2022 Inductees

Described as “personifying commitment to the community,” Caudillo has continued to place a strong emphasis on education, integrating it into every program and event – including redesigning the foundation of early childhood education with the Academia de Ninos. She also has taken an “innovative strategy” with El Centro’s workforce development, adding educational modules that are linked to workplace safety and OSHA.

Caudillo’s passion for service and strong commitment to the Wyandotte County community is even more evident in her work outside of El Centro. She has served on the Kansas City, Kansas Board of Education, the Board of Directors for the Wyandotte Health Foundation and has served as an advisor to the KCKCC Downtown Campus project. As a transformative project coming to downtown KCK, Caudillo believes in the vision for a comprehensive community education location that embraces inclusion.

As the first Latina to serve on the KCKPS Board of Education, she understands the importance of having equitable representation and perspective that advance conversations to help young people reach their full potentials. She is not afraid to do difficult work, ask questions and advocate for others. As a mentor, her support and encouragement has been invaluable to many she has worked with, developing the skillsets and talents of others as they look to accomplish their goals.

A 1959 graduate of Kansas City Kansas Junior College, Ellison became the first African American to be named a Junior College All-American basketball player. He was known for his jump shot and went on to play ball for the University of Kansas. While at KU, he earned a bachelor of science degree in education in 1962 and eventually a master of science degree in education in 1970.

Ellison served the Kansas City, Kansas School District for more than 30 years, developing a special bond with many of the students, families and coworkers during that time. He worked at Dunbar Elementary and Northeast Junior High School before becoming vice principal at both Washington High School and Sumner Academy, where he was beloved by Sumner alumni and coworkers. His effectiveness across ethnic and racial lines was evident in his role at both high schools.

A dedicated civic leader who addressed issues of diversity, race and cultural divisions in Wyandotte County and throughout the state of Kansas, he was elected to the Unified Government’s Board of Commissioners in 2001, serving as the District 8 representative for 12 years. His election to what was then a predominantly white district was evidence of his effectiveness in acting with great integrity for all citizens of Wyandotte County.

Ellison passed away in 2019 and in his honor, the Benoyd “Butch” Myers-Ellison Scholarship Endowment was created both at the KCKCC Foundation and the University of Kansas by Drs. Nolen and Carole Ellison to continue the Ellison Family Legacy as educators and community leaders.

Under his leadership, he created the KCKCC Faculty and Staff Development Office, which provided growth opportunities for all employees through annual workshops, training and activities. He was also one of the founding board members of the Kansas City Professional Development Council, which provides professional development to higher education institutions throughout Kansas City.

At the national level, he served on the board for the North American Council for Staff, Program and Organizational Development, and in 2002, he was recognized by the NCSPOD with the National Leadership Award for Distinguished Service to Staff, Program and Development.

As coordinator of KCKCC’s Law Enforcement Program, Hayes partnered with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department to develop credit courses that matched the requirements of the KCK Police Academy. He also spearheaded the effort to move the Police Academy to the KCKCC Main Campus in the building now known as the Dr. Michael Haen Police Academy. It was named in honor of a KCKCC faculty member killed in the line of duty as a Reserve Officer for the Kansas City Kansas Police Department.

Outside of education, Hayes served as a volunteer firefighter in the Piper and Basehor areas and helped to start a fire department for the Stranger Township. The first fire chief of this new department, he successfully led an effort to build a new fire station in the late 1990s.

She is one of the state’s biggest supporters of early childhood learning and K-12 education and is always looking for ways to improve the educational opportunities for all of the state’s students. As a member of the state’s Ways and Means Committee, she has proved instrumental in ensuring all public schools have adequate funding and appropriate support for both students and instructors. As a state senator, she founded the Early Learning Caucus to identify and promote bipartisan interventions that will help children be successful in their most formative years. In her role on the education committee, she has worked to ensure that the best policies are created to support individual school districts and the community.

Her passion for education stems from her more than 35 years as an educator in the Turner School District, where she served in many leadership roles to promote education for the most at-risk students.

Outside of education, Pettey has served on the Unified Government’s Board of Commissioners for District 6, the Mayor’s Council against domestic violence, the Wyandotte County Library Board and the Kansas City Kansas Women’s Chamber Executive Board, among others.

Her service and commitment to Wyandotte County and the state of Kansas has been unwavering as she works to strengthen the public education system on the local and state level and improve the life of all students in Kansas.