Melva M. Owens

is honored with a Brick from Dr. Connie K. Clark and Theresa Anthony Hearn.

As our mentor and our friend, Dr. Melva M. Owens has inspired us both professionally and personally. From her humble beginnings as a student in a one-room school house in central Oklahoma, Melva has become a nationally recognized expert on the topic of educational leadership. Though her knowledge and skills as an educator are vast, what we admire most about her is her honesty, sincerity, kindness, humbleness, and genuine respect for others.

An editorial appeared in The Wichita Eagle during Melva's last semester as Superintendent of the Derby Unified School District (1995) that called Melva "simply one of the best educational leaders in the state." Having served as members of Melva's administrative team in Derby, we wholeheartedly agree with the Eagle's observation.

Melva is a capable, caring, effective administrator. This is a rare combination of personal and professional skills. Melva is a communicator. She exhibits the ability to communicate with folks from various socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. She is sensitive to the needs of consumers, their families, and to the needs of her staff. Melva makes decisions. She displays exemplary abilities in marketing. This combination of competencies is seldom found in a program administrator.

Melva's career has been full of risk-taking and distinction. When she applied for Derby's superintendency in 1989, she never had worked in a central office, having spent three years as a junior high principal in Wichita and two years as Derby's senior high principal. Once appointed, she was just the second woman in Kansas to gain that rank among 304 local districts. Melva was the first woman to be elected President of the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals and to be named Kansas Principal of the Year.

Melva is widely admired for her participatory style of management. She ensures that those closest to an issue have significant opportunities for discourse. Melva is known for saying, "we must involve the stakeholders in the decision-making process."

Melva lead the 6,300-student Derby district to a successful $20 million bond campaign, its first in 30 years, after two failed votes (both of which occurred before Melva became superintendent). She accomplished that through a targeted approach, guaranteeing specific benefits to all 13 school sites.

In 1995, Melva left the Derby schools to take the position of Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at Wichita State University. Her duties include teaching graduate-level classes in school law, finance, facilities, and power and politics. But what really appeals to her about this faculty position is the opportunity to train cadres of future principals and superintendents in a new doctoral program that emphasizes field-based inquiry, something she in turns calls "realistic learning."

While some would be content to enjoy the success of such an illustrious career, Melva is constantly attending workshops, reading the latest research, and out in the public visiting with consumers for continuous quality improvement. She is respected for her determination, her spirit, and her commitment to her profession, to her community, and to her family.

Melva has touched our lives and our hearts in countless ways. We are grateful to her for all the times that she offers an encouraging word or thoughtful advice. Melva enriches our lives, lifts our spirits, and helps us to strive to make the most of our talents and abilities.

Respectfully submitted by Dr. Connie K. Clark and Theresa Anthony Hearn

September 5, 1998