Charles Kinsey has left his mark on the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center over the past decade, securing matching grant funding for facilities, safety and professional development; establishing new programs, traditions and partnerships; and effectively upholding accreditation.

Now he is applying his leadership skills district-wide as R-I assistant superintendent of business, having received endorsements from community partners, school colleagues and officials from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“As a former area career center director and superintendent of schools, it is my observation that those with vocational finance knowledge and skills have a distinct advantage of in-depth knowledge of school district finances and business processes,” stated Dr. Roger Barnes, DESE Career and Technical Education coordinator. Andy Martin, finance coordinator for the Office of College and Career Readiness, added: "…My job would be simpler if everyone displayed the same level of talent and accuracy as Mr. Kinsey… I cannot think of another individual more deserving of this position.”

In addition to a glowing letter of recommendation from Steve Halter, Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce president, Kinsey received a nod of confidence from his predecessor, Dr. Amy Jackson, stating: “Mr. Kinsey exhibits the leadership characteristics necessary to propel the district forward by navigating current and future building and renovation projects while ensuring all procurement guidelines are met, along with the many grants and reporting guidelines that must be done.”

Kinsey, who joined the superintendent cabinet last month, was hired by the Board of Education in March. His tenure with the district began in 2007, serving as an agriculture teacher at Poplar Bluff High School for several years, after holding a similar position in Dexter two decades ago. As an instructor, he also served as FFA advisor, and coached the Poplar Bluff Trap Shooting Team, successfully landing his first set of grants from the Friends of NRA and the MidwayUSA Foundation, he recalled.

A Neelyville native, Kinsey earned his education specialist in administration from William Woods University in Fulton, where he also received a master’s degree in educational administration. He earned his bachelor’s in agriculture education from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

Since taking the helm at the TCC in 2013, Kinsey and his staff underwent two extensive accreditation evaluations, most recently gaining reaffirmation in a virtually flawless review in January. On top of adding barbering and esthetics pathways at the secondary level, he helped launch a new computer science program—now at capacity—and assisted in a grant to expand Project Lead the Way at the lower grade levels to introduce hands-on learning earlier. He aided in forging new partnerships with Dexter High School and the local parochial sector, increasing the TCC’s area sending schools to nine.

Kinsey led the procurement of over $1.3 million in state and federal grants that variously went toward professional development and instructional coaching, a campus-wide security upgrade, an HVAC overhaul, roof replacements and, most visibly, a 3,240-square-foot state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Center presently under construction. Other notable improvements with Vocational Enhancement and 50/50 grants under the federal Perkins Act on his watch included the installation of a ventilation system in the welding classroom, a paint booth in auto collision, a remodel of the cosmetology salon and a skid-steer for use of building trades, he noted.

Following on the heels of those who came before him, Kinsey has leveraged resources available—largely through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief—to leave the campus better off than when he inherited it. While the impact will be felt well into the future, Kinsey is primarily proud of the traditions he was able to help bring to Poplar Bluff through networking with other institutions, including founding a National Technical Honor Society chapter, as well as instituting a hiring event and signing ceremony.

“One of my favorite things I’m going to miss in the long-haul is seeing parents proud of their kids, on less traditional paths, going to work,” Kinsey reflected. “When I look back at the impact from my first year to my 10^th year, while the staff may have looked different, I think ultimately the entire school has been a force for good in our community at any given time – in terms of kids gaining a skill set to start careers, whether through CTE or the college route.”

Although he will continue to “trumpet for CTE and agriculture education,” Kinsey said his focus will shift to utilizing his experience in managing federal, state and local funding sources to leverage the district’s operational budget in order to streamline processes. In his new post, he will continue to lead by demonstrating and he will not be afraid to ask questions, take risks and innovate, Kinsey said. He described his latest promotion simply as a “natural progression” of responsibilities in trying to do what is best for the community.

“Rather than getting too deep into problems, my approach has been to kind of find out why there are obstacles in the first place and, brass tacks, I see myself across positions I’m in charge of identifying ways to knock down the obstacles through a lens that’s less bureaucratic for teachers,” Kinsey stated. “Within my sphere of influence, I will look for ways to innovate, modernize and create opportunities to be more efficient in maximizing district finances to make sure funds are available to support our students.”

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Cutline: Charles Kinsey began his 21^st school year in public education as Poplar Bluff R-I assistant superintendent of business and finance in July.