Recipients of the MRH Board of Education’s Distinguished Awards for 2025 include a super-booster family, a non-parent school volunteer with a passion for chickens, and a financial institution with a knack for philanthropy.

The Richason Family of Richmond Heights was selected as Family of the Year. The Richason name has become synonymous with successful tax and bond measures for the school district for many, many years. But their dedication to MRH goes far beyond that. Their journey with MRH began in 2002 when a former neighbor introduced them to the district. Fast forward to today, their son Alec is a freshman and a member of the eSports team. Their daughter Ella is a senior and a member of the Thespian Troupe. Ella will attend Millikin University this fall (she was unavailable for the awards ceremony).

Along the way, Craig and Sandra Richason have left their imprints all across the district: 

• Craig has coached MRH Youth Sports, both baseball and soccer… served as a voter canvasser for many campaigns… and as Sandra points out, volunteered behind the scenes and cared for the kids while she was active with the PTO. 

• Sandra was a PTO member for 12 years, taking on a wide variety of roles and projects. She served on the calendar committee for 9 years. She has stood at the polls and canvassed for many board of education candidates over the years. And, she has been the Development Contractor for Joe’s Place since 2017… helping the JP Board raise more than $700,000!

As leaders of the “Keep MRH Strong” political action committee, Craig and Sandra have opened their hearts and their home time and time again, all in the name of providing the best-possible learning environment for MRH students. Sandra has served as the PAC president since 2015. She’s co-chaired three campaigns and chaired the amazingly successful campaign to pass Propositions B & E last month. 

Craig and Sandra dedicate this recognition to the MRH teachers, the ECC, and the late Ann Graham and the late Mamie Lane.

The Board’s Citizen of the Year is Beyhan Springborn, the long-serving MRH Elementary School chicken steward. These are the words on her nomination form by Seed-to-Table instructor Almut Marino: 

“Beyhan has been our volunteer head chicken steward for more than five years. She lives nearby and she checks on the chickens twice each day. She feeds them fresh fruits and vegetables and even hand-feeds them when one is sick. You should see how crazy the chickens get when they hear her coming. Beyhan and her late husband have invested time, resources and handyman skills to give the elementary school chickens the best life. Sadly, her husband John passed away on March 18. During his battle with cancer, John still came and helped with the chickens, buried the hen Franscesca, and built mobile nesting boxes for injured, sick and bullied chickens. Today, Beyhan says that the chickens help her deal with the stress before, and the grieving now.” 

The Board of Education salutes Ms. Springborn for her extraordinary level of dedication.

The Maplewood Richmond Heights Board of Education presented the Community Partner Award to CommunityAmerica Credit Union in recognition of their outstanding partnership, unwavering support, and meaningful contributions to public education and CommunityAmerica has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to MRH by expanding access to resources, promoting financial literacy, and enriching the overall experience of our students and staff. Their sponsorship of recognition programs, including our Support Staff Member of the Year and Teacher of the Year awards, has elevated these important celebrations with generous donations and memorable gifts, including St. Louis Cardinals Green Seat tickets.

But their impact goes far beyond awards. CommunityAmerica has invested in the long-term growth of our staff by providing valuable financial literacy resources and professional development opportunities empowering our educators with knowledge and tools that extend well beyond the classroom.

The Board also recognizes the dedicated efforts of Mike O’Brien, Business Development Director at CommunityAmerica. Mike has been a driving force behind this partnership. He’s served faithfully on the District’s recognition committee, reviewing nominations, scoring packets, and celebrating honorees with the MRH Prize Patrol. Whether it’s connecting us to important resources or simply dropping off cookies with a heartfelt “thank you,” Mike embodies what true partnership looks like.