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Position 7, At-large: Tim Blankenship, President - Contact via e-mail or phone: 913-583-3058 Tim Blankenship and his family have lived in the school community for more than ten years. He is currently a project manager in the Global Services Organization of Parametric Technology Corporation. Mr. Blankenship works to implement Product Lifecycle Management solutions for clients. His current client is NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. He is also a senior member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineering and a certified project management professional by the Project Management Institute. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from the Missouri University of Science & Technology. He enjoys working on home improvement and landscaping projects, as well as improving his firearms skills. |
Position 2: Mitch Powers, Vice President - Contact via e-mail Mitch Powers and his family have lived in the Shawnee area for 20 years. He is currently the Senior Manager of Information Technology for ATK at the company’s Small Caliber Systems division in Independence, Mo. Mr. Powers leads several teams responsible for all aspects of information technology solutions from design through development, deployment, and support. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. He has three sons, all of whom are graduates of USD 232. In addition, his wife, Jeri Powers, has been a teacher in USD 232 for many years. He and Jeri are members of Mill Creek Community Church in Shawnee and he enjoys spending time with his family, bicycling, home improvement projects, and some hunting and fishing. "My background is in problem analysis, identifying solutions options, defining risks and unintended consequences of the options in a rational and thoughtful manner in order to make good business decisions,” Powers said. “I enjoy bringing that approach to the issues that face the district, to help select the best options possible to improve the educational experience of the children, the patrons, and the educators in the district." |
Position 1: Bill Fletcher - Contact via e-mail or phone: 913-583-1767 Bill Fletcher and his family have called this community home for nearly 30 years. He owns and operates a successful business, Kansas Land Management, providing clients landscaping and lawn care services. Mr. Fletcher and his wife have three daughters, all of whom attended school in USD 232. He earned a business degree from Kansas State University. Mr. Fletcher has coached softball for 20 years, helping to facilitate college athletic scholarships for 30 female athletes. For a hobby he enjoys fishing, especially fly fishing. |
Position 3: Angela Handy - Contact via e-mail. Angela Handy and her family have lived in the school district since 2007. She is a former elementary school teacher having taught 5th grade at Stillwell Elementary School in the Blue Valley School District. Angela and her husband, Shawn, have three children – Rheagan, Ryan, and Reece. Rheagan, 7, attends Prairie Ridge Elementary and Ryan, 4, attends the Early Childhood Program at Belmont Elementary. Reece, 2, spends lots of time at home with Angela.
A lifelong resident of Johnson County, Angela graduated from Blue Valley Northwest High School in 1997. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2001 from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS. She taught in the Blue Valley School District for six years before making the decision to stay home with her children.
Angela is actively involved and currently serving on the PTA Executive Board at Prairie Ridge Elementary in Shawnee. “I enjoy spending time in the schools with our students and teachers,” said Handy. “As a Board of Education member I look forward to more opportunities of serving our students and parents.”
Staying active is important to Angela, which is why she teaches Jazzercise five times a week at Mission Jazzercise Center. Her family is also involved at Valley Fellowship Church in Overland Park. |
Position 4: Randy Johnson - Contact via e-mail or phone: 913-585-1063 Randy Johnson and his family have lived in the community for more than 30 years. He is a successful small business owner with interests in rental properties and lawn care services. He and his wife have one daughter who is a graduate of USD 232. She is currently pursuing a law degree from Indiana University. Mr. Johnson is a member of the De Soto City Council and likes to spend his free time enjoying several outdoor activities. |
Position 5: Dick Dearwester - Contact via e-mail or phone: 913-634-8602 Dick Dearwester currently serves on the pastoral staff at Westside Family Church in Lenexa in the capacity of Director of Counseling, a position he has held for the last 12 years. Before moving to the Kansas City area nearly 20 years ago, he served as a youth minister in a small community south of Wichita. “I have always had an underlying desire to serve in education and have a strong appreciation for what a quality education can provide for the next generation,” Dearwester said. “I believe that my life’s experiences have afforded me an excellent perspective on education and the value of it. Serving as a member of the Board of Education is an opportunity to use my skills, experience and gifts to contribute positively in the lives of kids and families in my community.” He and his wife, Judy, have two grandchildren attending school in USD 232. Dearwester graduated from Ohio University with a commission as an officer in the United States Army. After his tour of duty he entered the corporate world where he was a sales manager for Procter & Gamble for a period of ten years. During the last 28 years he has served on the staff of four churches in the heartlands; one in Omaha, Nebraska, one in Mulvane, Kansas, and two in the Kansas City metro area. His primary responsibilities included oversight of the educational system for preschool, children, youth and adults. He also focused on equipping and preparing youth for life’s next stages. |
Position 6: Tammy Thomas - Contact via e-mail or phone: 913-441-5522 Tammy Thomas and her family have called Shawnee home for the last 15 years. Although she is currently a homemaker, she is the former department head for the Nuclear Medicine department at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Plano. Thomas is a graduate of St. Luke's Hospital School of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and is on national registries in both radiology and nuclear medicine. She and her husband Bryan have three children - two sons and one daughter. Her oldest son is a firefighter in Overland Park and a graduate of Mill Valley High School. Thomas' second son graduated from Mill Valley in 2011 and her daughter currently attends Mill Valley. Thomas believes in giving back to the community and spends much of her time volunteering at school and extra-curricular events. She spent many years assisting the Shawnee Sharks swim and dive teams and has helped raise money for the March of Dimes. She and her family are active at Crossroads Christian Church in Shawnee and support many of the youth activities. Thomas enjoys camping and boating, gardening, and caring for her chickens and ducks. |
