Meet Amy McDonald

Amy McDonald never thought she'd be a professional fundraiser. But after stepping in as interim director of the Cape Girardeau Public School Foundation last August, she found the job to be a perfect fit -- so she stayed.

"This job has my name written all over it," she says now. "I love the district and I consider myself a people person."

McDonald was no stranger to Cape Girardeau when she assumed her new role with the school district. The Webster Groves, Mo., native moved permanently to Cape Girardeau after graduating from Southeast Missouri State University. Her daughters, 10-year-old Allison and 13-year-old Madeleine, attend Cape public schools, and McDonald has long been involved in their extracurricular activities, the PTO, school fundraisers and as a substitute teacher. She has served on the Cape Public School Foundation board, and her husband Kyle is serving his second term on the school board. So what drives McDonald's fierce commitment to education?

"I have a heart for children," she says. "I want to continue to grow the foundation so it will be a stable, strong base for the district ... and I hope that it will help them every day." While McDonald's daytime work centers on determining the district's needs and finding ways to fund them, she still attends every district sports game, chili supper and special event she can.

"I think public schools are very important, but people lose sight of that," she says. "Their children will benefit from meeting students of all different backgrounds. My girls are learning to be compassionate, to be leaders, to be helpful. I think education is very important for every student in the district."