Former Missouri senator and Greene County Commissioner Roseann Bentley died Monday, July 14, at the age of 89.
Bentley was a champion for education and sat on the boards of several nonprofits.
She was an early member of the board of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and served for two decades.
CFO President Winter Kinne said Bentley was the first female president of their board from 1982 to 1985 when the organization was still all-volunteer run.
"She's one of the early leaders to have paved the way for all the women who are sitting in leadership roles in 2025 in Springfield," said Kinne.
CFO hired its first paid staff member and president in 1988 – Jan Horton who is Bentley’s sister.
Kinne said Roseann and her husband, John Bentley, who died in 2023, were committed and well connected and wanted to be sure anything they did was for the good of the community.
"I mean, she and Dr. Bentley were just, you know, a Springfield power couple, if you will," she said. "Think about all the things that they touched and did in their multigenerational career in our community,"
Bentley was a longtime board member of the Community Partnership of the Ozarks. In a statement, CPO President and CEO Janet Dankert called her “a tireless advocate for children, families, and our entire community.” Dankert said Bentley “brought vision, leadership, and a strong belief in the power of partnerships” to her role as board member.
Bentley was president of the Springfield School Board, the Missouri State Board of Education and the National Association of State Boards of Education.
in the early 1970s, she helped launch Ozarks Public Television, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Bentley was awarded the 2022 Humanitarian honor, which came with a cash award, by the CFO. She donated the money to local children’s agencies.
