LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dr. Aaron Zalis was nominated by his district's board of education.

Dr. Zalis has been working in education for 34 years, spending eight years as an art teacher and 26 years as an administrator for Rolla Public Schools. After 34 years of service, Dr. Zalis will be retiring this school year. He has quipped about his future writings to summarize and share his experiences.  Each chapter would reflect his various hurdles and successes. Chapters might include teaching art or teaching college students who want to teach in the classroom. Multiple chapters might include subject matter from his first 16 years in school administration, or from the last ten years as Superintendent.  

Dr. Zalis has been awarded many deserving recognitions over the years from organizations such as the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA), where he served on their Ethics Committee and served as the Association’s president, among other offices. He was awarded the MASA Pearce Award in the 2016-2017 school year.  Dr. Zalis has many years of volunteer service on the Public School Retirement System Board of Trustees, where he served as chairman for several years.  Locally, he has been involved in the Rolla Chamber of Commerce, Rolla Kiwanis, Rolla Rotary Club, Rolla Optimist Club as well as the United Way of South Central Missouri. 

During his career, Dr. Zalis has made personal connections with people at all levels.

“Dr. Zalis has been an educator in many capacities through his career, from teaching elementary students to becoming superintendent. At each level he has encouraged and engaged students to be their best," said Jane Haskell, a veteran Rolla Board of Education member. "His guidance has affected students at all levels, from elementary school through college, as he leads by example. He holds himself to high standards. The students he teaches seek to improve themselves because of the example he sets.” 

Dr. Zalis oversaw the implementation of a brand new pre-kindergarten program in 2018, interviewed hundreds of potential teachers, and implemented the Ten-Year Facility Plan for Rolla 31. In short, he joins people together in his schools and community.

“He has made an influential difference in the lives of all of his staff and students, as well as families connected to both," said Charla Jamison, Rolla Board of Education president. "His influence is woven throughout our district."

Dr. Zalis coined a phrase many years ago:  “It’s a great day to be a Bulldog.”  He has used this phrase to share his sunny disposition and lead people positively, even through difficult situations.  He broadcasted an update to the staff after every board meeting to share pertinent information and encourage everyone with his sign-off, “It’s a great day to be a Bulldog.” 

About five years ago, Dr. Zalis took this phrase literally and became a bulldog for a day. At the annual back-to-school teacher rally, the Bulldog mascot always makes an appearance, along with the marching band and cheerleaders. It’s quite the exciting kick-off to the school year. Little did the teachers know that a mid-meeting surprise revealed a sweaty but cheery Dr. Zalis, who was rewarded by a loud roar of support from his teachers and staff. He had spent extra time in the central office hallways over the summer trying on the costume and walking around in it.  He did not want to take a chance on any mishaps or problems.  His preparation for being the Bulldog mirrors his desire for excellence, even inside a mascot costume.  The atmosphere of school spirit, hard work, preparation, and excellence is fostered by his own standards and example.

The ever-changing education institution requires strong leadership and flexible understanding.  Dr. Zalis’ excellent communication skills demonstrated his leadership and flexibility at every turn. He teaches the teachers, administrators and community difficult concepts in a straightforward, truthful manner that's sprinkled with humor, self-awareness and years of experience.

“As a new board member, I appreciated the time Dr. Zalis took to educate new board members, both formally in the orientation process and through our journeys toward becoming more comfortable and familiar with the terminology, processes, and procedures," said Carla Clayton, a Board of Education member for three years.

Dr. Zalis' vision for his district has not been restricted to any one area.  He wants to connect and collaborate with people, resources, and facilities. Over the years, bond and levy issues have been on the ballots. Dr. Zalis’s plan to educate and openly communicate has proven to be very successful. Not everyone in the community voted yes, but Dr. Zalis went above and beyond, working extra hours to make sure the information was explained and communicated repeatedly. His work ethic is not to accept the status quo and assume his district has done enough.

When his community voted on the 2020 bond issue, the campaign committee had been on a roll, with positive, forward motion.  Then, COVID-19 hit. The date to vote was moved.  Schools were forced to close.  Community meetings were suspended.  As things changed, Dr. Zalis quickly pivoted to stay on pace with what the community could handle, while still keeping people informed.  The campaign and education speeches took a break and came back full-force, not skipping a beat. The end result was a big win.  Dr. Zalis immediately thanked the campaign committee and supporters.  He was proud of the efforts, the results, and the coming improvements for his students.

As his career concluded at the end of the 2019-20 school year, Dr. Zalis once again ignited his staff with important perspectives. He spoke of culture, belonging, growth, purpose, passion.  He reminded the staff of his previous words of encouragement and instruction about the frailty of human nature and the demonstration of it through the COVID-19 shut down. Dr. Zalis shared his own ethics by asking his staff to process information through three filters before sharing:

Is it true?  Is it necessary?  Is it kind?

These statements come from Dr. Zalis’ heart and demonstrate a small part of his high moral and ethical standards.

“I value his calm leadership style and his ability to always put the welfare of our students first," said Tony Froehlich, a Rolla Board of Education member. "These, I believe, have helped create our positive atmosphere.” 

Superintendents from around the state rely on Dr. Zalis’ expertise and experience just as much as his own district does.  He is generous with his time, knowledgeable, and respected.  With some nearby districts, he has weekly or even daily conversations to share advice and information, especially during the unprecedented complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The final chapter of Dr. Zalis’ future memoir (which we all hope he writes) will surely reflect his thoughts that no one has the step-by-step directions to success as a superintendent," said Jamison. "In the end, the rule book is thrown out. Experience, hard work, heart, relationships and ethics will be the guide - all qualities exemplified by Dr. Aaron Zalis."