Nathan Fent - Director of FTC Adult Education

Email: NathanFent@joplinschools.org

Phone: 417-680-0004 Ext. 2061

Lori Clouse - Financial Aid Coordinator

Experience: Lori has 8 years of experience as a Dental Assistant, 12 years of experience as an Ophthalmic Assistant, 13 years of experience as a Staff Accountant, and 7 years of experience as a Financial Aid Coordinator. 

Lori Clouse serves as the Franklin Technology Center's Financial Aid Coordinator.  She has served as FTC's Staff Accountant for 13 years and recently moved into the Financial Aid Coordinator's position.  Lori's mission is to assist students in pursuing their educational goals and employ ability by helping the student and their families seek, obtain, and make the best use of all financial resources available to them. 

In Lori's spare time she enjoys time with her family as well as crafting and reading.

Nikki Medley - Effectiveness Coordinator

Experience: Nikki has over 20 years of administrative and management experience.

Nikki started with Franklin Technology Center in March 2020 as the Effectiveness Coordinator.  Nikki is also the Administrative Assistant to the Director of FTC Adult Education and serves as the schools Registrar. 

Nikki is married and has 2 children.  In her spare time she enjoys volunteering, singing, traveling, and spending time with her family and fur babies.

Ryan L. Williams – Staff Accountant
Experience: Ryan has over 10 years of experience working in administrative and logistics
positions in the U.S. Army and 2 years working in security and mentorship positions in Kansas schools.

Ryan started with Franklin Technology Center in October of 2024 as the Assessment and
Compliance Coordinator. Ryan has since began working as the Staff Acountant. He also manages the Proctored Testing Program.

He has been married for 24 years and has 3 adult children and one who attends Joplin High School. In his spare time he enjoys hunting, fishing, kayaking, and tabletop gaming. He is also a Marvel, Star Wars, and D&D fan.

LeAnn Cummins - Phlebotomy Technician Instructor                                                                               

Education: LeAnn holds National Certifications in Phlebotomy Technician and Medical Assistant.

LeAnn teaches the evening and Summer Phlebotomy Technician program.  Her primary areas of teaching are Anatomy and Physiology, Clinical Procedures, Pharmacology, and Phlebotomy. 

LeAnn enjoys training the students to draw blood, take vitals, and give injections.  When students graduate from the program, she takes pride in knowing her students can perform the duties in the medical field.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband doing outdoor activities.  She has four children and two grandchildren.

Krissy Endicott - Dental Assisting Program Coordinator/Instructor

Education: Expanded Functions Dental Assistant Certification – Nichols Career Center and Ozark Technical Community College (OTC)

Krissy has been an Expanded Function Dental Assistant since 2005, earning her certification from Nichols Career Center and Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC). After many years in the dental field, she took four years off to work for the Sarcoxie School District as a Nursing Assistant before beginning her current role as the Dental Assisting Program Coordinator.

With nearly two decades of experience, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge and real-world insight with students as they prepare for their own careers in dental assisting. She hopes to help grow the field by inspiring and preparing the next generation of skilled, compassionate dental assistants—because there is always a need for quality care.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family—whether it’s crafting, kayaking, camping, or simply relaxing at home. She loves the outdoors, and sunsets are her favorite way to end the day.

Amy Price - Practical Nursing Coordinator/Instructor

Education: Pittsburg State University- BSN

Amy Price, RN has been a nurse since 2001, with experience spanning critical care, pediatrics, home health, med-surg, and school nursing.  From a young age, she knew her path would lead to either nursing or teaching- now, she gets to embrace both. Passionate about lifelong learning, she loves sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for nursing with her students. She graduated with her BSN from Pittsburg State University and teaches pharmacology, dosage calc, mental health, maternity, and pediatrics.

Amy and her husband have 2 children.  In her spare time, she enjoys attending their activities, reading, and traveling.

DeAnn Kellogg-Practical Nursing Instructor

Education: Labette Community College-ADN
Pittsburg State University- BSN

DeAnn Kellogg has been a Registered Nurse since 1991.  Her experience in nursing includes Long Term Care, Maternal/Child, School Nursing, Home Health, Community Health/Mental Health, and Clinical Operations Specialist.  She loves nursing and sharing all her experiences with students, saying, “Being a part of the students becoming nurses is priceless”. DeAnn graduated with her associate degree in nursing in 1991 from Labette Community College and received her BSN from Pittsburg State University in 2025.

DeAnn and her husband have 3 adult children, and 10 grandchildren. They have cattle, and working dogs that are family members. Her hobbies include grandchildren activities, loving animals, and spending time with her husband. She is thankful every day for many blessings.

Stephanie Morton-Moore - Practical Nursing Instructor

Education: Labette Community College - ADN

Western Governor’s University – BSN

Stephanie Has been a Registered Nurse since 2009.  Her experience in nursing includes; NICU, Nursery, Post-Partum, Pediatrics, Pre-Op, and School Nursing. She has always enjoyed having students shadow her in her different jobs and loves helping others learn. Stephanie graduated with her associate degree in nursing in 2009 from Labette Community College and received her BSN from WGU in 2021.

Stephanie and her husband live in Galena and have 2 grown children.   Her hobbies include reading, crafting, spending time with family, and traveling.  Stephanie is a huge “Friends” fan.

Sara Staples - RN Diploma Coordinator/Instructor and CNA Instructor

Education: Pittsburg State University- BSN

Western Governors University- MSN

Sara Staples has been a Registered Nurse since 2015.  Her experience in nursing includes Geriatric, Ortho/Neuro, Medical/Surgical, Long Term Care, and Skilled Nursing.  She discovered her love for teaching quickly when helping other nursing students while in college and again with clinical nursing students on the floor she worked. Sara graduated with her BSN from PSU in 2015, and with her MSN with education emphasis from WGU in 2019. 

Sara and her husband have 2 children who are active in soccer. They spend the weekends at games and enjoy traveling during the off season. They moved to Joplin in 2017 shortly after their youngest was born. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, dancing and watching her kids play sports.

Katelyn Terry – RN Diploma Instructor

Alyssa Taylor - Respiratory Care Program Director

Education: FTC/MSSU-Associates Degree in Respiratory Care

MSSU-Bachelor Degree in Health Science

Alyssa Taylor is the Respiratory Care Program Coordinator for Franklin Technology Center. She is a Registered Respiratory Therapist who cares deeply about this profession and the importance of caring for others. Alyssa graduated from the FTC/MSSU Consortium for Respiratory Care Education in 2013, earning an Associate in Respiratory Care and a Bachelor’s of Health Science. Since that time, she has been working at Mercy-Joplin and Freeman West hospitals as a shift coordinator, as well as in the ICU, ER, NICU, and Pediatric areas. 

In her spare time, Alyssa enjoys shopping, traveling, crafting, and spending time with her family.  

Hannah Aldridge – Respiratory Care Director of Clinical Education

Meredith Moritz - Respiratory Care Clinical Instructor

Education: FTC/MSSU-Associates Degree in Respiratory Care

Meredith Moritz has been in the respiratory field for 10 years. After graduating from MSSU in 2013, Meredith started working at a long-term acute care hospital in Oklahoma and eventually ended up working at another  long-term acute care hospital in Joplin where she's been employed for over 8 years. She also spent over a year working at Mercy Hospital in ICU, Pediatrics, and Med Surg. However, she found a real love for the long-term acute care setting. She firmly believes that being knowledgeable in this field and having strong leaders as teachers can be the difference in a patient's life or death, thus making teaching respiratory therapy so important.

In her spare time, Meredith spends her time with her husband and two daughters and is likely to be at a swim meet watching both kids swim on an all-year-round swim team. She also loves music and traveling to new places or going to concerts with her husband.

Ray Stewart - Automotive Technology Instructor

Ray Stewart grew up learning about cars by helping with the family's full service station, later becoming an ASE certified technician in 2002. Followed by learning heavy truck suspension and alignment. Which then led him into welding and fabrication work for everything from government contracts to race cars.