Nearly 5,000 people work to provide and support a quality education to more than 30,000 students in Des Moines. From school administrators and educators to bus drivers and technology professionals to food and nutrition providers to financial experts, these dedicated DMPS employees are committed to providing the best possible experience for students and families. Each month the Become Here Spotlight will shine on an administrator, an educator and a staff member to share a little more about the many people working to teach and support the children and students of our community, and in the words of those who nominated them for the recognition.

20231031 Picture3 2PATRICK LEWIS
Goodrell Middle School

Patrick Lewis is in his second year as an associate principal. He has demonstrated an authentic willingness to be vulnerable in order to foster a culture of trust and openness. He is committed to learning alongside and from others in order to develop his own leadership skills and abilities. He also builds strong relationships with all stakeholders through high expectations, thorough communication, and belief in providing opportunities for growth. Most importantly, if you know Mr. Lewis, you know that a joke is never too far away. His humor is appreciated and expected whenever he is around.

20231031 Picture2 2ASHLEY DOBSON
Madison Elementary School

Ashley Dobson, our Kindergarten Integrated Classroom Associate, is an integral part of our team at Madison Elementary School. Miss Ashley spends her days in our classrooms greeting kids with a smile each day, supporting all students, making sure students have access to grade level learning, and assisting teachers with instruction and all kinds of various tasks. She knows each and every one of our newest Madison Lions and is able to laugh, learn, and have fun with our students. One of our kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Stellner, says, “Ashley is a natural in the classroom,” she just knows how to help our kids and teachers be successful.  Miss Ashley is currently going to school to become a teacher, too. We are so thankful to have Miss Ashley Dobson at Madison Elementary School.

20231031 Picture1 2CHUONG VO
Business & Finance

Chuong started with DMPS in 2015 as a Business and Finance intern. He was a junior at Roosevelt High School and one of the first student interns in the department. In 2018, he became a full-time Accounts Payable Tech on the Business and Finance team. While in AP, he was a valuable team-player and worked with many DMPS employees inquiring about P-cards and travel reimbursement. Recently, in March of this year, Chuong joined the Payroll team as a Payroll Tech II. He continues to build his knowledge within the Business and Finance team and broaden his relationships with those in our buildings. After joining the Payroll team, Chuong has continued to help Accounts Payable over the last 7 months by training two new employees and assisting with the workload. We are very lucky to have Chuong with us here at DMPS!

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