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Dr. Jennee Barnes-Gregory

Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) Director

faculty Jennee Barnes Gregory

"Approach learning as learning, not an activity or an item on a checklist to acquire a grade."

Degrees Held:

  • Ed.D. Statewide Cooperative in Education Leadership – University of Missouri-Columbia, 2012
  • M.S. in Administration and Supervision in Elementary – Northwest Missouri State University, 1999
  • B.S. in Elementary Education – Northwest Missouri State University, 1997

Career Highlights:

Jennee Barnes-Gregory has been a resident of Gentry County all of her life. Jennee currently serves as the director for the Northwest Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) on the Northwest Missouri State University campus. Northwest RPDC serves 59 school districts in the northwest region of the state. Northwest RPDC's mission is to build the capacity of educators and schools to maximize student performance through high quality professional development.

Earlier in her career, Jennee spent time in the classroom as an elementary school teacher and later as school principal in Northwest Missouri. As principal, she worked to maximize the educational quality students received through strategic planning efforts and the development of an innovative professional learning design for teachers. This design later earned the Commissioner's Award of Excellence for Professional Development. She now uses this experience to support and influence school principals and teacher leaders across the state of Missouri. Jennee has extensive experience in developing and facilitating school leadership teams, as well as coaching systemic change in schools. In her current position, Jennee works with numerous projects to support continuous school improvement. One role she is very passionate about is her collaboration with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop programming to grow and develop the leadership capacity in school leaders.

Continuing her own education has always been a priority. Jennee graduated with two degrees at Northwest Missouri State University and, more recently, received her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Currently, Jennee serves as a dissertation advisor for the ELPA doctoral program. Aside from graduate work, Jennee is actively engaged in professional learning opportunities at both state and national levels. Jennee believes wholeheartedly that regional vitality begins with education and that the quality of education begins with leadership. Jennee and her husband, David, reside on the family farm in Albany, Missouri.

Which online degree program(s) do you teach?

  • Why did you start teaching?

    • Influenced by mother who served as teacher and school administrator for many years in Northwest Missouri
    • Passion to make a difference and do meaningful work
  • What advice would you give to your online students?

    • Communication and organization are key
    • Approach learning as learning, not an activity or an item on a checklist to acquire a grade
    • Reach out, ask questions and be transparent. Transparency and vulnerability are important characteristics of a lead learner.
    • Treat tasks as a representation of you and what you have to offer. Allow them to truly represent your learning and capabilities.
    • You are always interviewing for your next job. Those soft skills are important!
    • A growth mindset can be an individual's most valuable asset
  • What is the one book you think everyone should read?

    "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck.

  • What do you do when you need a laugh?

    Mindless conversation with friends, use of social media and, most recently, learning Snapchat has brought laughter into my world. For the record, I am a smart user of social media.

  • What qualities make someone particularly successful as an educator?

    • Transparency
    • Growth versus fixed mindset
    • Lead learner mindset
    • Collaborator
    • Capacity builder
    • Able to access a support system or network
    • Communicator
    • Innovative approach to thinking
    • Data driven decision making

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