MNEA Foundation
Because educators care for everyone—and your union cares for you.
Missouri NEA members want a way to support educators and students who want to better themselves, but need a little help financially. That's why the MNEA Foundation was created. You can make tax-deductible contributions, and you can give once or set up a recurring contribution.
MNEA Foundation Gala
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026
Stephens College, Columbia, MO
Attire: Cocktail/formal dress, please
(must purchase tickets)
VIP Pre-party: 6–7 p.m.
GALA Dinner Presentation: 7–9 p.m.
GALA After-Party: 9–11 p.m.
Prepare yourself for an upscale evening celebrating public education in Missouri and honoring those who have made outstanding contributions. The Second Annual MNEA Gala will include a reception, silent auction, program, dinner, and after-party.
GALA TICKETS
These tickets must be pre-purchased. Registration closes Oct. 16.
VIP TICKET $150.00
(Table of 8: $1,250)
Includes access to the pre-event reception with an open bar, the Gala program and dinner, one drink ticket for the cash bar during the gala, the after-party, and an autographed copy of the guest speaker's book.
GENERAL TICKET $100.00
(Table of 8: $800)
Enjoy the Gala program, dinner, music, dancing, and a cash bar at the after-party.
Guest Speaker: Wade Rouse
Pen Name: Viola Shipman
Wade Rouse is a USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly, and #1 internationally bestselling author of 21 books, including memoirs, novels, and holiday novellas. His work has been translated into nearly 30 languages, and several novels have been optioned for film and television. His books have been featured by NBC’s Today Show, selected as Indie Next Picks, and recognized as Michigan Notable Books. A former journalist and People magazine reporter, Rouse has also written for publications including Time, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, and Writer’s Digest.
His latest novel, That’s What Friends Are For, marks the first novel published under his own name after years of writing fiction as Viola Shipman, a pen name honoring his grandmother. Inspired by The Golden Girls, the novel has already been named one of 2027’s most anticipated books and has earned praise from bestselling authors including Jodi Picoult. Set in Palm Springs, the story follows a close-knit group of friends whose carefully crafted lives are upended when family secrets and unexpected visitors arrive at their door.
Rouse’s previous novels, including The Page Turner, The Wishing Bridge, and Famous in a Small Town, have been national bestsellers and featured by Good Morning America, PEOPLE, and other major media outlets. He is also an acclaimed writing teacher and mentor whose students have gone on to become published authors. Rouse divides his time between Saugatuck, Michigan, and Palm Springs, California, and hosts the popular weekly Facebook Live literary happy hour, “Wine & Words with Wade.”
