Will Shields and Charlotte Gagliardi

Will Herthie Shields, born September 15, 1971 in Lawton, Oklahoma, is an American football offensive guard who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.  Selected out of the University of Nebraska, Shields was the third-round (74th overall) pick in the 1993 NFL Draft. Shields was a consensus first team All-American and Outland Trophy winner during his final year at Nebraska in 1992. Beginning with a September 12, 1993, game against the Houston Oilers, he has been in the Chiefs' starting lineup for every game, which is a team record and the second longest consecutive starting streak in the NFL behind Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. At the end of the 2006 season, he had started in 230 straight games including playoff games. He has also gone to the Pro Bowl every year since 1995. He went to his twelfth pro bowl in 2007, a Chiefs team record. He is an important part of the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line, which has led the team to a top-five finish in rushing offense the last five years. In 2003, Shields was the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, for his work in the Will to Succeed Foundation, the charitable organization he started in 1993.  Established for the purpose of inspiring, guiding, and improving the lives of abused, battered and neglected women and children, the Foundation facilitates programs and gives direct assistance and resources to individuals, families and other charitable organizations.  Nurturing experiences and personal opportunities are also provided for those in the inner city who have little or no access to other assistance.

Charlotte Gagliardi graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1976 with a bachelor’s in music education.  She majored in choral music and minored in piano performance and theory.  She taught for 30 years in Oklahoma.  Her choirs have won numerous awards in solo, ensemble, and choral competitions.  She’s been an active judge in choral events since 1989.

Mrs. Gagliardi is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership at Cameron University.  She gives private voice and piano lessons, and she performs with the Lawton Community Theater on occasion.  She is a member of the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association, the Oklahoma Music Educators Association, the Oklahoma Music Adjudicators Association, the Oklahoma Educators Association, and the National Education Association.

Mrs. Gagliardi has won numerous awards and honors.  She has been nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Classroom Education Award in 1987, 88, 90, 92 and 93.  She was the ALL-OMEA Chorus Chair for Oklahoma in 1994 and the Lawton High School Teacher of the Year in 1994 and 2004 and has received other honors also.

To students entering her classroom, Mrs. Gagliardi communicates that “Every student is considered a favorite” and “Be Advised—All who enter may at any time be subjected to unsolicited advice.”  Her students consider her room a safe haven from the pressures of the outside world.

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