Rhonda Ferguson, OEA 2025 Support Professional of the Year

Admittedly, Rhonda Ferguson couldn’t imagine that a move to Akron nearly 20 years ago would significantly alter the trajectory of both her career and her family’s destiny.

The Perry High School graduate worked for an insurance agency for several years before considering a change to Akron in the fall of 2005. Ferguson’s husband, Benjamin, an Akron native, agreed that the nearly 20-mile trek north of Canton was necessary despite the inherent uncertainty. 

The Fergusons were hired by Akron Public Schools. Rhonda settled in as a substitute educational assistant while Benjamin signed on as a driver for APS security.

Ultimately, everything came sharply into focus in 2009 when Rhonda Ferguson landed at the doorstep of Crouse CLC where then-principal Angela Carter, now APS chief of staff, hired her as the school’s new full-time secretary.

“It was like starting all over again,” Ferguson said. 

In the 16 years since, the Fergusons have become fixtures within the APS community. It has been a family affair unlike any other.

All four of Ferguson's daughters – Reva, Felicia, Kristen and Jackie – landed jobs within the district. Her son, Brandon, was class president at Kenmore CLC in 2016. Brandon, now a Non-Commissioned Officer in the Army Reserve, delivered an impassioned convocation speech during his senior year.

Clearly, Rhonda Ferguson has had a profound impact at APS. More importantly, she continues to influence the lives of others within the district – including teachers, administrators, students and her daughters.

“She has impacted my career by giving me skills and tips to succeed at my position,” said Reva, who is secretary for the College and Career Academies of Akron. “She always has a listening ear.”

That attentiveness and attention to detail are partly the reasons why Ferguson has been selected as the Ohio Education Association 2025 Support Professional of the Year. She will be honored on Friday, May 9, during the Spring Representative Assembly at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Ferguson will deliver a speech that reflects why she shines among the state’s more than 120,000 support professionals. She shares, “Our work is about more than tasks and duties – it is about community. It is about connection. It is about believing that, when we come together, we can create something extraordinary.”

An OEA member who resides in Pickerton nominated Ferguson for the award shortly after the two met in Akron during a conference. “I had no idea I was being seriously considered for the award,” said Ferguson, who is among 120,000 support staff members across the state.

Ferguson has fashioned a remarkable career at APS. She has thrived amid the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows – including the deaths of her daughter, Felicia, and her father, James Jackson, only days apart earlier this year.

“I actually was walking out of the funeral home from making arrangements for my dad's funeral when I got the call about Felicia,” Ferguson said. 

Still, she carries on even with a heavy heart. The pain is sometimes easier to endure as she gives so much of herself to the community by helping to organize events such as the Grandparents of the Year celebration; a Valentine’s Day program titled “For the Love of It”, focused on seniors; and volunteering with Ronald McDonald House.

“We honor grandparents who are now primary guardians for some of our students,” Ferguson said. “So, basically they started all over as parents.”

At her core, Ferguson’s life revolves mostly around the students. It is why she puts in overtime with a Trunk and Treat event during Halloween.

“These moments are just special – they are essential,” she says. “They show our students that they are seen, valued and supported by an entire community. We show that no job is too small, no voice is too quiet and no act of care goes unnoticed.

“This is the power of Education Support Professionals. We don’t just work in schools. We help build the communities that surround them. We are mentors, helpers, organizers and sometimes even the steady hand that helps children believe in themselves.”

Ferguson’s co-workers believe in her, too. It is one of the reasons why she was elected the OEA’s local union president.

The key to Ferguson’s success is knowledge. 

“As secretaries, we have to maintain and know what is happening,” Ferguson said. “It is important that we know everyone’s job. In order for your building principal to shine, there needs to be a good secretary.

“The secretary is responsible for knowing what is happening in the building, what is going on with the kids and the staff. So, it is kind of a big responsibility.” 

Ferguson has been among the best at her job. More importantly, she’s been the ultimate team player, filling in here and there no matter the circumstances.

In a quiet, unassuming manner, secretaries have a myriad of responsibilities. They are largely accountable for knowing what everyone around them is doing – and how they do it.

“We have to be able to step in and help out,” said Ferguson, who sometimes juggles different responsibilities from her desk at 10 N. Main St. “Even if we don’t make it to a (school) building, I can help out from my desk.”

The work seemingly never ends for Ferguson, whose immediate plans do not include retirement. “I’m driven to do this work because you never know whose life you’ll touch,” she said.