Three veteran teachers, a rural school administrator and the international programs director for Southeast Missouri State University have been named winners of this year's educator of the year awards by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

The winners will be officially recognized during the chamber's annual banquet May 5 at Drury Lodge. The educators will receive the Crystal Apple Award, $500 cash and a commemorative video.

Larry Cleair, Pete Frazier, David Fuemmeler and Mary Mims will receive awards from primary and secondary schools from the chamber's education committee. Dr. Adelaide Parsons won university educator of the year, awarded by the university relations committee.

"These awards help us celebrate what we really consider the art of teaching," said Denise Stewart, co-chair of the chamber's education committee.

Stewart said that nominations, including self-nominations, are accepted, and the educators complete a thorough application. The winners are then selected from the list.

Cleair teaches science at Saxony Lutheran High School. He has 29 years teaching experience, beginning his career at Reddick High School in Reddick, Ill., in 1975. He also taught at Fenwick Park School in Oak Park, Ill., and Chaffee High School. He also has been an instructor at Southeast.

Craig Ernstmeyer, principal at Saxony, wasn't surprised that Cleair won.

"He just really, in my mind, has a servant attitude," Ernstmeyer said. "He is willing to do whatever, whenever. He is just very giving of his time, his resources and those types of things."

Ernstmeyer said Cleair relates with students and is popular.

"He gets them thinking," he said. "He uses his sense of humor and can relate. He is a great role model, not only for the kids, but several younger teachers here."

Pete Frazier teaches social studies at Cape Girardeau's Central High School. He began his teaching career eight years ago at Twin Rivers High School in 1998. He taught sociology, law, world history, drivers education and was the assistant baseball coach. Later, he taught at Sikeston High School before taking a job at Central.

"Pete has a really strong commitment to our students," said Dr. Mike Cowan, principal at Central. "Pete really does a fine job of working on student-to-student relationships. The kids really enjoy Pete. They respect Pete."

David Fuemmeler is the superintendent of Nell Holcomb School District. He began teaching 36 years ago teaching in Tamms, Ill. He was later assistant principal there before he became principal and athletic director at Dongola. He also has been a principal in Scott City schools until he came to Nell Holcomb.

"It's quite an honor to be recognized by the chamber, and I'm humbled by it," he said.

One of his teachers, Mary Mims, was also a recipient of the award. Mims is vocal and instrumental music teacher at Nell Holcomb School. She began her teaching career in 1982 as an assistant professor in the department of music at Troy State University. In 1989, she became an instructor in the music department at Southeast, a job she held until 1992.

From 1991 until 1999 she was the vocal music director for Cape Girardeau public schools before taking the music director position at Nell Holcomb.

"She's an outstanding teacher," Fuemmeler said. "She works very hard to develop a quality music program. She's a person who's quite talented in her own right and she's able to pass those qualities along in her instruction to her students."

Parsons is the director of the university's office of international programs. In 1965, she studied at the at the American Institute of Foreign Study in Vichy, France. In 1970, she was in Ireland with The Experiment in International Living program. She has 34 years of experience as a teacher.

Parsons began her career in Rough Rock, Ark., in 1969, teaching math and English as a second language. In 1971, she was director of the English language program at the Instituto des Estudios Superiores in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She then took a position in Lower Brule, S.D., as the math, French, Sioux, ESL, and study center teacher for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Lower Brule Sioux High School.

She also has taught in Ann Arbor, Mich., public schools, at Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and Manchester public schools. Dr. Parsons then became the director for the Ohio Program of Intensive English and an assistant professor at Ohio University. Since 1984, she has been with Southeast in several roles.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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