YELL BOARD

To read is to hold the world in your hands...In an effort to get the written word in the hands of more students, the Southeast Missourian provided 2,500 newspapers to area schools in 1990 through the Newspaper in Education (NIE) program.

A number of corporate sponsors joined the Missourian to fund the $120,000 project. Additional funding would be required to fund the program and YELL was born.

This "Youth, Education, Learning and Literacy" (YELL) program became a joint venture between Area Wide United Way, the Southeast Missourian and literacy sponsors. A special publication newspaper was "hawked" on street corners with monies raised to be divided equally between the Missourian and United Way's youth literacy programs.

This first YELL day, now held annually on the Tuesday of fair week, enjoyed great success. More than $13,000 was raised to benefit literacy programs in the area.

The event has continued to grow and 1998 sales combined with donations allowed for the funding of $37,000 in literacy grants in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City.

Early in 1999, YELL received another boost. The YELL Foundation was formed and received designation as a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization formed for public benefit.

This means all donations from businesses and individuals can be written off as charitable contributions on federal tax forms.

A fifteen-member board acts as the decision making body for the YELL Foundation. Members come from major corporate sponsors, education and those dedicated to improving literacy.

YELL board officers:

Karen Green -- President. Green is vice-president of marketing at Mercantile Bank. She is a past board member of the American Red Cross and is very active with church related activities. She and her husband Ralph have three children.

Joe Sullivan -- Vice-president. When Sullivan joined Rust Publications in 1994, he assumed the position of editor of the Southeast Missourian and editorial director of Rust newspapers. Born in St. Louis, he grew up in the Piedmont area and attended William Jewell College at Liberty. His past journalistic positions include reporter for the Kansas City Star; copy editor for The Wall Street Journal in Dallas and New York; news editor of the daily newspaper in Moscow, Idaho; served as editor or publisher with Stauffer Communications Inc. in Nevada, Independence, Maryville and Blue Springs, all in Mo., and Topeka, Kan. He is currently chairman of Mid-America Press Institute, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Cape Girardeau, secretary of St. Francis Medical Center Foundation board of directors and member of the Professional Advisory Council of the Department of Mass Communications at Southeast Missouri State University.

Nancy Jernigan -- Treasurer. Jernigan, her husband and children Patrick, Jeremy and Jenna moved to Cape Girardeau in 1995 when she accepted the position of Executive Director of the Area Wide United Way. She was a graduate of Cape Central High School and attended Southeast Missouri State University for three years before completing her education at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

Mark Kneer -- Secretary. Kneer is the director of circulation/marketing for the Southeast Missourian. He consults on circulation issues for all Rust Communications properties as well as leading the data base marketing program. Before joining Rust Communication, he worked for The Paducah (Ky.) Sun as circulation sales manager and director of community projects. Kneer graduated from Western Kentucky University. He also serves on the board of directors for INPUT, a national computer software group.

YELL board members:

Christie Adams -- Adams is a pediatric nurse at St. Francis Medical Center. Traveling to area schools to speak with children concerning health issues keeps her busy when she isn't on duty as a member of the pediatric neurosurgical team at St. Francis.

Donna Bedwell -- Bedwell graduated in 1980 with a teaching degree from Indiana State University. She currently teaches English at Central Junior High in Cape Girardeau. Before coming to Mo., she taught in Ind., Tenn. and Ky. She also serves as a free-lance writer for the Southeast Missourian. Bedwell, her husband Mike and daughters, Lani and AJ reside in Scott City.

Nancy Bray -- Bray has been director of marketing and communications at Southeast Missouri Hospital since 1980. For the previous ten years, she was a faculty member of the Department of English and Journalism at Southeast Missouri State University where she helped to establish the major in Mass Communications. A native of Cape Girardeau, Bray graduated from Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University. Civic memberships and activities include: Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, elder at First Presbyterian Church, Friends of Cape Girardeau Public Library Foundation Board, Southeast Missouri State University's National Alumni Council, vice-president of Chateau Girardeau Board of Directors, P.E.O., Otahki Girl Scout Council Friends, Tri Delta Alumnae Chapter and Professional Advisory Council Member for Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Mass Communications.

Juia Jorgensen -- Jorgensen is a third generation resident of Cape Girardeau. The librarian at Cape Central High School, literacy and encouraging the joys of becoming a life-long reader are the cornerstones of her career. Married with two children, Jorgensen enjoys herb gardening, walking and (of course) reading.

Dennis Marchi -- Marchi, store manager, is entering his 30th year with the Schnucks family, having started with the grocery chain while still in high school. Marchi, his wife Kathy and sons Chris and Todd moved to Cape Girardeau from St. Louis in 1985. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, St. Francis Hospital Board, Bank America Board and numerous other civic and business organizations. He was presented the Rush Limbaugh award by the Chamber of Commerce and received the Edward J. Schnuck Award for community involvement.

Kim McDowell -- McDowell has been in the newspaper business for more than 15 years and is the assistant to the president of Rust Communications. She graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in business administration. She has also earned graduate hours toward a master of divinity degree. She is the editor of Tipoff magazine and has experience in the fields of financial marketing and school personnel management. McDowell currently serves on the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Tina McDowell -- McDowell became administrator of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Scott and Cape Girardeau Counties in 1996. She had been working with the program as assistant administrator since June of 1980. She resides in Chaffee with husband Paul and her son, Cliff Barlow, Jr. who is a senior this year. Literacy is one of RSVP's important areas of emphasis.

Vina Mosley -- Currently branch manager of The First National Bank at Cape Girardeau, Mosley brings to the board 17 years experience with fund raising and management for the non-profit volunteer board of The American Cancer Society Missouri Division. She served as the Society's area vice-president/director of legacy and planned giving from 1994 to 1996. She is a member of the Cape West Rotary, serves on the Women's Safehouse Inc. board of directors and with the City of Cape Girardeau Vision 2020 Committee. She is a member of St. Mary's/Old Ste. Vincent's Parish. Mosley's husband Steve is a teacher at Notre Dame High School. The Mosleys and their three children reside in a historic building in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Rev. Sam Roethemeyer -- Roethemeyer has been pastor of the Emanuel United Church of Christ in Jackson since 1988. He is presently the president of the Jackson Ministerial Alliance and has been serving as a YELL committee co-chair in Jackson for several years.

Valerie Tuschoff -- Tuschoff recently retired as owner of Val's Upholstery at Jackson but her volunteer work and position on the Jackson City Council has kept her extremely busy. She is a member of the Evangelical United Church of Christ where she teaches Sunday school. Tuschoff served as YELL coordinator in Jackson for several years. She serves as secretary/treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce board. She is a member of the American Business Women and Cape County Rotary. She feels everyone should have a chance to read and through the YELL programs more people are given that chance.

Pat Zellmer -- Zellmer joined the Southeast Missourian in 1990 and serves as the director of advertising and regional advertising coordinator. She created a telemarketing department and introduced numerous niche publications. Her duties include overseeing the display advertising department, classified, Targeted Publications, telemarketing and a weekly newspaper. She also consults with other newspapers in the network. Zellmer was named 1996 Display Advertising Director of the Year by Suburban Newspapers of America. She operated an award-winning public relations and advertising agency in Sarasota, Fla. after a stint as feature editor of the Centalia (Ill.) Sentinel. In 1985 she purchased and published the Arkansas Sun in Herber Springs, Ark. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a degree in psychology and a minor in journalism. She is a member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, director of Mid-America Teen Challenge, Inc. and is involved with several professional organizations.