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working as a physical edu- cation teacher and coach in the Fayetteville School District. He went on to spend the early part of his career teaching and coach- ing at a number of schools in Arkansas and Oklahoma. "From day one, I always loved kids and always loved being around kids. Their energy kept me energized," he said. As a teacher and a coach, Ramey was a fantastic mentor and role model who made a big impact, ac - cording to former student Paul Vitale. Vitale, who now has a career as a professional motivational speaker and trainer, said Ramey was his high school teacher and football coach in Rus - sellville. "He was a role model through his excitement for life and the game of foot- ball and his excitement and optimism, challenging us all to be the best versions of ourselves," he said. Ramey encouraged his students to get their work done on the field and in the classroom and was consis - tently there for them, Vitale said. He taught students to be timely and to never quit — characteristics that have served Vitale well in his professional life. "When you talk about motivation and encourage - ment and the importance of having the right attitude, what he instilled in me as a student athlete, had an impact on what I do pro- fessionally as a speaker," he said. Moving into leadership Ramey got his first op- portunity to move into administration in 1978 in Prairie Grove, where he served as middle school principal, athletic director and head football coach. He went on to work as a principal in the Lincoln School District before com - ing to Siloam Springs. "I was doing more leadership opportunities and learning and growing and reading and studying and observing others and watching how different situations were handled because there are so many things you can learn to do and there are so many things you can learn not to do and not to repeat by being mentored and learn - ing through other people's experiences and through your own," he said. "I prob- ably ought to ask for some forgiveness from some of those early kids who had to witness a young guy that needed to grow in his phi- losophies." Ramey has a long list of educators who served to inspire and mentor him through his career. "I feel like I am the product of so many other people who invested in me," he said. Ramey came to Siloam Springs in July of 1994 as high school principal. Dur - ing his first year as prin- cipal, he introduced the block schedule and devel- oped the school resource officer program. Ramey became assis- tant superintendent under superintendent Randall Spear and then moved into the top leadership role when Spear retired in 2001. Lamb was serving on the school board when Ramey was interviewed and pro - moted to superintendent. Lamb recalls that he ex- pected an hour-long inter- view, but quickly realized it was going to take much longer when Ramey arrived with stacks of binders com- plete with detailed plans for the district's future. "I was very impressed," he said. As a leader, Ramey can be tough when need be and attack a problem head on, but he is also quick to reward people, build them up and value them, Lamb said. "He has built a culture in the Siloam Springs School District and community of trust and knowing it's for the kids and knowing they are here to get educated and we will do everything we can to educate the kids and advance them on," he said. Lamb said he often uses the phrases "It's all about the kids" and "What's best for kids," in school board meetings because he wants to reinforce Ramey's phi - losophy and make sure that the most important thing doesn't get sidelined. Perhaps Ramey's biggest accomplishment as super - intendent has been build- ing a trusting relationship with the community, Lamb said. That trust allowed the district to pass the mill- age rate and continue the improvements that have been made. "His leadership is ethi- cal, honest, he's open, and not just in the school board (meetings), with the staff, the community, everybody, that's just the way he is, Lamb said. "It's all about trust and relationship," Ramey said. "Everything we do, whether it's in school with kids and families, or out in the community, it's all about trust, it's all about working relationships, it's all about partnerships. The more involvement you have in the community and the schools, the more you have adult participation in the schools and the more peo - ple see your heart and the fact that you are trying to make a difference for every child. Every child needs to have the ability to extend themselves and reach for the stars and reach for the moon, and be the best they can be." Ramey possesses tre - mendous leadership skills, according to Charlie Aber- nathy, who served as high school principal for 11 years ending in 2013. "He just has a way of mak- ing everybody feel comfort- able and that you are the most important person in the world when you visit with him," Abernathy said. "He has that charisma of making you think you can tackle the world. I know a lot of that comes from his coaching days. He is just a tremendous leader — al - ways has been and always will be in my eyes." Abernathy grew up with- out a dad and Ramey has become a father figure, mentor, leader, friend and colleague to him. Ramey's philosophy of doing what's best for kids has carried on in Abernathy's own leader - ship, he said. Even as superintendent, a role that often doesn't have much day-to-day contact with kids, Ramey makes it a priority to get out to support students, whether it was eating lunch with them in the cafeteria, attending sporting events or touring the barn at the county fair to see the FFA projects, Abernathy said. "Like the old saying, 'It doesn't matter how much you know until they know how much you care,'" Abernathy said. "I think everyone knew that Mr. Ramey cared for everyone in the district and wanted not only the best for kids but teachers, faculty and administrators." Creating a culture of what's best for kids To Ramey, his personal motto of "It's all about the kids," means making every decision with serv- ing students in mind and implementing strategies to give children the best op- portunities to be success- ful. It also means being a proactive researcher to find out what to spend money on to get the best results. What's easiest for adults isn't always what's best for kids, he said. "Education has to be more of an investment than just dollar bills," Ramey said. "It has to be about being impactful. This whole community — with the love of this com - munity and the can-do spirit of the community — says we can make a dif- ference for every child. And that's what I want to do, make a difference for every child." The school district's whole school, whole com - munity, whole child model to meet student learning reflect's Ramey's philoso- phy, according to Grace Davis, director of teacher quality and community relations for the district. "He understands that for a child to learn we also must meet the physical, social and emotional needs and be committed to their families and connected to our community," Davis said. "He understands the interconnectedness of a child's learning. He never hesitates to try something new if it supports a child." Ramey lives his phi - losophy in two ways, Davis said. First, he is a very hands-on superintendent who is interested and ac- tively involved in knowing what is happening for kids in the district. In addition, he cultivates relationships with administrators, at- tends school activities, meets with every new teacher and cares about who is driving the buses and cooking the school meals each day, she said. Secondly, his decisions are guided by the questions "how is this best for kids" or "what is best for kids," Davis said. One way that Ramey has created a culture of doing what's best for kids is by personally meeting with each and every newly hired teacher and introducing them to the school's mis - sion and vision. People might be sur- prised to know that Ramey has a photographic mem- ory and never forgets the information he reads in a document or the name of a staff member, according to Bambi Lawlis, his executive assistant. "He wants to know every employee," she said. Teachers are overheard saying that when they have to make a decision, they think "What would Mr. Ramey say? He would say 'Do what's best for kids,'" Lawlis said. All employees are impor - tant because they all have a tremendous opportunity to make an impact on a child's life, from the bus drivers who greet students as they get on the bus in the morning to the cafete - ria workers who serve them their meals, Ramey said. "My skill set is that I love people but especially kids," Ramey said. "Young chil- dren deserve a committed adult. If you are going to get into education and you are going to go into teach- ing you are also going to go into a commitment to make a difference for kids. It's not about the money and it's not about the job, it's about how you can serve kids and families and how can you be an impact - ful, positive influence in their life." Retirement Ramey may be retiring, but he will always be a Pan- ther, he said. The decision to retire has been difficult because after 52 years he still has plenty of energy and pas- sion for supporting public education. However, he also wants to spend some time with his children and grandchildren as well as travel. "The hardest thing for me is leaving the school district," Ramey said. "I'm finally graduating after 52 years. The bottom line is I have absolutely loved it and I'm not sure how I'm going to fill that void yet. I do love watching teachers teach and watching kids grow and develop." He plans to stay involved with his church and attend plenty of athletic events to cheer on the Panthers. "It's been a wonderful experience," he said. "I'm blessed to serve Siloam. It's been a labor of love and I've been blessed with the trust of families' most important thing in their life, which is their children. To share that is a beautiful calling and I've immensely appreciated parent's trust - ing our leadership with Siloam Proud 2C n Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Siloam Springs Herald-Leader 214 N Wright St • Siloam Springs, AR 479.373.6688 www.ziggywurst.com www.nlcss.com 479.524.4823 1611 Cheri Whitlock Dr. Siloam Springs, AR 72761 We love Siloam Springs & exist to help serve the needs of those that call this place home. Our church motto is "A caring church for a hurting world." That's what we strive to be to our community. We'd love for you to join our church family. sundays at 9 or 11am. Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader Superintendent Ken Ramey and Mary Thomas stood together during dedication of the Career Academy of Siloam Springs (CASS) building in honor of the late edu- cator and school board member Louie Thomas in 2016. Developing the school district's career and technical program was one of Ramey's many accomplishments during his tenure. Ramey Continued from Page 1C 441 Hwy. 412 W. • Siloam Springs 479-524-5131 WassonFuneralHome.com Our family helping your family yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Local expertise you can trust. 10345207 Subject to terms, conditions and availability. Savings vary. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co. © 2018 Allstate Insurance Co. Tony Vincent Agency 479-439-0633 101 N. Broadway St., Ste. 102 tonyvincent@allstate.com Call or stop by to see how much you can save. As your local Allstate Agent, I understand the unique coverage needed for the homes and cars in our community, and which coverage you may not need. You could say I'm an expert at getting you the protection you want with the savings you deserve. Call, email or stop by my office for a free quote today.