquely knowledgeable about traditions related to your project, a language specialist, etc. Determine areas where your team could utilize capacity building (i.e. skill development, research and learning around precedent projects, advocating for policy change, project management, community engagement, paying your team for their time etc.).

Your TA provider can help you with this. Plan for and implement your project. Participate in periodic evaluation conversations and/or surveys.

Engage regularly with Forecast Public Art (this is the responsibility of the Lead Applicant). Participate in sessions with your TA provider – create a plan for your project and identify milestones. Participate fully in 2 in-person learning exchanges.

Participate fully in 6 virtual Grantee gatherings. Thanks to generous support from the Mellon Foundation, there are no costs to grantees. Travel, lodging, and meals are on us.

Each team will receive a $75,000 grant to realize a unique monument project, $25,000 for capacity building, plus an additional $10,000 to pay cultural advisors, and 80 hours of technical support from Forecast’s team of BIPOC consultants. Teams will also participate in 2 in-person learning exchanges and 6 virtual cohort gatherings.

All teams considering applying are encouraged to watch an informational webinar about the application process. Midwest Memory Communities 2024 – 2026 Buffalo Star People | South Dakota A living monument created by Lakota students and Elders at Crazy Horse School will feature a cultural garden and Memorial Plant Walk to celebrate Lakota heritage and provide a space for reflection and education.

Cante Suta-Francis Bettelyoun Tawanciotawin-Dr. Barbara Bettelyoun Dr. Jennifer Santry (Citizen of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Lakota, Dakota) Dr. Jennifer Santry is the Director of Tribal Community Schoolyards at the Trust for Public Land and teaches Native Food Systems, Indigenous Planning, and sustainable agriculture courses for Montana State University and UMASS Amherst.

She is a citizen of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Sicangu Lakota, Mdewakanton Dakota, and Yankton Dakota. She has a doctorate in Educational Sustainability, MA in Nonprofit Management, and a BS in Zoology. Her work includes Indigenous-led climate change planning, ancestral food revitalization, and reconnecting Native youth to the land.

Dr. Margo Heinert is the Superintendent at Crazy Horse School. Dr. Heinert has dedicated over 50 years to serving Indigenous students on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. She believes in building relationships with students, ensuring they feel safe, and using hands-on, project-based learning.

Cante Suta-Francis Bettelyoun (Oglala Lakota, Ihanktonwan Nakota) Cante Suta-Francis Bettelyoun is an Oglala Lakota/Ihanktonwan Nakota Elder from Pine Ridge. Francis holds a B. S.

in Landscape Design. With 20+ years in Indigenous gardening, he is a Master Gardener and founded the Native American Medicine Gardens at the University of Minnesota. An artist skilled in quillwork, regalia making, beading, and hide tanning, he is also Vice President of Buffalo Star People and a national speaker on sustainable health, nutrition, and addressing barriers like colonization and food access in Indigenous communities.

Monica Rattling Hawk (Citizen of Oglala Lakota Nation) Monica Rattling Hawk is a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation and aspiring Unci (grandmother). She lives on Quiver Hill on the Pine Ridge Reservation, where she harvests medicines and navigates life in two worlds. A Crazy Horse School Board member, she explores traditional knowledge and ecosystem relationships from an Indigenous perspective.

Monica joined World Wildlife Federation-Northern Great Plains in 2017 and is a member of the Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance, advocating for Tribal wildlife conservation and sustainability.

Tawanciotawin-Dr. Barbara Bettelyoun (Citizen of Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Mdewakanton, Lakota) Tawanciotawin-Dr. Barbara Bettelyoun is Mdewakanton and Lakota and is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, she serves as Executive Director of Buffalo Star People. A doctor of child development and clinical psychology, she specializes in the areas of suicide prevention and healing from childhood traumas.

She has served as director of suicide prevention and postvention training services across South Dakota through the Helpline Center; as Executive Director of Woodlands Wisdom (Food as Medicine); and has presented on a number of local, state and national stages on healing from intergenerational trauma, boarding schools, and child abuse.

Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee (a committee of the Steelville Area Historical Society) | Missouri This project’s first phase will create a 10-foot clay model for a Trail of Tears monument, honoring the thousands of individuals who passed through Steelville on the Trail of Tears, including Cherokee, Muscogee, enslaved people, and others.

Jennifer Whitson is a historian, educator, and community leader dedicated to preserving and honoring America’s heritage. A lifelong resident of Steelville, Missouri, she spent 32 years as a history teacher, inspiring students to connect with their past, make a difference in their community, and broaden their horizons through national and international travel experiences.

As Chairperson of the Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee, she co-leads efforts to honor those who traveled the Northern Route of the Trail of Tears, blending historical preservation with community engagement. Her leadership extends to creating internationally recognized monuments for Korean and Vietnam War veterans and serving on state and local boards focused on community betterment.

Jennifer’s visionary projects and unwavering commitment to history continue to resonate far beyond her hometown, leaving a lasting legacy of education, unity, and global awareness. Erin Whitson is a Historical Archaeologist whose work centers on identity and cultural interactions between dominant and marginalized groups. She earned her B.

A. in History from Lindenwood University and an M. S.

in Historical Archaeology from Illinois State University and is currently a Ph. D. candidate in Anthropology at Binghamton University.

Her research spans colonial sites in the U.S. and Caribbean, battlefield archaeology in Missouri and Kiribati, and contract archaeology across the Midwest. Erin’s current focus is on two Cherokee Removal campsites in southcentral Missouri, providing insight into the 1837-1838 Trail of Tears. She serves as an archaeologist for the Missouri Department of Transportation, where she works to protect the state’s historic and cultural sites.

After high school, Steelville, MO native Madison Bouse spent a year interning for a Los Angeles nonprofit that provides resettlement assistance for undocumented North Korean refugees facing repatriation. In 2018, as a first-generation college student, she received a full-tuition scholarship allowing her to transfer from St. Louis Community College to Washington University in St.

Louis. There, she was awarded two grants to conduct research on 12th century textiles at an archaeological site in Peru, for which she later received an Excellence in Research award. Since receiving her B.

A. in Anthropology, she has established a career in Web Content Writing and Editing, skills she has been honored to contribute toward grant writing efforts for her hometown’s Trail of Tears Memorial project.

She is deeply grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such a passionate team and eager to build lasting connections with other small town folks from across the Midwest as they work toward a common goal of bringing forgotten and erased histories to light. Tami Hale is a community leader and co-founder of Ozark Vitality, a nonprofit dedicated to creating economic opportunities and preserving the history and culture of The Ozarks.

After a 20-year career in marketing strategy and information technology, she has spent the past decade helping rural communities address the loss of historic knowledge and cultural assets. Tami has produced over 15 short films, including the My Ozarks mini-documentary series, celebrating the region’s heritage and inspiring connection.

For this project, Tami brings her project management expertise and helps connect the Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee with a peer support network of organizations and individuals working on remembrance initiatives across The Ozarks, fostering understanding and honoring shared history. Celena McElroy , a Civil Engineer with the U.S. Forest Service, is a former resident of Steelville, Missouri, now living in nearby Rolla.

She earned dual degrees in Civil and Architectural Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2019. Passionate about cultural preservation, she is eager to apply her specialized skills to support the creation of significant monuments like “The Trail,” a 10-foot bronze statue by Cherokee artist Daniel HorseChief.

Celena is driven by her dedication to honoring Indigenous history through impactful engineering projects. Her professional focus blends technical expertise with a commitment to meaningful community contributions. Keweenaw Bay Indian Community | Michigan Partnering with the City of Marquette, this project will enhance visibility of local Anishinaabe culture through a monument symbolizing the Three Fires Confederacy.

Tiina Morin, Arts and Culture Manager for the City of Marquette, brings over 30 years of experience connecting communities through arts and culture. She has spearheaded transformative public art initiatives, designed innovative learning experiences, and led large-scale cultural projects, including the upcoming Shoreline Cultural Trail (2025), a seven-mile corridor featuring public art by local and Indigenous artists.

Under her leadership, the City’s Office of Arts and Culture has become a hub for collaborative community development, guided by an Arts and Culture Master Plan (2013) and Public Art Policy (2016). As a part of this cohort Morin is eager to build upon relationships established and advance these frameworks to foster greater engagement, amplify diverse perspectives, and support resident-led visions for a culturally sustainable future.

Her background anthropology, museum education, performing arts, and advocacy was inspired by her French Canadian, Irish, and Estonian heritage. As a first generation Estonian she was raised with traditional Estonian life-ways by her mother and grandparents.

She visited soviet occupied Estonia, where she studied folk dance, pursued archaeology, and advocated for independence on Estonian National Radio as a news anchor, later serving on the Estonian American National Council. Morin continues to elevate the arts and culture as a cornerstone of vibrant and connected communities.

Vicki Dowd, Hannahville Indian Community Vicki Dowd McCullough (Nanamaykwe), Bear Clan, is an elder, Okitigeda kwe, knowledge keeper, and advocate from the Hannahville Indian Community.

She has spent many years of her life in her community as a storyteller, water protector, and cultural teacher, including working with youth and faculty at the Nah Tah Wahsh Hannahville Indian School and as a member of the Women’s Advisory Committee through Hannahville’s Victim Services program.

Tyler Detloff (Anishinaabe Métis/Italian) Tyler Dettloff (Anishinaabe Métis/Italian) is the Director of the Center for Native American Studies at Northern Michigan University and a poet and songwriter from the swampy Delirium Wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

A lineal descendant of Anishinaabe Métis from the Detroit River region and a second-generation Italian American, Tyler reconnects with his Indigeneity in Anishinaabe-akiing through songwriting, poetry, teaching, walking along with rivers with his family and through swamps with his dog. Tyler LaPlaunt, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Tyler “Migizii Migwan” LaPlaunt (Eagle Feather) is a proud citizen of the Sault Ste.

Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Born in Sault Ste. Marie and raised in Marquette, Tyler has dedicated his career to strengthening the health, sovereignty, and cultural vitality of Native American communities.

As Vice Chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe and Tribal Relations Advisor at Kauffman and Associates, Tyler leads efforts to advance tribal sovereignty, improve public health, and drive meaningful change through collaboration and strategic advocacy.

A skilled drummer and cultural leader, Tyler fosters unity within his community by organizing meaningful commemorative events and tribal observances that honor and preserve Native traditions.

From drumming circles and powwows to the recent Orange Shirt Day at the Seven Grandfather Teachings Monument—commemorating the intergenerational impact of boarding and residential schools—Tyler’s efforts celebrate heritage while addressing historical healing. His leadership continues to inspire connection, resilience, and pride within the Sault Tribe.

Serene Gauthier, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Serene Gauthier was raised on the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) reservation and is deeply connected to her tribal community.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability from Northern Michigan University, which she applies as the Environmental Response Program Specialist for the KBIC Natural Resources Department, addressing both historic and contemporary contamination on KBIC lands.

In addition to her professional role, Serene serves as vice president of the Culture Committee and is a member of the KBIC Housing Grievance Board and the KBIC Waste Advisory Board. She actively gives back to her community by volunteering at funerals, feasts, and fundraisers. Honoring her treaty rights is central to Serene’s life, and she finds fulfillment in hunting, spearing, and gathering medicines and berries.

An avid outdoors enthusiast, she can often be found in her garden, boating, bicycling, hiking, kayaking, or snowshoeing. Friends of Lakeside Lab | Iowa This project re-dedicates Iowa’s first water trail in honor of Inkpaduta and the Dakota people, fostering connections to the region’s history.

Artist call for Inkpaduta Canoe Trail – Midwest Memory Project Applications due May 15, 2026 In 2023, Lyndy Holdt graduated with a master’s degree in occupational and environmental Health from the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa.

There, she worked in the Human Toxicology and Exposomics Laboratory as a part of the multi-disciplinary Iowa Healthy Lakes Initiative, studying human exposure to cyanotoxins and Iowan’s understanding, perception, and communications as related to harmful algal blooms.

This work led her to the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in the Great Lakes Region of northwest Iowa where she has led and managed research to help better understand and manage the lake system and surrounding environment.

She is currently the Executive Director for the Friends of Lakeside Lab whose mission is to support Iowa Lakeside Laboratory and serve as a community resource to champion the Lab’s work in water quality monitoring, environmental education, and research. For the past 14 years, John Wenck has worked with river communities across the state to enhance physical access and foster greater awareness of rivers.

He enjoys researching and learning how people have interacted with rivers over time and loves to share the stories they have to offer. Since October 2010, his professional role has been to coordinate and assist in the planning and development of water trails across the state.

As an American Canoe Association instructor, he’s taught paddling classes for naturalists and trip leaders and manages the GIS data for the river programs section of the Iowa DNR. While growing up in Iowa, Sara Childers met her future in-laws, who were enrolled members of the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska but had made their home in Davenport.

It was there that her mother-in-law instilled a lifelong love of research into Dakota history, while helping them find archival information on their Dakota ancestors. Sara went on to become the Assistant Preservation Officer at the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribes Historic Preservation Office (FSST THPO) of South Dakota, bringing years of Dakota History knowledge and research skills to the office.

FSST THPO is responsible for the identification, evaluation, protection, and preservation of historic and archaeological resources throughout the entire Dakota traditional lands in the United States. They strive to educate those who want to learn about Dakota history through finding positive and unique ways to reach that goal.

Garrie Kills-A-Hundred is a Historic Tribal Preservation Officer for the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribes Historic Preservation Office. His primary research interests involve using different kinds of drones and ground-penetrating radar to look at the landscape from a different point of view.

Through this work he has assisted in archaeological digs and discovered unmarked graves for the local church cemetery, while also bringing this technology into tribal schools to inspire young indigenous students to pursue careers in STEM. Greg Johnson was born and raised in Cherokee, Iowa along the Little Sioux River. This is where he gained his passion for the natural and cultural resources of the river valley.

Johnson graduated from Iowa Lakes Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Environmental Science then obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from South Dakota State University in Rangeland Ecology and Habitat Management. Greg worked for Cherokee County Conservation Board for 5 years as a Conservation Technician after college, mainly working on habitat restoration projects and maintaining the parks that the County controlled.

Johnson has been the Director of the Buena Vista County Conservation Board since 2015, where he has continued to promote and help improve the natural and cultural resources of the Little Sioux River Valley.

Hardin County Historical Museums | Ohio Redeveloping a park in Alger, this project will honor Ray Brown, a locally born Negro Leagues baseball star and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, while creating a community space for wellness and recreation. David Strittmatter, PhD , is a scholar of historical memory whose first book examined the intersection of monumentation, historic preservation, heritage tourism, and urban planning.

At ONU, he teaches a Memorials seminar in which students examine monuments not as static remembrances of a particular moment but as springboard to discuss and debate historical narratives in the present and projected future. The Ray Brown memorialization project has allowed Strittmatter to merge his scholarly interests with civic engagement.

In overseeing the Ray Brown project since it began, he has engaged students across several semesters, sought and gained press coverage for the initiatives, and raised funding for the park from numerous sources. An Iowa native and avid traveler, Strittmatter teaches a wide array of courses from “History of Italy” and “Baseball in American Culture” to “Tudor/Stuart England” and “The Titanic.

” In his day-to-day job, Paul Osborne manages all aspects of Alger’s operations and affairs. For the Ray Brown project, he is responsible for park maintenance. He advocates for any park improvements at village council meetings.

Over the past couple years, Osborne has also secured some grant funding from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to make various park improvements. Elsewhere, Osborne is a Trustee of Marion Township in Hardin County, and Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Lima. Melissa Eddings Mancuso, MFA Melissa Eddings Mancuso is a painter, illustrator, and bookbinder.

She holds a B. F. A.

from Ohio University in Athens and an M. F. A.

from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Melissa’s work has been exhibited in museums and galleries regionally, nationally, and internationally. Her work is in Columbia College Chicago, Akron University, the Southern Graphics Council, National Taiwan University, and numerous private collections.

She has been a full-time faculty member at Ohio Northern University since 1997, teaching painting, drawing, life drawing, and all levels of printmaking and book arts. Melissa was the director of ONU’s Elzay Gallery of Art from 2002-2021. She resides with her husband in Ada, Ohio.

Naje Wright brings both campus leadership and event planning skills to the team. She suggested a unique dine-to-donate fundraiser to Strittmatter in Spring 2024; it resulted in a dinner event at an Ada restaurant that raised $275 for the Ray Brown project. She has served as President of the Black Student Union and the Sister 2 Sister chapters, advocating for Black students and women of color on campus.

A Minneapolis native, Wright is passionate about meaningful justice reform and committed to pursuing policies that promote fairness, justice, and equity. These experiences guide her to align with impactful projects that truly matter.

Ye “Solar” Hong, PhD, MBA, MSA Lincoln School Project | Missouri Adding two bronze statues to the restored Lincoln School grounds in West Plains, this project celebrates the school’s history and role in the community. Crockett Oaks III retired from the U.S. Army Reserve on August 1, 2022, after thirty-three years of service, achieving the rank of Colonel.

During his distinguished military career, he held several roles with increasing levels of responsibility, serving in countries such as Ukraine, Nigeria, The Netherlands, Germany, and South Korea. He earned his ROTC commission at Kemper Military College in Boonville, Missouri, in 1991.

In addition to his military career, Crockett has also served as the head of security for a major petrochemical company and as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His diverse professional background has equipped him with a wealth of experience in strategic leadership and operations management.

Crockett is currently the Associate Vice Chancellor of Business and Support Services at Missouri State University – West Plains. He holds two master’s degrees: one in Criminal Justice Administration and the other in Business Administration. Outside of his professional and military accomplishments, Crockett is an avid preservationist.

He and his wife, Tonya, have worked to restore two significant institutions within their hometown of West Plains, Missouri: the African American Cemetery and Lincoln School, a one-room, segregation-era Black school. Crockett’s efforts to preserve these important sites of remembrance are driven by his desire to “promote cultural identity in rural America.

” Reflecting on this work, Crockett says, “Bringing the community together to save and celebrate those institutions that catered to its marginalized citizens has been therapeutic. ” As a co-founder of the Lincoln School Project, Crockett is deeply committed to honoring the legacy of the one-room Black school and the community it served.

His passion for historical preservation and inclusive programming is central to his work, which reaches thousands annually through educational and community initiatives. Tonya Oaks is a dedicated community leader and co-founder of the Lincoln School Project. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration, which has shaped her organizational and leadership skills.

Tonya has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in marketing and sales. Her extensive background in the pharmaceutical sector has honed her ability to manage complex projects, build relationships, and drive strategic initiatives.

Tonya collaborates closely with her husband, Crockett Oaks III, to spearhead restoration projects, coordinate fundraisers, and develop educational programming that celebrates Lincoln School’s rich cultural history. Her work ensures that the historic school remains a beacon of inspiration for future generations, blending historical preservation with meaningful community engagement.

Mike Topliff serves as the Mayor of West Plains, Missouri, and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. An active leader in the Boy Scouts of America, he is deeply committed to youth development and leadership. Mike also serves on several boards, including the Community Foundation of the Ozarks – West Plains, where he helps foster initiatives that benefit the community.

Mike was first elected to the City Council in 2013, re-elected in 2017, and appointed Mayor in April 2021 upon the retirement of his predecessor. He was elected to a full four-year term as Mayor on April 4, 2023, with his term set to expire in 2027. Under his leadership, the city has championed community development efforts, including programmatic funding for the Lincoln School Project.

His collaborative approach has established West Plains as a growing cultural and philanthropic hub, ensuring projects like Lincoln School’s Reflection Plaza become a reality. Melissa Wharton is the Tourism Manager for the City of West Plains, where she plays a vital role in supporting community development and historical preservation. In addition to her work with the Lincoln School Project, Melissa coordinated