Title: Chief Executive Officer (Retired)

Company: Maple Leaf Centre

Location: Strafford, MO

The Maple Leaf Centre is a real estate investment and beef farming enterprise that has been in Connie Vinton-Schoepske’s family for more than a century. She learned how to do business from her father; he stressed the importance of quality and selling the best products at the most reasonable prices. He taught her that providing services even after a sale was also important. Her father’s motto was, “Give it a hundred percent and make sure you’re having fun doing it” – an idea that has stuck with Connie over the years.

She aims to assist the town of Strafford in gaining commercial growth by introducing opportunities for commerce to the area and by attracting more people to make this town their home. She meets with investors in order to attract new businesses to Strafford, and through the Maple Leaf Centre, she works with residential real estate investments and cattle farming. Connie has seven years’ experience working in the former area and 30 years in the latter.

She is also experienced in the realm of education as she once taught science at the postsecondary level for 15 years; her specialty was anatomy and physiology. She holds a B.A. in biology and education from the University of Northern Iowa, and after earning this degree, chose to further her studies at the college to attain a master’s degree in science education.

Successful in each endeavor she has taken on, Connie is grateful that she is able to get along well with so many different people. This has made a tremendous impact on the work she does today. She gives further credit to two former affiliations of hers as well: Jaycee Women and the Junior League. Jaycee Women taught her valuable lessons concerning public speaking and community service, and the Junior League helped her learn about setting goals, organizing and advertising. Through this group, she learned how to present her mission positively at all times.

She is now the chairman of Strafford’s committee for downtown revitalization and enhancement, testament to her commitment to the growth of her city. She has also served the town’s chamber of commerce and industry in the past, holding the role of president. In her present work, Connie is focused on opening her own retail center in Strafford and seeing it become home to a health care center.

To learn more about Connie Vinton-Schoepske, visit her website.