Leadership Team
Superintendent
Dr. Kim Dyce
Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Dr. Kim J. Dyce believes that “every child deserves a champion” (Rita Pierson, 2013).
In 1990, Dr. Dyce began her teaching career in Rochester, New York. While teaching in the Rochester City School District, she had the opportunity to work in various school environments and where she taught grades 6th – 12th. During this time, she fell in love with education and chose to pursue an administrative position. Then in 1991, she graduated from the University of Rochester with a Master’s in Education. She later pursued her second Master’s in Educational Administration.
In 1996, Dr. Dyce began her administrative career as a House Administrator. Over a seven-year period, she moved up in her district to become the principal of Benjamin Franklin Educational Campus. During that time, she led the implementation of three small learning communities and a Montessori elementary school. In 1998, she returned to the University of Rochester to pursue her doctorate in education, completing it in 2005.
Over a 20-year period in the Rochester City School District, Dr. Dyce worked as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and Chief of Staff. During her tenure, she was viewed as a leadership and change agent that supported the academic success of every child. She always worked diligently to ensure that all students had equal access and opportunity to a quality educational experience.
In 2013, Dr. Dyce moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to serve as Deputy Superintendent of Schools in Tulsa Public Schools. There she and her team effectively developed a strategic plan to address the declining graduation rate and student suspensions which resulted in an 8% reduction in suspensions and a 17% decrease in missed school days in 2016.
Dr. Dyce served as Managing Director: Collective Leadership, Teach For America in Oklahoma City. In her role, Kim was charged with setting the direction for corps member placements, alumni affairs, and school leadership towards a cohesive, coherent, and impactful school turnaround initiative.
In 2017, Dr. Kim J. Dyce started her new role in Muskogee Public Schools. She currently serves at the Executive Director for Teaching and Learning. In her role, she oversees K-12 instruction, district-wide professional development and parent engagement.
Shannon Turner
Executive Director of Federal Programs
Shannon Turner is the Executive Director of Federal Programs overseeing all federal grants, district assessment, counseling services, district accreditation, the Reading Sufficiency Act, Indian Education, and Special Education.
Ms. Turner began her career as a special education teacher for Wagoner Public Schools. Working with children of all disabilities and challenges, she operated a resource room and managed their inclusion program. After earning her Master’s Degree in School Administration/Supervision, she became the Director of the Wagoner County STEP (Structured Educational Program) School. Adjudicated students were assigned to this “boot camp program” either in lieu of going to a state detention center or as a halfway house for teenage students being released from a facility. While this was a trial by fire experience, it prepared her for her next position as an administrator for Oliver Middle School of the Broken Arrow School District.
Before coming to Muskogee Public Schools last year, Ms. Turner spent seven years as the Executive Director of Federal Programs for Broken Arrow. Throughout these years, she wore many management hats as part of the instructional team, supervising everything from secondary special education to virtual school to the media specialists. Her mainstay programs were all of the federal programs, BA Alternative Academy, the Margaret Hudson Program, Indian Education, K-12 STEM, and Career Tech programs.
Ms. Turner is the proud mother of her son Alex, a senior in high school, and has been married for twenty-seven years. Her devotion to education and her family are her passions in life. She feels it is an honor to serve Muskogee Roughers students, staff and parents every day!
John Little
Chief Financial Officer
John Little has served as Chief Financial Officer at Muskogee Public Schools since 2000. He joined MPS as the Business Manager in 1986. He began his career in public accounting with Moffitt, Parker & Company as an auditor.
Little earned his bachelor’s degree with a double major in Accounting and Business Administration from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla. John is a veteran of the United States Air Force.
As CFO, Little leads the financial services division which is responsible for leading and coordinating the financial activities of the district. The services offered include purchasing and procurement, treasury, accounts payable, financial reporting, budget, activity funds, bond funds and risk management.
He also supervises and is responsible for the District maintenance, technology, transportation, security, and child nutrition services divisions.
Eric Wells
Chief Information Officer
Mr. Wells serves as the Chief Information Officer for Muskogee Public Schools. He previously served four years as Director of Information Systems at MPS. Prior to joining Muskogee Public Schools, Eric was the Director of Technology and Systems Administrator at Hilldale Public Schools.
He graduated summa cum laude as he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Systems from Northeastern State University.
During his time outside of work, Eric volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and has served three years as Board President of RISE (Restoring Identities after Sexual Exploitation) Shelter. Eric is also an inaugural board member for the CoSN Chapter in Oklahoma, serving on the Oklahoma Council of Educational Technology Leaders (OCETL).
As CIO, Mr. Wells leads the technology division of MPS which includes 5 different divisions: Help Desk and Business Systems, Technical Support. Data Systems, Enrollment/SIS, and some instructional pieces such as the FabLab and 1:1 student laptop hardware and support.
Lori Boots
Director of Human Resources
Lori Boots has been Director of Human Resources at Muskogee Public Schools since October 2017. Prior to joining MPS she served as Human Resources Manager with Walmart Distribution Center 6035 in Ottawa, Kan. since 2013. She spent three years as HR Project Manager with Walmart Stores, Inc. in Bentonville, Ark. and six years as Human Resources Manager at the Walmart Distribution Center 7015 in Bartlesville, Okla. Boots spent eight years as a Human Resources Manager with American Insulated Wire Corporation.
She earned her Associate of Arts from Coffeyville Community College before obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Kansas.
Steve Braun
Director of Communications and Marketing
Carla Cooper
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent