Impact COMO 2024: The Winners Are …

Recognizing the people, nonprofits, and events serving as change agents in Columbia. 

Columbia is built on the generous contributions of nonprofit organizations, volunteer work, philanthropic events, and numerous endeavors that bring the community to life. These community-impacting efforts are led by passionate individuals looking to make a difference without seeking anything in return.   

It is our honor at COMO Magazine to shine a light on those who have made lasting impressions on our community. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our 2024 Impact COMO award recipients and honorable mentions. 

Most Impactful Board Member
Mitzi Clayton
Heart of Missouri United Way 

Mitzi Clayton first became involved with Heart of Missouri United Way (HMUW) when then-MU Athletic Director Mike Alden asked her to serve on the campus United Way campaign committee. Later, she became more involved with the nonprofit in 2009 when she served as Mizzou’s HMUW campaign chair.  

“What initially seemed like one more thing on my to-do list — and a rather daunting one at that—would grow into such a personal passion. It serves as a reminder of how God is always at work in and through us, if we’re willing to just say ‘Yes,’” Clayton noted.    

“It truly is special and should give HMUW supporters great confidence that their donations are being strategically allocated to create the greatest impact,” Clayton added.  

Clayton also joined the Board of Directors for Women’s Intersport Network (WIN) for Columbia in 2018 and has served as the board president for the last two years. The primary focus for the organization has been hosting an awards luncheon to celebrate and recognize the achievements of girls and women in sports and physical fitness.   

Recently, WIN for Columbia worked to expand by reimagining its mission and making a greater impact on women and girls in the community. That was done by organizing a National Girls and Women in Sport Day celebration each February, hosting a WIN Every Day Girls in Sport Leadership Seminar free for all high school females to attend each July, and establishing a Together We Win fund for girls with demonstrated financial need in eighth grade and below to participate in sport activities.  

Clayton credits her drive for giving back to the community to her parents.  

“My parents both gave of their time, talents, and treasures to various organizations ranging from making braille bibles for the blind to delivering Meals on Wheels,” she explained. “They set the standard for which I strive to achieve. I was raised to believe ‘if you can, do.’” 

Most Impactful Board Member: Honorable Mentions
Lauren Karr 
Job Point 

Influenced by her family, Lauren Karr has been giving back to the community through serving with Job Point for six years and was board chair from 2023 to 2024.   

“A value [my family] taught me early in life was, ‘What can be lacking in monetary value, can be more than made up for in quality time,’” Karr explained, offering some examples of that quality time: “Saturday morning homemade breakfasts after a sleepover, or coffee with the guys for good grades — mainly me eating a cinnamon roll and listening to them talk, but I felt super cool. They not only told me but showed me what it means to serve and give back.”  

When her son became ill and was hospitalized in 2018, she was grateful for the work of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), especially during COVID when the hospital stays were limited to one visitor or parent per patient.  

“[The CNAs] were there day and night and worked tirelessly to keep a then 2-year-old happy during 4 a.m. stat checks, so it was a thrilling surprise to find out Job Point offers a course for CNAs,” Karr said.  

Rick Matheny  
Day Dreams Foundation   

With his experience as a youth coach for twenty years, Rick Matheny began to serve with the Day Dreams Foundation four years ago. He is now board president and treasurer. The nonprofit is helping children get involved in sports by paying for registration fees and proper equipment for their participation. 

“From my own experience, as a child of a single mother, who found ways to get us involved in activities despite a tight budget, I realize how much those activities mold and affect lives in profound ways,” he explained. “It’s heartbreaking to know that some children do not have that opportunity. Enriching children’s lives during their youth — and knowing the opportunities that their acquired skills will provide in their adulthood — is very rewarding.”  

In 2023, Day Dreams Foundation tripled its revenues and the number of kids served from the two previous years. “I’m proud of the board for managing the growth we experienced and helping to guide and enhance it,” Matheny said. 

Most Impactful Volunteer 
Howdy Matheny 
Love Columbia 

Keith “Howdy” Matheny has been a part of Forum Christian Church for forty years, serving as an elder and member of the board. He was given the nickname Howdy when, as a UPS driver, he greeted each stop with a hearty “Howdy.” George Liggett, owner of The Nostalgia Shop, had a parrot that would repeat “Howdy, Howdy,” over and over.  

At Forum, he has led the benevolence committee and has been involved as a middle school Bible class teacher, small group leader, and bus driver, and now helps train others to get their commercial driver’s license (CDL) as well.  

He was trained by Dr. James Ferneau to handle the benevolent needs of the church. Bradley Williams, Forum’s senior minister, encouraged him to pursue the role with Love Columbia as an extension of Forum’s contribution to the community.  

Matt Copeland with Christian Chapel Church contacted him about creating a city-wide repair ministry with partnering churches and connecting him with Williams and Love Columbia. Through that partnership, Tiger Towing provides a discount and the Veterans United Foundation contributes via a “get to work” grant.   

Matheny’s extensive experience with cars influenced his purpose for Love Columbia. For three years, he has diagnosed donated vehicles and client’s vehicles, which gives the nonprofit an approximate cost to budget for the repair. He also educates people about car care and maintenance by teaching a car maintenance class, which he not only teaches at Love Columbia, but also as an extension to groups like In2Action, MyLife Clinic, Central Bank’s PosperU, and more.   

Rod Petersen, Forum’s community outreach minister, said, “It was God’s plan that Howdy and Jane Williams’ paths someday would cross, and what a beautiful benefit to our community that was created.” 

Most Impactful Volunteer: Honorable Mention 

Michael DeShazo   
Mid-America Special Sportsmen’s Association 

Michael DeShazo is the founder and chairman of the board for Mid-America Special Sportsmen’s Association, which has been around for twenty-five years. The nonprofit provides hunting adventures for individuals with disabilities. DeShazo hopes to never be positioned to tell an applicant “No” for a hunt, which he has not had to do in the organization’s history.  

“The misconception would be that we just harvest animals, but in reality, we provide a means of giving confidence and let individuals feel like a regular person just for a little while,” DeShazo said.  

He credits his wife, Lori, first for getting him and the organization to the place it is today. He also mentioned the hundreds of individuals that have volunteered their time and effort to make the adventures possible. The first donors to Mid-America Special Sportsmen’s Association were Lee’s Tires and Bass Pro, followed by MidwayUSA. However, DeShazo said it is the many individual donors who have made the biggest difference.  

DeShazo is most proud of being in a position to change people’s lives and hopes to keep providing hunting excursions to everyone who applies. In his off time, he enjoys woodworking and secretly restoring furniture for unknowing recipients, claiming it is “very rewarding.”   

DeShazo says his favorite community activity is being active in his own organization and helping, when possible, other organizations focusing on raising people up.   

“The way I was raised, my religious beliefs, and how I would want to be treated” are the things that motivate him, DeShazo says. 

Most Impactful Executive Director
Darin Preis
Central Missouri Community Action  

Darin Preis has led Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) for nineteen years.  

“I guess at the end of the day I want to be able to tell my son that I did the best I could to make a difference in our community,” Preis said, citing one thought that motivates him.  

As executive director, Preis is responsible for CMCA’s public image, funder relationships, board management, agency budget, staff morale, the work equipment, internal and external communication, and “turning out the lights at the end of the night.”  

becoming an Agency of Excellence (a Baldrige-inspired certification from CMCA’s National Community Action Partnership).  

Several projects are in motion, such as building forty workforce apartment units in Jefferson City and fourteen affordable homes for sale in Columbia this year. He is working on plans to build another forty apartments in Mexico and up to thirty homes in Fulton. Preis also plans to support the Head Start director and team to meet the new challenge of meeting approximately 1,200 standards — a part of the new Head Start Program Performance Standards, which were updated for the first time since 2016. Head Start is a comprehensive early childhood education experience that provides both quality classroom experiences and a whole family approach that holistically supports the entire family. It is CMCA’s largest program.   

“My personal goal is to maintain my own work/life balance so that I can be everything CMCA needs me to be,” Preis explained. “I want to be at my best so that I can be present for my team and make sure CMCA is living up to its mission. This means keeping my wife, son, and dogs top of mind as I plan each week. The cat is on her own.” 

Most Impactful Executive Director: Honorable Mentions 

Trent Rash   
The Missouri Symphony 

Trent Rash has led the Missouri Symphony, or MOSY, board and organization for five years. Before becoming an arts administrator, he was a college voice professor, and he still teaches adjunct voice and private voice lessons on the side.  

“I highly value kindness, music, and connection. These three things guide how I move through the world, and I am constantly attempting to give all three to those with whom I come in contact,” he said. “The people who need access to basic human needs — which I strongly believe includes music! — motivates me to be a better person and build a better world.”  

Rash has many roles as executive director including, chief executive officer, the chief people officer, the chief fundraiser, and handles all public relations. He is proud to have overseen the search and hiring of MOSY’s third-ever music director in its fifty-four years of existence.  

“Wilbur Lin has been a welcome addition to the Columbia classical music scene and is challenging our audiences with thought-provoking programming,” Rash added.  

Rash credits his small-town upbringing for getting him where he is today. He learned the value of hard work and aspiring to large goals, even if it does not seem possible. He mentions his hardworking peers in the nonprofit sector for his excitement in volunteerism. 

Debbie Beal  
City of Refuge 

Executive Director Debbie Beal has had a significant impact in a short amount of time, from helping guide the now-annual Holiday Market to a wide array of services for refugees who now call Columbia home. 

“Our endeavors — like our markets, our thrift store (City Boutique), our food trailer (City Cuisine), our preschool — are always multifaceted and multi-purposed. In addition to providing employment or income earning opportunities, we are also striving to raise awareness and educate our broader community about what a refugee is and is not and how we can work together to welcome our newest neighbors. We cannot do it alone,” Beal said. 

Most Impactful Staff Member
Gregory N. Bell 
Woodhaven 

Gregory N. Bell has been with Woodhaven for forty-two years and is now the chief operations officer. He has been a part of the expansion of services for the nonprofit which resulted in the organization’s growth from $12 million to $22 million in five years. His role as the COO involves oversight of the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of Woodhaven’s programs and services.  

The role involves operational, strategic, and performance management along with leadership tasks.   

“I give all credit to Woodhaven’s dedicated workforce who are committed to fulfilling our mission and embracing the abilities of all of the individuals we support,” he said. “We wouldn’t be where we are without our amazing staff.”   

In the upcoming years, he would like to obtain Woodhaven’s tenth consecutive Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Accreditation, increase participants in all service programs, further enhance the competency of all employees to continue to provide high quality support, reduce turnover and overtime expenses, increase staff salaries, and implement the nonprofit’s new strategic planning goals.  

He also credits the Board of Directors for the help that it provides through its commitment to Woodhaven’s mission and the individuals Woodhaven supports.  

 Bell said he enjoys spending time with the youth who are participants in the programs, helping them overcome obstacles as they become respected members of the community. He is proud to be providing internal career growth opportunities for employees and watching them individuals grow both personally and professionally. That goal extends to the individuals Woodhaven serves.  

“We work hard every day to find community employment opportunities for our individuals,” he stressed. “We educate our community that our individuals can be productive employees.”  

Most Impactful Staff Member: Honorable Mentions 

Conrad Hake   
Love Columbia 

Conrad Hake is the program director for Love Columbia and has worked with the nonprofit for four and a half years. In 2021, he began the process of obtaining approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as Columbia’s first Housing Counseling Agency, and that was achieved in January 2023.  

“This pursuit was borne from a vision to help low-income families build wealth by achieving dreams of homeownership,” Hake said. “We saw homeownership as a necessary, missing step to breaking the cycle of poverty, especially among minoritized households.”  

He explained that one of Love Columbia’s core beliefs is that the root of poverty is broken relationships.  

“We’ve seen a lot of collaboration in the past few years, especially coming out of the pandemic, and it’s due to organizations coming together through the many coalitions and workgroups that ensure we can go farther as a community together than any organization could alone,” he added.  

Mike Davis   
Fisher House   

Mike Davis began his career in the military in 1993, and that influenced his role with Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital and Fisher House Foundation, where he has been a housekeeper since 2019.  

“I served my country during the Operation Freedom campaign after high school from 1993 to 1995. I think this was the time in my life that I made a commitment to live a life of service,” Davis said.  

“As a housekeeper it gives me the flexibility in my workday to sit down with patients who could use some optimism in their life,” he added. 

Davis created a space for families to invest in their community with community gardens. He built the gardens within the district holding the families of his students accountable for their maintenance.  

“I like to learn about people, I understand generations of Americans, and I feel comfortable discussing life with people. I’ve been told that I have good ears and listen well. I don’t know about that, but I know I make a difference in peoples’ live’s daily, and the families and veterans make a difference in mine as well.” 

Most Impactful Fundraiser/Event
Women Build 
Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity 

Ashley Switzer has been with Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity for fifteen years, five of them in Columbia, and is now the director of community outreach. She is most proud of Women Build.  

“Well over 100 women from our community not only volunteered to build for a weekend — they came in the June heat,” she remarked. “This event was meant to build homes, build bonds, and give these women some time to get pampered at brunch after giving so much of themselves to their community.”  

The volunteers and participants at Habitat for Humanity share a dream in which everyone has a decent and affordable place to live.   

“Many people think Habitat picks a family, they get this free house, and are then set for life. These families pay an interest-free mortgage for the amount it costs to build their home with volunteer labor,” Switzer explained. “The volunteers make the home affordable, but these families work alongside volunteers to build, do education to set themselves up for successful homeownership, and pay a mortgage just like everyone else.”  

The mortgage payments go back into the program to help fund the next build. Many of the families that join the Habitat program are on some form of housing assistance, such as HUD’s Section 8, that can then be redistributed to community members on waitlists, she said.  

Habitat for Humanity plans to make Women Build an annual event. This past year, Habitat hosted Women Build in the new, fifty-acre Boone Prairie Subdivision, which will become home to 143 Habitat families.  

“Investment in affordable housing is a huge issue and focus for Boone County and we are proud to be part of that effort,” Switzer said. 

Most Impactful Fundraiser/Event: Honorable Mentions
CelebARTy   
Access Arts 

Kate Stull has worked with Access Arts as president of the board of directors. She is working to evaluate the best ways Access Arts can provide creative learning experiences for anyone in the community, including providing sound leadership and balancing the budget.  

“I am an artist with a history with Access Arts — as many do in Columbia,” she said. “I’ve participated in the ‘Empty Bowls’ fundraiser involving Access Arts and the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture by creating ceramic bowls with my daughter. My daughter also spent a lot of time at their exciting summer camps and always brought something interesting home to admire.” 

Stull mentions CelebrARTy, an Access Arts signature annual fundraiser since 2014, as one of her accomplishments since serving with the organization. It was revived and reconstructed after COVID, which led to the event’s increased net profit of 185 percent. It has become the most profitable fundraiser in the organization’s 50-plus-year history.  

Holiday Market   
City of Refuge   

The 2023 City of Refuge Holiday Market certainly made a mark as an impactful fundraiser.  

“We weren’t sure what to expect when putting on a first-time outdoor event in the middle of December, but we were blown away by the sheer amount of people who came from all over Columbia,” said City of Refuge CEO Debbie Beal. “Many folks had never heard of our nonprofit, or if they did, didn’t know what we did in-depth.”  

The event allowed City of Refuge to raise awareness about its daily work and generated interested from potential volunteers. The Holiday Market also provided a supportive structure for the debut of new artisans in Columbia. 

Most Impactful Philanthropic Company
The Giving Branch  
Flat Branch Home Loans 

Erica Bressman is the administrator of Flat Branch Home Loans – The Giving Branch and has been with the nonprofit since its beginning in 2019. As the only paid employee of The Giving Branch, she has many roles such as facilitating monthly meetings with the region committees, constructing and executing all programs including The Giving Branch scholarship for working adults, Homeownership Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and more.  

Last year, The Giving Branch had a goal of holding its first Giving Branch fundraisers. Four fundraisers throughout the region raised more than $40,000.  

Before connecting with The Giving Branch, Bressman did not have any experience in the nonprofit realm.  

The Giving Branch also hopes to successfully launch its Community Outreach program and keep it as an opportunity for the employees for years to come. Every year, at its all-employee rally, the group discusses and votes on goals for the coming years. Bressman’s reason for giving back to the community is the overwhelming feeling of happiness she experiences when doing something for someone in need.   

“For example, when we built a fence for a little boy with Butterfly syndrome, or when we were able to support a grandmother in our community who had taken on all of her grandchildren – one with extreme medical needs – with a new minivan, those feelings of taking a little bit of the weight off of their shoulders is something that will continue to motivate us to continue serving and giving back,” she explained.   

Each person who contributes 1 percent of their pay to The Giving Branch earns a pair of green Converse tennis shoes, a symbol of their dedication to the community. If you see those green chucks walking around, it means that person has dedicated not only their hard earned income but their time to further support those in need.  

Bressman cited some of The Giving Branch’s values, including “having compassion, empathy, and humility for those in their greatest time of need. Also having transparency with our employees who so graciously give their funds, continuing to share with them the work that we are doing in our communities.” 

Most Impactful Philanthropic Company: Honorable Mentions
Anderson Homes Foundation   

Russ Anderson, co-founder and CEO, and Mark Briley, co-founder, president, and director of client and community relations for Anderson Homes, made Anderson Homes Foundation an official 501c3 nonprofit in 2023. In a meeting hosted by Love Columbia in May 2023, the Affordable Housing Coalition revealed that only a single home existed in Columbia’s market that fit the cost criteria for twenty-seven families that were certified and approved for first time home ownership.  

“As home builders, we were uniquely positioned to do something special to give hard working neighbors in Columbia the chance to be first time homeowners and left that meeting with the vision for our Foundation’s first project: The ‘My First Home’ initiative,” Briley said.    

“Not only would we build in incredible equity from day one, we would also build a top-rated, efficient home … reducing monthly utility bills by hundreds of dollars,” he added. “We launched immediately, building four homes for low-income families which began and were completed in six months’ time.”  

Columbia Orthopaedic Group   

Columbia Orthopedic Group (COG) has both staff and physicians who are on the boards for several nonprofits, while also providing philanthropic support to multiple organizations within the community. 

“One of our core tenets is ‘Moving You Forward,’” said Andrew Lovewell, COG chief executive officer. “We use this as a framework for our support to nonprofits and other local organizations. We support organizations that help facilitate moving people forward in some capacity.” 

Some of the organization’s higher profile accomplishments: funding an expansion of the Food Bank, providing significant funding to Welcome Home, and building a new coffee shop for Love Coffee at Columbia Orthopedic Group’s facility off Keene Street.