The St. Pat’s Board at Missouri University of Science and Technology has announced that Dale Martin will serve as parade marshal for the 2026 St. Pat’s Parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 14, in downtown Rolla. The Board has also announced that Cheryl McKay will serve as Honorary St. Pat. 

The Board also announced the 2026 Honorary Knights of St. Patrick. This year’s Honorary Knights are Dan Bailey, Dr. David Borrok, Aimee Campbell, Sarah Jones, Lazos Makridis, Jeff Rigsby, Aimee Stienbarger and Kathryn Walker. 

The eight Honorary Knights will be honored during a coronation ceremony at 9 p.m. Friday, March 13, at Leach Theatre in Castleman Hall, located at 403 W. 10th St. in Rolla. They will also participate in the St. Pat’s Parade. 

Biographical details on this year’s honorees are provided below. 

Parade Marshal Dale Martin 

Dale Martin is the executive director of the Rolla Regional Economic Council.  

Martin served as the basketball coach for the men’s team at Missouri S&T from 1980 to 2009. He was Head Basketball Coach of the Year for 1995-96, and was inducted into the Missouri S&T Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021. He also served as a part-time admissions counselor from 2015 to 2020, and has worked on fundraising for Celebration of Nations for the last six years.  

Martin and his wife, Janece Martin, have three children, Amber Polizzi, Eric Martin and Abigail Imming, and seven grandchildren, Maria and Lydia Polizzi, Emma and Eleanor Martin, and Claire, Henry and Samual Imming.  

Honorary St. Pat Cheryl McKay 

Cheryl McKay is a volunteer advisor to the St. Pat’s Board, a position she has held since 2017. She was named an honorary knight in 2015, and has served as coordinator for the honorary knights since 2019.  

McKay worked for Missouri S&T for 27 years, retiring as the director of web and interactive in marketing and communications in 2022. She also worked in information technology at the university from 2000 to 2003, and as a graphic designer from 1995 to 2000. In addition to her work with the St. Pat’s Board, McKay served as an advisor to the S&T Archery Team, the BBQ Club, and Alpha Epsilon Pi.  

McKay and her husband, Robert McKay, have four children, Sarah McDaniel (a student knight in 2014), Adam Lewey, Ashli Buesing and Josh McKay. 

2026 Honorary Knights 

Honorary Knight Dan Bailey 

Dan Bailey is vice president and director of engineered projects at Cogent. He earned a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering and a master’s degree in engineering management, both from Missouri S&T, in 2003 and 2005, respectively. Bailey was a student knight of St. Patrick during his time at S&T, current President of the Miner Alumni Association, a member of the MS&T Board of Trustees and has been inducted into the Mines & Metallurgy Academy as well as the Academy of Miner Athletics.    

During Bailey’s time at Cogent, it has grown from a 40-person company to one of the largest employee-owned companies in the United States in the wastewater and oil and gas industries.  

Bailey and his wife, Wendy Bailey, have two children, Wynn and Marion.  

Honorary Knight David Borrok 

Dr. David Borrok is the vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering and Computing  (CEC) at Missouri S&T. He earned a bachelor’s degree in geology and geophysics from Missouri S&T in 1995, a master’s degree in geology from the University of Michigan in 1997, and a Ph. D. in civil engineering and geological sciences from the University of Notre Dame in 2005.  

Borrok has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and served as a primary or co-primary investigator for over $12 million in funded research projects. At Missouri S&T, he has previously served as the department chair for earth sciences and engineering and as the CEC’s associate dean for research. He served as the Gulf Oil Foundation Professor from 2017 to 2021, and continues to serve as a professor in the earth sciences and engineering department, and is a member of the Mines and Metallurgy Academy.  

Borrok and his wife, Peggy Borrok, have three children, David Jr., Quinn, and Anabell. 

Honorary Knight Aimee Campbell 

Aimee Campbell is the tourism director of the Rolla Chamber of Commerce. She played a key role in the successful effort to increase the local motel tax to 5%, creating sustainable funding for expanding tourism and event support in the city.  

Campbell has revitalized VisitRolla’s branding and marketing efforts, including modernizing the visitor’s guide and expanding social media engagement. She has collaborated with the St. Pat’s Board as a tourism and marketing partner to promote events around the celebration and strengthen community participation.  

Campbell and her husband, Josh Campbell, have two children, Mack Campbell and Kate Titlow. 

Honorary Knight Sarah Jones 

Sarah Jones is the director of donor relations for University Advancement at Missouri S&T. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Drury University in 2013, and a master’s in business administration from Missouri S&T in 2022.  

In her role, Jones leads the donor relations team and oversees strategic communications, special events and stewardship initiatives for University Advancement. Her leadership has brought both regional and national recognition to the division’s special events and publications. She has partnered with the St. Pat’s board for 10 years and has contributed to both the Miner Alumni Association’s St. Pat’s celebrations and the Honorary Knights Dinner. 

Jones and her husband, Collin Jones, also an S&T alumus, have one child, Isla. 

Honorary Knight Lazos Makridis 

Lazos Makridis is the owner of Alex’s Pizza in downtown Rolla. Originally from Koukos, Greece, he moved to Rolla in 1979 in to build a life rooted in family, hospitality and service.  

In 1986, Makridis and his wife, Ellie, purchased Alex’s Pizza after having worked at the restaurant for several years. Under their leadership, it has become a cornerstone of the community.  

Makridis has embraced Rolla’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as an opportunity to bring people together, welcoming in the post-parade crowds every year. A dedicated wall inside Alex’s Pizza honors this tradition, displaying photographs of the St. Pat’s Court taken at the restaurant throughout the years. 

Honorary Knight Jeff Rigsby 

Jeff Rigsby is a custodian at Missouri S&T, well-known to students as “Mr. Clean.”  

A Rolla native, he worked for Schwan’s and managed an army surplus store before joining the university. He was voted Custodian of the Year in 2019 by students in Thomas Jefferson Residence Hall, and Custodian of the Year for the university the following year.  

Rigsby’s partner is Julie Sanders, and he has one daughter, Ryann. 

Honorary Knight Amber Stienbarger 

Amber Stienbarger is the executive director of CASA of South Central Missouri. A Rolla native, she worked at Missouri S&T for over a decade before joining CASA.  

At CASA, Stienbarger leads more than 150 volunteers who serve as court-appointed special advocates for children in foster care across four counties. She has worked to grow volunteer engagement and increase awareness of the needs of vulnerable children across the 25^th Circuit. Stienbarger has worked to build community partnerships, in support of CASA, and is especially grateful for the continued support of Missouri S&T students from the Fraternal Order of Leaders, the Panhellenic Council and the Interfraternity Council.   

Stienbarger and her husband, Steve, have four children, Corey, Austin, Kaylie, and Kylie. 

Honorary Knight Kathryn Walker 

Kathryn Walker is the managing director at OpenAir Equity Partners. She earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from South Dakota State University in 1981, and a master’s degree in engineering management from Missouri S&T in 1982.  

Walker is the chair of the Kummer Missouri S&T Foundation Board. She has served on the Engineering Advisory Board and Career Development Council and has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2008, serving as board president from 2018 to 2020. Walker is an Alumni Achievement Award recipient and was inducted into the Women in Science and Engineering Hall of Fame. 

Walker and her husband, Mark, also a Missouri S&T graduate, established the Kathy and Mark Walker Endowed Scholarship. 

About Missouri University of Science and Technology 

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.