COVID-19 Heroes

Mary Scott Buck was born and raised in Murray, Kentucky. She is married to Lawrence Buck and has two sons, Jordan and Logan. Prior to the pandemic, Buck was a stay-at-home mom and a jewelry designer of 13 years.

With the pandemic, came many changes. Several stores closed while others modified their service hours and restaurants shifted to carry-out only. Basic essentials like toilet paper were flying off the shelves, and people thought they had struck gold if they were lucky enough to find disinfecting wipes. In a world of differences, COVID-19 somehow demonstrated that we’re all human and all in search of the same thing – even if that thing is toilet paper.

It was then, in March of 2020, that Buck saw a need for one consolidated resource to keep everyone in the loop. Her personal Facebook news feed was filled with people searching for answers to the same community-based questions. For that reason, she established the Calloway County Collective, a public Facebook group that currently includes well over 6,000 members. In the group, members were able to alert others when a store restocked their shelves with paper products, cleaning supplies, food, hygiene materials, and other items. Today, posts in the Facebook group typically take the form of members asking for help, keeping others informed on local issues, or hoping to donate items they no longer use.

During the winter storms of February 2021, many people in our community suffered hardships involving prepaid electricity bills. Through the Collective, Buck started a fundraiser that resulted in raising nearly $20,000 to help those who were struggling. This, of course, is also thanks to many generous individuals and anonymous donors.

The Calloway County Collective was recently absorbed under the umbrella of the United Way of Murray-Calloway County. This new partnership allows the Collective to operate with 501(c)3 status, meaning it is tax-exempt, can offer tax-deductions to those who donate, and can also write and request grants.

The group has come a long way in the past year or so, but it all began with one person’s idea. We are thrilled to present a COVID-19 Hero award to Mary Scott Buck.

Dr. Dina Byers earned Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing degrees from Murray State University. She earned a PhD from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and is a licensed Registered Nurse (RN) and board-certified Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). She has over 20 years of experience as an RN and over 18 years as a nursing educator.

Byers was hired at Murray State University in 2004. She has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate nursing courses. In 2009, she was appointed to serve as the nursing graduate coordinator and was instrumental in developing and implementing the first doctoral program at Murray State University. She has served as the interim dean and dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions since 2019.

Byers has been involved with many successful accreditation site visits for the BSN, MSN, and DNP programs. As dean, she has led several successful program accreditations, including the initial accreditation of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and reaccreditation of the didactic program in dietetics in nutrition and the dietetic internship programs. She has published research in family caregiving and health status of diverse populations who are at risk for health disparities. She has written multiple grants, which provided funding to graduate students enrolled in the graduate nursing program. More recently, Byers and two colleagues were awarded a large grant to fund a simulation center. She has served as a nursing leader in Kentucky by serving on the Board of Nursing for eight years - as both president and vice-president of the Board. Other service includes serving as part of the Kentucky Nursing Deans and Directors organization.

When COVID-19 vaccinations became available in Calloway County, Dean Byers and students in the School of Nursing and Health Professions at Murray State eagerly took to their new post at the CFSB Center, a regional vaccination site, to administer thousands of life-saving immunizations. There is no doubt that the Murray State community and the region at large are better off as a result of the work accomplished by Byers and her students. We are proud to present them with a COVID-19 Hero award.

Dr. Robert Hughes, local Family Physician and co-founder of Primary Care Medical Center (now Village Medical Primary Care), is no stranger to big ideas and big challenges. Dr. Bob, as he is commonly known while maintaining and managing one of the largest primary care practices in Kentucky, has also been busy over the years working on behalf of those less fortunate through public policy involvement, philanthropy, and volunteerism. Locally, he started a charitable organization, Helping His Kids, which has provided a Christmas for over 18,000 children. He has also been heavily involved in higher education, serving on the University of Louisville Board of Trustees from 2005-2016. He served two years as Chairman of the Board at a time when UofL was moving into the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference, and Hughes was named Alumnus of the Year in 2014.

The work Hughes is most proud of is the time spent in public policy on behalf of the impoverished through his leadership in Medicaid policy. He chaired and oversaw the Medicaid pharmaceutical program for nine years, driving an annualized increase from a 26% annual increase to a -0.6% increase. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services recognized him with their first and only Superior Service Award for his work in this area in 2003. He has served under five governors and been on two Transition Teams - both Republican and Democrat. Little did he know when he wrote the state’s public health policy recommendations in the Transition Team’s document in December of 2019 that the COVID-19 pandemic was just a few months away.

The knowledge Hughes has gained through years of involvement in bigger issues statewide and nationally, plus keeping up to date, has been used extensively in our community to help Murray State and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. “I have developed a wonderful working relationship with President Bob Jackson and his team, and through that I have gained a much deeper appreciation for their talents and hard work,” said Hughes. "We all have worked hard as a team on a number of initiatives, including the Regional Vaccination Center, to benefit our fellow citizens. This is work that we can all be proud of."

In April of 2020, Hughes created a public Facebook group called Coronavirus Calloway County for the purpose of keeping the community updated on COVID-19 news from a local doctor's perspective. At a time when everyone had far more questions than answers, Hughes' online presence helped to provide factual and relevant information from a trusted, first-hand source. For all of these reasons, we are honored to present Dr. Robert Hughes with a COVID-19 Hero award.

Karen Jackson is a native of Lyon County with deep roots in the Land Between the Lakes region. She received the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Murray State University, and her clinical background is in intensive care nursing and pediatrics. While on campus, Jackson was a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha social sorority and remains involved as an alumnae member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Advisory Board. She has an endowed leadership scholarship in her name that she personally directs to two collegians each year.

Jackson is a past member of the Murray Independent School District Foundation for Excellence, serving as the Chairwoman for the Tuition Assistance Committee. She is a 10+ year service member of the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana.

Jackson is married to Murray State President Bob Jackson and serves as the current First Lady of the University. Together, they are the proud parents of Nolan and Mariel Jackson.

Using her background in nursing, this First Lady stepped up in a special way during the pandemic, working at the CFSB Center, a regional vaccination site, and representing Murray State well. If you received a COVID-19 vaccine at this site, you probably saw Mrs. Jackson, whether or not you realized it. She was likely dressed in scrubs and working diligently alongside other valued members of our School of Nursing and Health Professions. For her service, we are pleased to present Karen Jackson with a COVID-19 Hero award.

Todd Terry is finishing his 24^th year as an educator. He began his career teaching K-5 general music in Vail, Colorado, for two years while on a singing ski team during the weekends.

Terry worked for 15 years at Sayre School in Lexington, Kentucky, where he wore many hats, including general music teacher in grades 5-8, middle school choir director, rock band director, director of music and choreographer for middle school musicals, 6^th grade faculty team leader, and 6^th grade discipline coordinator. During his tenure at Sayre, Terry won the Short Award and Board of Trustees Award for Teaching Excellence.

Currently, Terry is completing his 7^th year teaching at East Calloway Elementary where he normally teaches K-5 general music but this year has taught distance-learner regular education for grades one, three, and four. He has taught private piano, voice, and guitar for 26 years. Terry is a member of East Elementary’s SBDM, is the CCEA East Elementary Building Representative, and is very involved in KMEA District One. He is a member of KEA, KMEA, Quad-State Orff Association, and the education committee at Murray’s Playhouse in the Park.

Terry earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Murray State and an Orff Level One Certification from the University of Kentucky. Terry met his wife, Alison Brown, at Murray State, and they will celebrate their 25^th wedding anniversary this summer. The couple has one daughter, Ella, who will graduate from Murray High School this spring and will attend the Lewis Honors College at the University of Kentucky this fall.

Terry is a prime example of what it takes to be an effective educator: flexibility, innovation, and the innate ability to connect with others. In the spring of 2020, he quickly altered in-person music class lessons to ensure meaningful arts and humanities activities could be completed at home using materials families would have easily available. He created and hosted an ongoing, interactive morning show featuring students and staff that aired on non-traditional instructional (NTI) days during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. These videos created a sense of community and togetherness for all East Elementary students, families, and staff while learning and teaching from afar.

In the 2020-21 school year, Terry was asked to depart from arts and humanities instruction and assume the role of a virtual educator. Though he had never taught regular education classes, he accepted the challenge and excelled, serving as a virtual homeroom/regular education teacher for grades 1-5. The mix of students and grade levels taught switched up many times, but he adapted quickly and ensured all students were served with a smile. He has spent countless hours assisting his students' caregivers on how to use technology effectively to support their children's progress and working individually to instruct and tutor students outside of regular class meetings.

Terry has embraced the educational and personal challenges of all learners during the pandemic and provided a safe harbor during turbulent times. He is a role model for his peers, demonstrating what successful and fun distance learning should look like, and he is the type of teacher every parent desires for their children, especially now. It is without hesitation that we present Mr. Todd Terry with a COVID-19 Hero award.