By Phyllis Fleshman
According to a news report, Dr. Ben Yocom will take over as the new superintendent of the Aurora R-8 School District in Mt. Vernon, Missouri this coming July. He replaces Dr. Billy Redus, who served as superintendent for six years and is retiring at the end of this school year.
Yocom began his career in Greenfield R-IV in 2001, where he spent two years as a teacher and a coach. In 2003, he went to the Crawford County R-1 School District, where he was a teacher, coach, assistant principal, athletic director and high school principal.
He went to his present position as Superintendent of Schools in Milan C-2 in 2014. He earned a Bachelor’s of Arts from Iowa Wesleyan University in 2001, a master’s in education in 2005 from William Woods University, followed by a Specialist’s in Education from William Woods in 2007, and a Doctorate in Education from Lindenwood University in 2012.
Dr. Yocom and his wife Michelle, have two adult children, a 10 year old foster son and two grandchildren.
