Chamber Gala Gave Recognition To Those Who Have Served
From staff reports
During the 98th Annual Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce Gala April 22, two long-time contributors to the community were honored – along with one recently deceased individual.
FLIEG HONORED FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Dr. Julie Flieg, who will retire as superintendent of Ste. Genevieve R-II Schools after the 2022-23 school year, received the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
A Ste. Genevieve High School graduate, Flieg returned to the school in 1992 as a secretary and registrar at the high school. After teaching adult computer education in 1994, she took on a dual role in 1996: as a business teacher for the middle school and a teaching assistant position in the special education classrooms.
In 1997, she made the transition to the high school to teach business, where she stayed for six years. In 2003, Flieg became the assistant principal of the middle school and the district’s athletic director. In 2009, she became principal of the middle school, where she stayed for five years. In 2014, she became the assistant superintendent, and in 2018, superintendent.
During her tenure at SG R-II, Flieg coached high school volleyball, served as the sponsor of the Class of 2000, served as the sponsor of Business Club (and converted this club to FBLA, along with Jeannine Canaday), and launched the FTA (Future Teachers of America) club. She also coached Natural Disasters volleyball.
She is a member of the following organizations: MASA, MOASBO, AASA, Southeast Missouri Superintendents Association, MAAA Superintendents Association, and the Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Flieg serves on the Commissioner’s Advisory Council, Southeast Missouri State University K-12 Education Advisory Council, as well as on the Museum Learning Center Board, and she is the Executive Director of the Missouri Assessment Partnership. Dr. Flieg also served as an outside committee member on multiple Missouri Baptist University doctoral committee. She was recognized as MASA’s 2021 Emerging Superintendent for the Southeast Region.
Flieg earned her Associate of Arts Degree from Jefferson College in 1992, her Bachelor of Science in Education Degree from the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) in 1996, her Master of Education Degree from UMSL in 1999, her Specialist Degree in Education Administration from UMSL in 2007 and her Doctorate of Education Degree from Missouri Baptist University in 2014.
She has been married to Jason Flieg for the past 29 years. She is the proud mother of Wyatt, Tayon, Coy and Marysa.
She enjoying her time with her family, especially her granddaughter Aria, working on the property that she and Jason own, or reading while sitting by the ocean.
MCCARTY RECEIVES COMM. SERVICE AWARD
Recently retired Ste. Genevieve County Deputy and longtime DARE Officer Jeff McCarty received the Community Service Award.
The award goes to someone who “is totally dedicated to making Ste. Genevieve, a better place to live. Someone who engages themselves in events and activities, not for money or recognition, but because they want to be involved in this community. They want to educated our youth in various life lessons.”
This definition fits McCarty like a glove. He started his career in law enforcement in August of 2006 and was a road patrol deputy for two years. In December 2008 he graduated from Missouri DARE school and started relaying the importance of being drug free to St. Agnes, St. Joseph, Valle Catholic, Bloomsdale Elementary and the former Immaculate Conception School in Ozora. He has taught well over 1,000 children.
In 2010 he started the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office Shop with a Cop program. It started out very small with fewer than 100 kids getting $50 each to spend. Today they have over 175 kids getting $100 to spend.
McCarty was Ste. Genevieve County’s public relations deputy, attending school events, truck-R-treats, car shows and community events. Some of his most treasured events were car shows where he could show off his DARE patrol car in which he has won numerous awards.
Each year he would attend Camp Rainbow, at Babler State Park with other DARE officers in the region. Camp Rainbow is a camp for terminally ill children. He always enjoyed spending his time with those children, making them feel special and important.
McCarty is married to wife Peggy and has two grown children, Josh and Mandy.
CONLEY REMEMBERED FOR PRESERVATION
The late Tim Conley, who died earlier in April, received the 2022 Presidential Award.
Conley, whose first restoration job was the Blair House McVoy Mansion in the St. Louis Lafayette Square neighborhood, first came to Ste. Genevieve in 1994, when he bought the historic 1808 Ste. Genevieve Academy. He saved it from ruin and painstakingly restored it into a showcase before selling it in 2004.
After spending several years in Louisiana, Mo., he returned to town and restored the 1794 Jean Baptiste Valle House.
His final restoration project was the 1812 Antoine Aubuchon House. Like the Academy, it was in near ruin when he bought it. He was honored by Missouri Preservation for the project.
In addition to spending his life restoring historic homes, he also served on the city of Ste. Genevieve’s Historic Landmarks Commission 1999-2006 and was also chairman for several years. He served on the Missouri Advisory Council of Historic Preservation and was a chairman 2003-06. He was an active member of the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve since 1994 and also served on the board of directors for Missouri Preservation.
Most recently, he was the 2020 recipient of the prestigious Rozier Award and was also the 2011 recipient of the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve’s Harry B. and Constance Matthews Preservation Award.
Tim’s family has decided to donate his award back to the Chamber. The Chamber has already secured the awards final resting place. It will be in the JB Valle/National Park Headquarters where is will be on display in the mail gallery in his honor for his lifetime devotion to historic preservation.
COMMON GROUNDS IS BUSINESS OF YEAR
The Small Business of the Year Award went to Common Grounds Coffee House. Common Grounds, which opened in 2019 at Third and Merchant, provides special needs individuals in the county with job and life skills and growth opportunities.
The Senate Bill 40 Board of directors oversees and disperses personal property taxes collected from the county tax payers. That money is exclusively spent on the needs of individuals with special needs in our county. In January 2019, the SB40 board still had a large amount of tax dollars left from the prior fiscal year.
The idea of opening a coffee shop with special needs employees was presented to the board, who approved it and put up the capital needed. The building at 10 S. Third Street was purchased and the doors opened in October 2019.
The company name, Common Grounds was created by an SB40 board member, with the idea behind the name, Common Grounds Coffee House, where everyone who walks in is on common ground. Kenzie Wolk created the logo. Many other businesses and contractors jumped in and assisted in the rehab and development of the SB40’s vision. They developed a partnership with Kaldi Coffee out of St. Louis to get all the operating equipment and of course the perfect coffee to brew.
The mission of Common Grounds is simple, to build a culture and atmosphere of inclusion by employing individuals with disabilities, empowering them and helping them achieve their full potential, while creating a memorable coffee experience for the customers and guest.