Dr. Rita Fisher, director of the Southeast Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) at Southeast Missouri State University, recently was honored by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) for her service to public education.
Fisher was one of eight former educators to receive the associations Outstanding Emeritus Educator Award at the MASA Spring Conference March 27 at Lake Ozark, Missouri.
It was with a great deal of humility that I accepted this award, Fisher said. I have always enjoyed a great relationship with the superintendents, both in my work in the Jackson School District and also now at the Regional Professional Development Center at Southeast.
MASA presents the award annually to recognize individuals for their length of administrative service, their participation in MASA while an active member, significant accomplishments as a school administrator and for their continued interest in public education since retiring.
The Southeast MASA District nominated her for the award.
At the RPDC, Fisher works with area school districts to implement change, serves on state-level advisory committees and supervises 17 consultants responsible for providing professional development in more than 75 area school districts. She also administers a grant in a collaborative partnership between Southeast and Jacksonville State to implement technology in 10 rural, high-poverty school districts in the Southeast area.
Prior to serving as director of Southeasts Regional Professional Development Center, Fisher was assistant superintendent, director of state and federal programs and principal of West Lane Elementary School, all in the Jackson (Missouri) R-2 School District. She previously was a principal at St. Vincent de Paul School in Cape Girardeau and Immaculate Conception School in Jackson.
Fisher has many professional affiliations as a board member of the Missouri Association of School Personnel Administrators, the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, MASA and many others.
She holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Specialist in Education, Master of Arts in elementary education and a Bachelor of Science in Education, secondary education, and speech pathology, all from Southeast Missouri State University.