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D. Scott Little, MBA, Board President
Scott Little is the chief financial officer for Amphitheater Public Schools. Scott received
both his bachelor's degree in finance and his MBA from Louisiana State University. He is a
member of the Arizona Department of Education's School Finance Advisory Committee.
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Thomas Tyree, MEd, Board Vice President
Tom Tyree is the superintendent of STEDY CTED. Tom received his bachelor of arts degree and his master's degree in secondary education from the University of Arizona.
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Lana Berry, CPA, Board Secretary
Lana Berry is the chief financial officer at Chandler Unified School District
#80. She received her bachelor's degree in accounting from Colorado State University, and began
working in the education arena in Arizona in 2000. Lana's experiences include teaching,
coaching, and administration.
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Karin Ward, MEdL, Board Treasurer.
Karin Ward was the superintendent of Beaver Creek ESD for 20 years and is now a consultant with the district. Karin received her bachelor of science degree from Arizona State University and her master's degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. She has been an Arizona educator since 1981.
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Jami Van Ess, CPA, MBA
Jami Van Ess is the vice president of business and administrative services for Coconino Community College in Flagstaff. Prior to joining the college in 1998, she was the vice president for administrative services at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Illinois. She received her bachelor of science degree in accountancy from Northern Arizona University, and her master of business administration (MBA) degree from the University of Phoenix. She is also a certified public accountant.
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Scott Thompson
Scott Thompson is the assistant superintendent of business services for Mesa Public Schools. Scott has over 10 years of work experience in the field of education handling all matters related to business services. Prior to joining Mesa Public Schools, Scott, worked as the General Manager for Safeguard Security and Communications. Scott received this Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
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Bonnie J. Betz, MBA
Bonnie J. Betz is the assistant superintendent for business services at Gilbert Public Schools. She was formerly the CFO for Douglas County School District in Colorado and the CFO for Tucson Unified School District. She earned her bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, San Diego and her MBA from the University of Arizona, Eller College.
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Isela Brown, MBA
Isela Brown is the chief financial officer with Santa Cruz Valley USD No. 35 and has been with the district since 2004. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in finance and from the University of Phoenix with a master’s degree in business administration. Additionally, Ms. Brown served on the ASBAIT board for 7 years.
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Dr. Jennifer Cruz
Dr. Jennifer Cruz has served as the Pendergast Elementary School District superintendent since 2021, having previously served as the Chief Academic Officer and other roles in the Educational Services Department in the District. She graduated from ASU with bachelors and doctorate degrees. Dr. Cruz has been a teacher, principal, Federal Programs Manager, assistant superintendent, and more during her tenure in education.
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Dr. Adam Leckie
Dr. Adam Leckie is the superintendent of Casa Grande Elementary School District. He has held the roles of assistant superintendent, director of special education, master teacher, and special education teacher and has worked in several Arizona School Districts. He is the previous president of the Arizona Council of Administrators of Special Education and served on the Executive Committee of the National Council of Administrators of Special Education. He was awarded the Arizona School Administrators Distinguished Administrator of the Year Award in 2019.
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Dr. Matthew Schumacher
Dr. Matthew Schumacher has been a public educator in Arizona since 2004. He earned his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership in 2005. Since then, he has served the community as a middle school social studies teacher and high school assistant principal, an elementary and junior high principal, director of facilities, and currently serves as the superintendent of the Clarkdale-Jerome School District. In 2020, he earned his Ed.D. from the University of Phoenix with a focus on adolescent well-being and the school environment.
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Dr. Chad Lanese
Dr. Chad Lanese has served as superintendent of the Buckeye Elementary School District since 2023. Prior to that, he held several leadership positions within the district, including Executive Director of Student Services and Assistant Superintendent. Dr. Lanese brings over 25 years of experience in public education, including serving as a teacher, assistant principal, elementary principal, and high school principal. Dr. Lanese holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Arizona State University, and a doctoral degree from Northern Arizona University.
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