Most Rev. Edward M. Rice was appointed the 7^th bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese in 2016.

For Bishop Rice’s Curriculum Vitae click here.

Degrees and Certification: Bachelor of Science in Biology from Rockhurst College; Masters of Education in Administration from William Woods University

Professional Memberships: National Association of Secondary School Principals; Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals – Southeast Region; Missouri Nonpublic School Accrediting Association Board of Directors; Diocese of Springfield Cape Girardeau School Board Member; Knights of Columbus; National Catholic Educational Association

Recognitions: American Legion Teacher of the Year; Missouri State Baseball Coaches Association Groundskeeper of the Year; Notre Dame Athletic Hall of Fame member

2024-2025: 24 years of service to Notre Dame High School

Degrees and Certifications: Bachelor’s in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Missouri; Master’s in Sport & Athletic Administration from Gonzaga University

2024-2025: 1st year of service to Notre Dame High School

JP Thompson, a 2007 Notre Dame graduate, is a co-founder, partner and financial advisor with Thompson Schoch Financial Advisors. Thompson specializes in holistic planning and execution of retirement, investment, and insurance solutions for businesses and individuals.

Thompson is a graduate of the University of Missouri Columbia, with a B.S. in Business Administration, Finance, Banking and Real Estate and Bergamo University in Italy. He created the Alumni Mentoring Program at the University of Missouri that has created 100+ Professional and Student relationships for professional development and job replacement.

Thompson and his wife, Carter, welcomed Livingston “Liv” James in 2018, and Vieira Grace in 2022.

Katie M. Fennewald, M. Ed., is employed at Eyecare Specialists, LLC. Cape Girardeau, in the role of Patient and Professional Relations Liaison. A graduate of the University of Missouri, with a bachelor of Science in Agriculture (1990) and a Masters of Business Education, Katie has been a strong supporter of Catholic education throughout her life. In 2010, she was named Volunteer of the Year at Incarnate Parish, Centerville, OH, where she taught her religious education classes, served on the school board, coordinated Pro-Life events, and led bible studies. Fennewald is active in a variety of civic and Catholic organizations in the area including the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocesan Endowment Board, Camp Renewall, Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), and she serves on the Fitness Plus Advisory Board at St. Francis Medical Center. Katie is an active parishioner of St. Augustine Parish, where she is chair of the School Auction Business Committee and a member of St. Anne’s Sodality. In addition, she is a member of the Notre Dame Booster Club, and Knights of Columbus Women’s Auxillary 6420. Katie and her husband, Kevin, have three children. Their son, John, attends Notre Dame (’15) and their daughters Clare and Ellie, attend St. Augustine School.

Robert P. Essner is a partner in Essner, Miles and Modde, LLC. in Sikeston and has been a Foundation board member since 1986. He is a 1973 graduate of Notre Dame and a 1976 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University in with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Missouri Society of CPAs. He is a past president and officer of the Kelso Jaycees and has served as treasurer of the Kelso Youth League, Inc. He is a member of St. Augustine Parish, Kelso, and its parish finance committee, and Knights of Columbus Council 6420. Essner and his wife, Karla, have three children, all graduates of Notre Dame High School; Nathan (’99), Bonnie (’00), and Lee (’04).

Megan Andrews is an attorney that practices in the areas of personal injury, workers compensation and business litigation.  She practiced in St. Louis before returning home in 2014 to join the law firm of Layton & Southard, LLC.  She is a 2004 graduate of Notre Dame, 2008 honors graduate of Maryville University (B.A. in Legal Studies, Minor in Business Administration) and a 2011 graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law with a concentration in Civil Litigation Skills.

Megan is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Cape Girardeau Area, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, American Association for Justice, Missouri Bar and Illinois Bar.

Megan is married to Josh Andrews, who is the general manager of Stone Mountain, a family-owned business in Cape Girardeau

Carolyn F. Bohnert is Senior Vice-President/Treasurer of Drury Southwest, Inc. She and her husband, Bill, are 1960 graduates of Cape Catholic High School, predecessor to Notre Dame. The couple has three children — Jeff (’83), Tammy (’82), and Lindsay (’01) — all graduates of Notre Dame. Their grandchildren continue to graduate from Notre Dame. Bohnert is a member of the Notre Dame Booster Club. She has been a tireless volunteer in Notre Dame Bingo fundraising since its inception in 1991, and received the Foundation Annunciation Award for her efforts. Bohnert was treasurer of the Show-Me Blades Figure Skating Club for 10 years. A member of St. Vincent De Paul Parish, she has served as president of its Parish Council of Catholic Women and is a member of Friends of St. Francis, a support organization of St. Francis Medical Center.

Brad Elfrink is a commercial lender with Wood & Huston Bank. He is a 1984 graduate of Notre Dame and a 1990 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. He is married to Tara Elfrink who is a realtor with Edge Realty. They are members of Immaculate Conception Parish. They have 3 children, Kayla, is a 4^th grade teacher at Jackson RII School District, Parker, is a sophomore at Southeast Missouri State, and Paige is a recent Notre Dame graduate and will be attending Missouri State in the fall. Brad was previously the President of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce and is currently a trustee for the Bishop Timon Building Association.

Alison Ferrell , MA, CCC-SLP, is currently a stay at home mom to 3 young daughters. She previously worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist at local hospitals in Cape Girardeau where she specialized in the rehabilitation of adults with cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders. She received her Master of Arts Degree in Communication Disorders at Southeast Missouri State University in 2011 where she also served as President of Catholic Campus Ministry. Alison is a class of 2005 Notre Dame graduate. She is married to Matthew Ferrell, a partner at the law firm Johnson, Schneider and Ferrell LLC and co-owner of Main Street Title.  The Ferrell’s are members of Saint Vincent De Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau.

Jeff Hux is a lifelong resident of Sikeston. He attended Texas A&M University and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Agricultural Engineering Department with a minor in Agronomy.  Jeff is currently the manager for Triangle Farms, which produces commodities as well as Hux Farm Agency, which manages farmland.

Jeff currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Missouri Delta Medical Center.  He also serves on several boards within the agricultural community including Cotton Incorporated as chairman of audit committee, Staplcotn (a cotton marketing cooperative), and Cotton Producers of Missouri.

His wife of twenty years is Tara Hux.   They have 3 children: Nicholas, Notre Dame Class of 2020; Connor, Notre Dame Class of 2022; and a daughter Savannah, age 10 who runs the household.  His family attends St. Francis Xavier Parish in Sikeston.

Mr. Maurer co-founded Mayson Capital Partners (Mayson Capital) as a private investment firm based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  Mayson Capital’s core investments include convenience stores, hotels, and a commercial real estate portfolio.  Other investments include a community bank, a general contracting business, restaurants, and a technology-driven self-storage business.  Mayson Capital also allocates capital to venture investments with opportunities for disrupting industries and generating significant growth.

Mr. Maurer previously served as President of PAJCO Holdings, Inc (PAJCO). PAJCO operates the Rhodes Convenience Stores, Imo’s Pizza restaurants, and Riverbend Fuels in southern Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky. Mr. Maurer also led project teams on several commercial real estate developments including the $30 million historic renovation of buildings that launched the Marquette Tech District in downtown Cape Girardeau. He continues to participate directly in portfolio businesses and serves as a director for several companies.

Mr. Maurer earned an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School in New York, NY and an M.B.A. from London Business School in London, UK. He also earned a B.A. in biology from Saint Louis University and is an instrument rated private pilot. Jeff lives in Cape Girardeau, Missouri with his wife, Lauren, who also earned M.B.A. degrees from Columbia Business School and London Business School. Jeff and Lauren have a son, Ren, and daughter, Grayson.

Mr. Maurer serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for Southeast Missouri Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SE MO REDI). Jeff previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce and also for the Codefi Foundation for Rural Innovation and it’s 1st50k Competition Committee. Jeff served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (BBBS-EMO) and was a Big Brother for 7 years.

Herb Wedemeier is employed as the corporate lawyer for DSW, Inc. Herb and his wife Leslie are members of St. Mary Parish in Cape Girardeau. All three of their children are graduates of ND, Jack ’07, Luke ’09, and Ben ’14.

Additional Duties: Ex-officio member of the NDHS Education Fund Foundation

Degrees and Certifications: Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from Southeast Missouri State University; Master of Public Administration from Southeast Missouri State

Professional Memberships: Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce

2024-25: 4 years of service to Notre Dame High School