Ms. Cobb is an outstanding principal. The parents at the school give her high praise and the students love her too. We love working with Ms. Cobb, whether on grants, projects or our endowed funds. She is always positive and kind. Katie Cobb is an unsung hero.

The IB Program is a college preparatory program where junior and senior year students take college level courses and earn college credit by taking exams at the end of the school year. As the IB Program Coordinator since 2021, Tom has emphasized the importance of community involvement and various life skills to help these students succeed in college and beyond. Recently, Tom has spearheaded a project that allowed students to beautify the Richwoods building by painting murals on the walls. Thank you Tom for over 25 years of service in Peoria Public Schools.

We are so grateful to our May PPS Foundation Hero, Lynette Fernandes, for all the support she has given with our career exploration programs. Lynette has been instrumental in aligning career speakers majoring in game design with volunteer opportunities sharing careers with PPS students. She has also volunteered her time by sharing her career with students both in person and virtually on multiple dates. Lynette spearheaded the Making the Grade volunteer supports for Sterling Middle School, a program that aligns community leaders with students in a mentoring role. Thank you Lynette for all you do for the students in Peoria Public Schools.

Lynne works at the Wraparound Center and advocates for many children and families. She supports the PPS Foundation events, giving and being a positive advocate for our work. We absolutely love Lynne, and she has been amazing to work with.

As an administrator and leader, Josh always goes above and beyond making sure all the complex moving parts of getting students to and home from school, and field experiences are implemented. He always steps up to be supportive of the Foundation and our work. Congratulations Josh. We appreciate you!

Kathy is a member of the Glen Oak Christian Church. She is the coordinator of the Snack Pack program, among other volunteer programs at the church. Kathy has been a major supporter of the Foundation over the years, and she goes above and beyond to improve the lives of the students and their families. We are honored to award Kathy Cobb as a PPS Foundation Hero of the Month.

The Peoria Riverfront Museum is truly a wonderful community partner. Their Every Student Initiative ensures our students visit the museum annually at no cost to them. They support our foundation's mission with both in-kind and financial contributions, by attending our events, and volunteering for our programs. We appreciate their support so much.

The PPS Board of Education members are true heroes. They dedicate their time and energy for five years (or in some cases longer) in a volunteer capacity, contributing numerous hours and dedication to our public schools. Thank you so much for your commitment and service!