If you submitted a nomination for the 2024 Outstanding Dads of the Year contest this spring, thank you! We received submissions from across the Ozarks from sons and daughters, spouses, friends and neighbors, co-workers and many others who recognize the important role that dads play in the lives of their children.
It’s clear that Southwest Missouri has no shortage of outstanding dads, and we at Good Dads are invigorated and humbled by the outpour of support we saw from this year’s Outstanding Dads of the Year contest.
Please join us in congratulating the 2024 Outstanding Dads of the Year
Outstanding Dad David Anderson of Springfield, MO | School Counselor at Willard North Elementary and father to Dale (17), Jack (16) and Siri (14)
Outstanding Dad Dan Carlson of Ozark, MO | Sergeant with the City of Springfield Police Department and father to Eli (8) and Madelyn (5)
Outstanding Dad Herb Cody of Nixa, MO | Driver and father to Leah (20), Alex (18) and Herbie (13)
Outstanding Dad Nick Kueck of Springfield, MO | Owner & Contractor of Kueck’s Contracting, LLC and father to Kira (8), Kyler (6) and newborn Kaden
Congratulations, dads! We are pleased to recognize dads in the Ozarks who go above and beyond in their roles as fathers. This year’s four honorees will be Good Dads’ distinguished guests at our annual dinner and banquet this October.
About the Contest
The Outstanding Dads of the Year contest helps Good Dads further its mission in promoting the roles of fathers in our homes, workplaces and communities. We welcomed submissions for biological fathers, stepfathers and father-figures. We centered this contest around career fields where we believe fathers are often underestimated and underappreciated.
After the contest closed this May, each qualifying submission was reviewed by our evaluation committees, composed of Ozarks community leaders. They judged each nominee on the following merits:
- Strength of character
- Being positively involved in the life/lives of one’s child(ren)
- Overcoming adversity and finding success
- Giving back to one’s community
- Role modeling excellent behavior, values and other traits to the next generation
- Creative parenting and/or parenting under challenging circumstances
- Parenting with humor, play and a creative attitude
- Excellence in one’s place of employment
- Inspiring and practicing big aspirations, goals, dreams and imaginations
- Other ways to be an Outstanding Dad
Outstanding Dad David Anderson
David Anderson of Springfield, MO, is a school counselor at Willard North Elementary. He is the proud father of three teenagers: Dale, 17, Jack, 16, and Siri, 14. His loved ones describe him as selfless, loving, helpful, hardworking and funny.
One of the first things you learn about David when you meet him is that he is a major outdoors enthusiast. He’s uniquely brought that love of the outdoors into his loving parenting style—coaching his children’s sports team, going camping together, hunting and fishing, and always eager to head outside to play catch.
“David exemplifies what it means to be a good dad,” said Danyel Anderson, David’s wife, in her nomination she submitted to Good Dads. “And it isn’t about big gestures or grand displays; it’s about the small things: the invaluable gift of time that he consistently gives to his children.”
David’s knack for bonding with his children by actively engaging with their interests is another way he practices being a good dad. An example of this is the sit-com “The Office,” one of Siri’s favorite shows.
“Frequently, when I return home from work, I find them curled up on the couch, sharing laughter over the episodes,” Danyel said in her nomination. “David’s willingness to hand over the remote to his daughter each night may seem like a small gesture, but to me, it is a huge act of love.”
“My dad is helpful, loving, generous, and most of all, funny,” Siri said. “Dad is always up for an adventure and he’s going to do it with a smile on his face because that’s the kind of person he is.”
Danyel said her memory is chock-full of stories of her husband quietly, without being asked, showing acts of selflessness to his children and others around him. This is clear when Danyel explained how David goes above and beyond in his place of employment.
“What truly sets him apart is unwavering compassion for children, especially those facing challenges,” she said in her nomination. In David’s role as a school counselor, he seeks out students who are labeled as “difficult” or those who struggle to fit in. He takes them under his wing, enabling them to build trust and develop meaningful friendships.
“David’s innate tendency to root for the underdog is evident in his comment to inclusivity, always seeking ways to ensure everyone feels valued and included,” Danyel said.
The way David sees it, his responsibility as a father is to invest in his children and make sure his house is one that is full of love. He told Good Dads he was fortunate enough to grow up with a supportive family, attributing much of his happy childhood to his good mom and good dad. Because he had a great childhood, he prioritizes giving his own kids the same thing.
Dale, the oldest son, said of his father: “One of my favorite memories was of him coaching my youth baseball team. Back then, I took this for granted and didn’t understand why he pushed me so hard to be the best version of myself. Now, as a high school athlete, I would give anything for those days back.”
Jack said of his father: “My dad is kind, hardworking and always pushes me to succeed … in any area of my life. He’s always tried to make me be the best man possible when I’m an adult … I think my dad is the perfect model for what a good dad should be like raising children.”
Outstanding Dad Dan Carlson
Dan Carlson of Ozark, MO, is the proud father of Eli (8) and Madalyn (5). He was nominated for Outstanding Dad by his wife, Samantha, who described him as a resilient, dedicated and caring provider and protector.
Growing up without a father, Dan has since committed his life to helping others—when he easily could have gone down a completely different path, Samantha said in her nomination to Good Dads.
“He put himself through college, joined the National Guard to serve his country and to help pay off his college loans, and now is the Sergeant of the Special Response Team—a career dream that he is now currently living,” she said.
Dan has been a Sergeant with the City of Springfield for just over a year. He additionally serves as a captain in the Missouri National Guard.
Reading Samantha’s nomination of her husband, it’s impossible to miss the pride she has for Dan radiating in her words.
“Danny is on call 24/7, works long hours for unexpected situations, and gets called out in the middle of the night for the worst situations,” she said. “While juggling two careers and a less-than-ideal schedule for a family, Danny always prioritizes time with his two kiddos.”
In addition to being an outstanding dad, Dan certainly stands out in his career, too. Samantha described Dan as exactly the kind of leader you’d want to work for: decisive, approachable, passionate and goal oriented. He pushes everyone to be their best and never hesitates to speak out for what he believes in.
“(He’d) honestly lay down his life if it meant someone else could go home to their family,” she said.
Devotion was a common theme in Samantha’s nomination, and the word came up when Good Dads spoke to Dan, too. To Dan, being a good dad is all about devoting everything you can to your children. He says one of the most important aspects of being a good dad is to prioritize your children and to be intentional about the time you spend balancing other responsibilities.
Samantha loves seeing Dan show love to his children every day without fail, even after sleepless nights, by saying “good morning,” asking about classes, and doing their secret handshake together before the kids have to catch the school bus.
“I’ve never known anyone to sacrifice so much personal time, yet pour everything into making sure their kids know how much they are loved and valued,” Samantha said in her nomination.
What makes Dan a great dad? Perhaps Madalyn said it best herself: “Because he takes me places where I want to go and lets me get on his shoulders.”
Outstanding Dad Herb Cody
Herb Cody, of Nixa, MO, is father to Leah (20), Alex (18) and Herbie (13). The youngest nominated his dad for the contest.
Herbie’s nomination was among the briefest Good Dads received, but his words are nonetheless powerful: “My dad has taken care of me and my siblings for the past eight years after my mom’s car wreck. He’s also taken care of her. She has a traumatic brain injury.”
He described his father as awesome, funny, caring, amazing and supportive.
Case in point for being funny: Herbie says his dad will sometimes stop in the middle of a back road and roll down the car window to moo at cows. “It’s hilarious,” Herbie told Good Dads in his nomination.
“He takes care of us and makes sure we always have what we need,” Herbie said of his father, pointing to the support he feels from his father, especially with sports and extracurricular activities.
For the elder Herb, being a good dad means being there for his kids “whenever they need me.”
Herb told Good Dads he’s doing his best to make his kids’ childhoods as fun and as meaningful as possible.
Outstanding Dad Nick Kueck
Nick Kueck of Springfield, MO is the owner and contractor of Kueck’s Contracting, LLC – and a father of three: Kira (8), Kyler (6) and newborn Kaden.
“(Nick’s) 100% present!” said Taylar Walker, Nick’s wife, in her nomination to Good Dads. “He’s at the dinner table and reading stories every single night. He’s always volunteering at the school for things like being the Cat in the Hat—he made the whole costume and everything by himself.
“He’s hardworking, a friend to everyone and understanding,” Taylar said.
Being a Good Dad is not always easy, and Nick can relate to this because of his children’s special needs. But Nick’s tenacity and flexibility have become his superpowers.
“My kids and I share a genetic bone marrow failure,” Taylar explained. The stress of school and work is one thing, but it’s compounded when the family’s monthly schedule is jam-packed with check-ups, visits with specialists, and sometimes, trips to the hospital.
“The kids take shots every night and spend many long, sick nights at St. Jude,” Taylar said. “But dad makes these sick stays so fun that the kids never want to leave when they’re finally well enough to go back home. He does whatever it takes, no matter what, to make sure the kids don’t have to worry or be scared.”
It’s clear from Taylar’s nomination that the family would be lost without Nick, describing him as dedicated, hardworking, fun, loving and unique. She loves that Nick is such a fun dad, describing his knack for roughhousing, pretend-wrestling, and playing board games and video games.
“He’s just a big kid, raising little kids!” Taylar said.
For Nick, being a good dad is about just one thing: being present and active.
“Be present in your children’s lives,” he told Good Dads.
Because Nick is so involved in his children’s educations, he’s gained a very positive reputation at the school.
“They say we’re lucky he’s our dad, but we say, ‘No, he’s lucky he’s our dad,’ haha!” Nick’s children said.
Advice for Dads
We asked each of our four finalists to share one piece of advice for other fathers in the Ozarks who want to be Good Dads. Here’s what they said:
David Anderson: You’ll never regret spending more time with your kids. Be there for them emotionally. When you must make a choice, always err on the side of spending more time with them.
Dan Carlson: Prioritize your children over yourself. Plan for family time in advance. This can go a long way towards ensuring time well spent. Plan for unscheduled time, too, like time to just have a versation without it feeling like you’re just checking boxes.
Herb Cody: Be an open door. Be a shoulder to cry on and always be there for your children.
Nick Kueck: Be active and present. Sometimes it’s hard. In fact, I’m about to leave the job site here shortly so I can go hang out with my family.
