Two Centralia High School graduates have been selected to join the Centralia High School Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni.
They are engineer Dave Clement of the Class of 1957 and Dr. Clara Coleman Rouse Voss of the Class of 1962.
The two will be honored at an assembly in front of the Centralia High School student body on Friday, November 3rd. The 2:00 p.m. event in Trout Arena is open to the public. Then on Friday night, the two will be honored at the Distinguished Alumni Banquet to be held at the Centralia Cultural Society.
Dave Clement has been in the field of engineering for 60 years after graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. He participated in the Army ROTC, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant for the US Army Corps of Engineers, completed two years of active duty in Amphibious Engineering at Ft. Lewis, Washington, and was later discharged from the US Army as 1st Lieutenant.
After discharge, Clement contributed to a market study relevant to the expansion of public works, construction of dams, coal mine operations, and projects such as the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. He also led corporate interests in coal, uranium, and aggregates in Russia, utilized the solvent extraction electro-winning process in Balkhash, Kazakhstan, and led a minerals marketing work study in cooperation with the World Bank. Clement also worked extensively with the Maasai Tribe in Tanzania in the areas of education, health, and job training.
Dr. Clara Coleman Rouse Voss graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. Her education later included a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Stanford University and the ACSA Academy Superintendent’s Certification.
In all, Voss contributed 44 years in the field of education as an educator skilled in driving student achievement and improving student outcomes. She served as a teacher and principal in the Centralia City Schools, as Deputy Superintendent in Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto, California, and later served as Senior Vice President and Regional Operations Officer for EdisonLearning. Along the way, she won multiple awards for her work in education and served on various boards, foundations, and committees.
Tickets are now on sale for the banquet. Social Hour will begin at 5:30, followed by dinner at 6:30 and the ceremony at 7:30. Tickets are $25 per person or $200 for a table of eight. To buy a ticket or reserve a table, please call Centralia High School at 618-532-7391 extension 3001.
