Jeffery and Tracy Strickland
Jeffrey and Tracy Strickland
Jeffrey and Tracy Strickland are distinguished graduates, who graduated from Buffalo High School in 1991 and 1994, respectively. They both attended Long Lane Elementary and all 13 years in Dallas County Schools. Jeff and Tracy declare the impact the community made in their lives and have been ardent supporters of the school district and the community through many leadership activities.
Tracy’s parents always told her she could be anything she wanted to be. She loved attending school in Dallas County and participated in many activities, such as Student Council and athletics. She always had the support of teachers and staff to help her problem solve and prepare for adulthood. Her education and experiences attending the Dallas County Technical Center taught her professionalism and a strong work ethic. She gained work experience at O’Bannon Bank and Edward Jones before she acquired the local Shelter Insurance Agency in 2004.
Many people in the community have impacted Tracy, including Bob and Sue Lyon, Ed and Marsha Copeland, Hildreth Swanigan, Jim Brown, Martha Lewis, Bill Monday, and Linda Portman, to name a few. She cherishes her family, her salvation, and her small town values. Tracy is grateful to live, work, and raise their children in a generous and selfless community where people look out for one another. There is nowhere she would rather be.
Jeff learned a strong work ethic from his father who was known for never missing a day of work. His mother taught him to have a generous heart by her example. She gave so much to the Long Lane Carnival by volunteering her time, making stuffed animals, pies, bread, and so much more.
Jeff attended Long Lane Elementary through the 6th grade. His teacher Barbara Randall had the biggest influence on Jeff. He loved Buffalo High School shop teachers Ray Bolin and George Blowers. He was positively impacted by many others, including Jan Alford and Terry Halleran.
Jeff began his own lawn mowing business at the young age of 10. His father would drop him off to mow and return to pick him up when he was finished. It wasn’t long before Keith Cully recruited him at age 14 to work at the local Western Auto after school and on Saturdays. Mr. Cully let him off work to play one sport and Jeff chose football. Mr. Cully and his wife, Carol, were great mentors. Jeff learned salesmanship working in their retail business, along with repair of small engines, such as mowers and chainsaws. President Jim Hayes of O’Bannon Bank gave Jeff his first bank loan to purchase a new lawn mower for $500. While Jeff attended college for a short time he worked at Bass Pro Shops. He went on to work at Associated Wholesale Grocers, the Dallas County School District driving a school bus, MFA Oil delivering farm fuel, and as a real estate agent before joining Tracy at Shelter Insurance in 2007.
Jeff and Tracy Strickland are distinguished for their commitment to community service and their support of the students in the Dallas County School District. Through Shelter Insurance they have awarded scholarships to Buffalo High School Seniors and Skyline High School Seniors for the past 14 years. It is a pleasure for them to follow the success of scholarship recipients and see them achieve their career goals. Jeff and Tracy are also strong supporters of many school programs including the young men of the Bison football team.
Jeff and Tracy serve the community in many ways. They are proud of the positive changes that have occurred in the community and school district over the years. Jeff and Tracy have served on the Leadership Buffalo steering committee and as facilitators for the program for the past three years. Their work with Leadership Buffalo focuses on encouraging leadership and growth of students in the community. It also encourages community leadership growth for the betterment of the community. They contribute to the welfare of the area by serving and supporting church based efforts such as Alpha House.
They are members of Rotary Club in which Tracy has served as President of the organization. They both enjoy working with students to provide leadership experiences for them through the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy and Government Day in Jefferson City.
Jeff and Tracy have made their home in Dallas County and been married 29 years. They have three exceptional daughters, who are also Buffalo graduates, and three grandchildren. Their daughter Kaylee and husband Michael McConnell live in Tucson, Arizona with their two year old son, Tucker. Kaylee graduated from Missouri S&T with a Bachelor’s Degree in Metallurgical Engineering.
Their daughter Kersten and husband, Derick Harris live in Long Lane with their two children, Kade, four years old, and Kimber, three years old. Kersten is a stay at home mom.
Their daughter Kathrine is a student at Missouri S&T, pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering.
Jeff and Tracy Strickland have made a significant positive impact on the Dallas County community and Dallas County School District. They both exhibit solid moral integrity and provide strong counsel and friendship to many. They are very proud of their community and the recent community growth and improvements. The Dallas County School District is proud to induct them into the Dallas County Schools Hall of Fame.
The Dallas County Schools Board of Education established the Dallas County Schools Hall of Fame in 2012. The Hall of Fame is designed to recognize outstanding alumni, former staff, or exceptional supporters of the Dallas School District. Nominations for the Hall of Fame can be submitted to the Superintendent of Schools at any time; however, the formal application process begins in January of each year. The official Hall of Fame is located in the lobby of the Shewmaker Center. The Hall of Fame presentations can be found on our bisonpride.org website. This year’s inductees bring the total membership to 26.