Leading a long and successful career as a biologist and educator, Billie T. Ketcios Zumo retired in 1999 from Central High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, after more than three and a half decades of excellence. She formerly taught for five years at Carey Junior High School in Cheyenne and for one year as an English language teacher at McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne. Additionally, Ms. Zumo held a faculty appointment at Laramie County Community College as a biology educator.
Initially, Ms. Zumo became involved in her profession because she had aspirations of becoming a doctor. After her older sister received a college degree, she felt she could not go on to become a doctor, as it would be too much money for her parents. Therefore, she settled for a career as a biology educator instead. In a career filled with highlights, Ms. Zumo was most proud of observing the success of her students, which she found extremely satisfying.
As a dedicated professional in the field of education, Ms. Zumo was active on the executive board of her school district’s curriculum committee. She also chaired the Science Department, was a member of the faculty advisory committee at Central High School and served on the principal screening committee. Likewise, Ms. Zumo has developed a distinguished record of leadership in her community, volunteering her time with Davis Hospice, as a judge for the Cheyenne School District’s science fair and with her church as a choir director. Among other roles, she was a football statistician for the Central Football Team in Cheyenne from 1976 to 1999.
An alumnus of the University of Wyoming, Ms. Zumo received a Bachelor of Arts in 1958. She later attained a Master of Arts at the University of Northern Colorado in 1963. Eminently qualified in her field, Ms. Zumo is a certified teacher. A respected voice in the field, she has previously served as an editor of the newsletter, “Philogramma.”
To remain aware of developments in the field, Ms. Zumo has maintained her involvement with a number of organizations. To wit, she has been a member of the Wyoming Education Association, the National Education Association and the Cheyenne Teachers Education Association, as well as a former state representative of the National Association of Biology Teachers. She has also been affiliated with the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Musicians, the American Association of University Women, the Laramie County Historical Society and the Denver chapter of the Ladies Philoptochos Society, where she served in various roles including as the president.
Ms. Zumo was the recipient of several Distinguished Service Awards, including from the Saint Constantine and Saint Helen Orthodox Churches in 1979, for her work as a choir director by Archbishop Iakovas in New York in 1988 and for her work as a choir director in 2006. She received the Patriarch Athenagoras Award from Metropolitan Isaiah. She also served her church on the local, metropolitan — she was president of the Metropolis of Denver Philoptochos — and national levels. An exceptional Marquis listee, Ms. Zumo has been featured in several editions of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering, and Who’s Who of American Women. Enjoying her retirement, she takes great pleasure in reading, walking, listening to music and golfing in her spare time. She and her late husband, Charles Vincent, are the proud parents of a son, Thomas, as well as grandparents to grandsons Christopher and Jacob.