OTC Founding Trustee Dolores Brooks passes away

Former educator and public school administrator Dolores Brooks, a founding member of the Board of Trustees of Ozarks Technical Community College, has passed away at the age of 85.  Brooks served as the first president of the Board, from 1990 to 1992, and held the position again from 2002 to 2003.  She was named a Trustee Emeritus upon her retirement in 2010.

“Mrs. Brooks was instrumental in the founding of Ozarks Technical Community College, and a vital supporter throughout her 20-plus years on the Board,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, chancellor of OTC.  “We are saddened by her passing, and we are grateful for the many years of dedication she gave to the education community in Springfield.”

Involved in education for many years, Mrs. Brooks taught in Indiana, Colorado and Missouri, and served as assistant principal and principal at various public schools in Springfield.  She was the first woman principal of a Springfield senior high school, Parkview High School.  Mrs. Brooks was named one of the Springfield Business Journal’s Twenty Most Influential Women in 2006, and was involved with professional organizations including the Missouri Guidance Association, Springfield Education Association, and the Missouri State Teachers Association.  She also served as President of the Southwest Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals. 

“It was an honor to work with Mrs. Brooks on the OTC Board of Trustees,” said Mrs. Jackie McKinsey, the only founding Trustee still serving on the Board.  “She was truly committed to the best interests of the students, and I am glad to have known her as both a colleague and a friend.”

Current Board President J. Howard Fisk added, “Mrs. Brooks was an important member of the OTC family, and she will be missed.  Her hard work and dedication to the College set an excellent example for the current and future leadership of OTC.”

Mrs. Brooks held a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University, a Masters in Education in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Missouri, a Secondary Administration Certificate from Drury College and a Masters in Education in Secondary School Administration from Missouri State University.  Prior to her election to Ozarks Technical Community College’s Board of Trustees, Mrs. Brooks was a member of the OTC Steering Committee.