Speaker urges kindness, friendship at Power of Women luncheon

More than 500 people turned out Wednesday for the fifth Power of Women luncheon and expo at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

Maureen Clancy-May

Maureen Clancy-May, an alumna of Southeast Missouri State University, gave the keynote address at the annual event, which organizers billed as the largest to date.

The title of her speech was “Lessons From My Mom.” Some of those lessons included personal strength, joyfulness, generosity, resilience, self-reflection and, above all, kindness.

“Kindness goes such a long way in building caring and supportive relationships,” she told the audience.

Although Clancy-May’s 86-year-old mother died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease last month, she said her wisdom will continue to live on in her life and the lives of her siblings.

That’s especially true when it comes to confronting the unexpected — something Clancy-May has been obliged to do many times during her 35-year career.

“You just never know what life has in store for you,” she said.

One of six children, Clancy-May graduated from Southeast in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in education, later earning a master’s degree in education and a doctoral degree in educational administration.

She taught until 2002 in the St. Louis Special School District before transitioning to roles as a principal, assistant superintendent and later as superintendent of the Bayless School District.

She now works as a state supervisor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in the St. Louis region. Clancy-May also serves on the Southeast Missouri University Foundation board and the University College of Education advisory board.

She is a 2011 recipient of Southeast’s Alumni Merit Award.

Toward the end of her speech, she urged audience members to develop good friends along the way who will listen and tell the truth.

“It’s truly a team effort if all believe in the meaning of your work,” she said.

Also during the luncheon, several Southeast students received renewable Power of Women scholarships: Tracie Beard of Iuka, Illinois; Destiny Brooks of Perryville, Missouri; Noel Burke of Cape Girardeau; Jo Cougill of Jackson; Amanda Edgar of Portageville, Missouri; Ashley Gettinger of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri; Riley Hayes of Jefferson City, Missouri; Laura Kaimann of Cape Girardeau; Lauren Potje of Shiloh, Illinois; Karen Souza Muramatsu of Cape Girardeau; and Abigail Sowash of Highland, Illinois.

ljones@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.