Longtime Educator To Head Pro Deo

A recognizable face and educational leader in Lee’s Summit will now head up the future of the city’s only youth center.

Elaine Metcalf, who spent more than 15 years in education with the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, has been named the executive director of Pro Deo Youth Center – a relational organization providing resources, programming and one-on-one support for local, at-risk teens in Lee’s Summit.

Metcalf will begin her position Wednesday, August 1. Board President Hope Davis said she and the entire Pro Deo board are thrilled to bring on a director the caliber of Metcalf.

“Elaine’s organizational leadership, extensive education background and experience working collaboratively within the community make her well positioned to lead the organization into the future,” Davis said. “Her innovative educational knowledge and passion for our cause, assisting at-risk youth in the community, will enable her to strengthen our programs and services. We are looking forward to Elaine’s leadership in engaging our stakeholders, bringing back after school programming this fall, and enhancing the sustainability of the organization.”

Prior to coming to Pro Deo, Metcalf spent seven years as the principal of the Summit Technology Academy at the Missouri Innovation Campus. In that role, she supervised all STA staff, worked one-on-one with students, handled policies and programming and enhanced instructional programming.

From 2002-2014, Metcalf was the R-7 Career & Technical Coordinator for the district, handling Perkins and other grant applications and approvals, budgeting and other purchasing duties.
Metcalf holds professional memberships in the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Missouri Association for Secondary School Principals, the Association for Career and Technical Education and the Missouri Council of Career and Technical Administrators. Active in the community, she has served on the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce’s Business Development Council since 2008, in various task forces and summits for the Mid-America Regional Council and has been a member of the Lee’s Summit Sunrise Rotary since 2016.

Metcalf holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Art from Truman State University, an Education Specialist in School Administration certification from the University of Central Missouri and a Doctorate in Education from William Woods University.

I am excited to lead and grow the mission of Pro Deo Youth Center by providing a safe and caring environment for our youth,” Metcalf said. “All teens deserve a place where they fit in and can be surrounded by caring adult advocates; Pro Deo is just that place in our community.”

Pro Deo Youth Center currently is staffed by Administrative Director Melissa Ward and Program Assistant Amanda Wells.

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