Phyllis Jackson- President

Phyllis is a graduate of Trenton High School and Trenton Junior College (now North Central Missouri College). After completing her degree at TJC, Phyllis went to Northwest Missouri State University and received her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in English with a minor in music. She then took graduate courses through Webster University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Phyllis was a secondary school educator at various schools in Missouri and Iowa. In 1992 she was invited to serve on the University of Missouri-Kansas City ad-hoc committee to develop English courses 110 and 224. In 1994 she returned to Tri-County school in Jamesport where she was a former English instructor, to be the speaker of ceremonies at their graduation. She told the students, "Perfection is not in becoming perfect, but in becoming more today than you were yesterday." She discussed how a lump of coal can be a diamond and even with diamonds, the value of it depends on its perfection. Any one that knows Phyllis, knows she frequently uses these aphorisms to inspire and encourage the people around her. She does not have time to stop and complain, her fashion is to roll up your sleeves and start helping with a solution.

Phyllis is a long-time North Central Missouri College Foundation Board member and a current member of the scholarship committee and investment committee. Phyllis Jackson was an honoree of the inaugural Distinguished Alumni class established in 2004. Phyllis co-chaired the NCMC Foundation Capital Campaign for the development of the Barton Farm Campus and was the NCMC commencement speaker in 2022. Phyllis is a long-time North Central Missouri College Foundation Board member and a current member of the scholarship committee and investment committee.

Phyllis is a long-time advocate for job training and development and has served on local, regional, state and national committees enforcing work ethics and self-sufficiency as well as welfare reform, employability skills and independent living services to residents with disabilities. She serves on numerous boards in the Trenton area, including the NCMC Foundation and Serve Link Home Health Board. After several years as an educator, Phyllis took the challenge of opening a small business in the Trenton area known as PDQ Cleaning Service Inc. She grew her company to include five divisions and to serve an 18-county region before her retirement in 2021.

Steve Maxey commended Phyllis's support and participation in a campaign designed to improve health care programs and facilities on the campus as well as the restoration of Geyer Hall. He noted that she not only gave time and money to NCMC, but that she gave daily. He pointed out that she was constantly recruiting students and marketing NCMC to everyone she came into contact with and was always looking for ways to improve and enhance the community.

Phyllis is an active member of the community and holds several leadership roles. She has been an adult Sunday School teacher at Hodge Presbyterian Church and holds Elder and Deacon titles. She is a forty-three-year member of P.E.O Sisterhood, Chapter MN of Trenton, MO, a local officer, Missouri State P.E.O. project chairman, and on the Program for Continuing Education Scholarship committee. She was an appointed founding member of the Families and Friends of the Developmentally Disabled and instrumental for Senate Bill 40 Board of Grundy County, Missouri. She is a current member and officer of the Sunnyview Nursing Home Foundation Board.

Additionally, she is a founding member of the Community Citizens in Support of Sunnyview to support and promote financial independence for the Grundy County Nursing Home District, Sunnyview Nursing Home and Sunnyview Apartments. She also has a Grundy County Century farm, Phyllis is a mother of three daughters, Kimberly, Carrie, Kristen, and the grandmother of three, Elias, Maryn, and Myles.