Appointed for 3-year terms, the SB40 Board (dba Stone County Developmental Disability Board) is comprised of 9 members. We are required to have diverse representation on our board so that many different points of view can be heard. Some members have family with developmental disabilities, some come from a special education background, others are community members who have invested themselves in the success of this organization because they have a deep passion for the people we serve.
We are funded by a small portion (10 cents per $100 assessed value) of your property tax dollars that go toward services and supports for residents of Stone County who have developmental disabilities.
The board’s main job is to make sure the tax money collected for use is spent in the right way, according to State law and the needs of the Stone County community. We operate as a political sub-division of the State, but maintain a close working relationship with many County agencies, like the County Commission and Health Department, working for the common good of Stone County residents.
Meetings are open to the public and held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6pm in our office in Reeds Spring (click for map). If you have a comment or concern that you wish to see addressed, please contact LaDella Thomas at 417-272-0444 or Lthomas@stoneddboard.com.
Anne Coleman, Chair
I am a traveler through life. I practice being present in each moment to the best of my ability and can nearly always find plenty to be grateful for in my world. Stone County has been my home since 1977. Even though I love to travel and see new sights, when returning home I am awestruck with the beauty of our area and the goodness of our people.
I think the establishment of the Developmental Disability Board has been one of the most outstanding accomplishments undertaken in the past twenty years in Stone County. The folks served through the establishment of the tax a few years ago are some of our most beloved citizens and are deserving of any efforts we can provide to make life easier and more productive. After spending 38 years as an educator in the Reeds Spring R-IV School District, I was privileged to work with and among individuals with a variety of disabilities. While in school, their needs were met in a variety of ways. Once graduated, however, resources were often not available to provide the opportunities and experiences they needed. I always felt bad that more could not be done to provide them and their families with assistance. The efforts of the Developmental Disabilities Board have been an important step to provide help.
I am a proud life-long Midwesterner who was born in Kansas, attended high school in Nebraska, and raised boy-girl twins the in Kansas City Metro area. My husband and I moved to Stone County in 2018 and enjoy kayaking, shore fishing and just admiring the beauty of Table Rock Lake. Our adult children and one grandchild still live in Kansas City. My passion for persons with developmental disabilities started in my teens and has been woven through my work experiences ever since. Besides teaching elementary and middle school special education for 15 years, I have also worked as a direct care provider in both institutional and community living settings and between 2015 and 2017 oversaw the Community Employment Services Department at CASCO Area Workshop in Harrisonville. I feel strongly that all persons have a right to be respected and treated with dignity and am excited to bring my insight and experience to the SCDDB as it continues to expand its services to include residential living and supported employment in the next three years.
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, grew up in Western New York, attended college in Ohio and have since lived in Illinois, Florida and Texas before moving to Missouri to retire in 2017. I am a degreed Accountant who loves to fish for bass on Table Rock Lake with my wife of 45 years and our mentally handicapped son Kevin who is 33. In my spare time I also love to play golf and actively serve in our new church called Rock of the Ozarks Church. I love Stone County as it’s very similar to how I lived and grew up in a small town in western New York with its rolling hills and curvy roads. I chose to serve on the board in an effort to help all the kids and adults in Stone County who have developmental disabilities have a better life through active day programs, residential assistance and other programs and services as needed.
My passion for this work began years ago. I’ve spent the last 3 years working for Developmental Connections, the Taney County Board for the Developmentally Disabled running the supported employment program, day habilitation center, and sheltered workshop. Prior to that, I spent most of my career in Special Education, teaching Pre-Kindergarten through adults for over 11 years. I believe that every person matters and am a strong advocate of people who get to experience life differently than most others. Because of this personal philosophy, my husband and I run an outreach ministry called Celebrate Recovery, for those who have hurts, habits and hang-ups in life. I have served as a mentor and mock interviewer for Jobs for Life through the Jesus Was Homeless Organization and sponsored women as they find freedom and begin to live life as they were intended to. During my down time, I enjoy lake life in Stone County!
I am from Tulsa Oklahoma but grew up in Zambia, Africa with missionary parents. An avid sportsman, I am coaching my 20th season of soccer, enjoy running, and am a Tough Mudder participant (only some will understand!) After our oldest daughter was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, I pursued a career change to help people with ASD, and other developmental disabilities. Moving to Stone County in 2006, we discovered that no services were offered due to the lack of appropriate funding. I became involved in CHANCES of Stone County, helping lead to the passage of the SB40 board for Stone County in November 2016.
I was born in Iowa and fortunate enough to have my family buy a resort and move to Table Rock Lake when I was 6 years old. I can’t imagine having grown up anywhere other than our beautiful lake area. After graduating from SMS, now Missouri State, in 1992 I was eager to return to Stone County where my wife Susan and I have raised a wonderful family. I was thrilled and proud as a Stone Countian to see the passage of the tax that enabled the establishment of this board and am happy to now serve as a member. Our summers are spent enjoying the lake, whether on the dock or out on the boat. We love traveling to warm weather areas in the fall, winter, and spring and mixing in St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs games as well.
My family moved to Stone County from Tucson, Arizona, in 1992 when I was eleven years old. My husband and I have four incredible children. I have worked in the Reeds Spring School District for ten years. Six of those years have been as a paraprofessional at the elementary school. In 2021 I accepted our new Reset Room’s specialized support paraprofessional position. I have also been a bus driver for the district for the last 3 years. I believe one of the most important aspects of my job is building trusting relationships with my students. There is no better feeling than when a child truly has trust in you. My passion for learning about my students and my desire to advocate for them led me back to college. I am currently a full-time student, looking forward to earning my Special Education K-12 degree in December 2022. I’m excited and honored to be part of the SCDDB. My decision to serve on the board was made with the knowledge that the students I currently work with may one day need the services that the SCDDB provides to our community.
Growing up in Ozark, MO, Table Rock Lake was my home away from home every summer! When I attended College at Southwest Baptist University, I met my husband Kaleb, who was born and raised in Crane, Mo. About 11 years later, we decided to make Stone County our permanent residence and we built a house in September of 2019 in Crane. We now have two beautiful boys who keep up busy and are truly the joy of our lives. I am a Music Therapist, who has worked with persons with Developmental Disabilities for 8 years. I contract with The Center for Music Therapy and Creative Arts Services, Inc at their clinic in Monett. My husband is the Part time Music Minister at First Baptist Church Crane, where I help him lead worship and also lead the Children’s choir on Wednesday nights. My husband also works full time at Kimberling City Plumbing in Branson West, which is his family owned business that has been a staple in this community for 60 years! God has truly blessed my life and now I just want to be a blessing to others! Truly excited about serving on this Board!
