Elaine Chalup-Blanchard:

Elaine Chalup-Blanchard, the serving V. President of the Kenai Peninsula Education Association will be serving you as part of the negotiations team.  I hope to be of service to you  by securing a fair contract.  I have been teaching in the Kenai School District for 14 years, prior to that I substitute taught for a year and raised two children through the Kenai School District system.  I have lived in Homer since 1986, and prior to acquiring my teaching certificate in 1998 through UAA, I worked as an insurance agent in Homer, and in Midland, Michigan along with other occupations.  I have a bachelors degree in Economics and French from Albion College.   In 2008 I graduated from Lesley University with a MAT.  I have been teaching  5th and 6th grade at Voznesenka School   since 1999.  I have served KPEA as a building rep., area rep., rights committee member, and negotiations committee chair.  I have also served on the Fine Arts Curriculum, Reading Curriculum committees, and other committees formed in the Kenai School District.   My hobbies include; commercial fishing, reading, drama, and stain glass.  I am ready to represent you to the best of my ability as we negotiate your new contract.

LaDawn Druce:   I serve as president of the Kenai Peninsula Education Association and have been an educator on the Kenai Peninsula for seventeen years. I was an English teacher at Soldotna High for 10 years, a district wide educator for two years, and a counselor/librarian at Soldotna High for 1 year.  I was elected as full time release president of KPEA and began serving in January of 2008.  I am married to Mike Druce, English and Drama teacher at Soldotna High. We have three boys ages 24, 22, and 18. We are proud grandparents of 13 month old Donovan.   As you know, education and unions are under attack in our country like never before; I am proud to be the president of your teachers’ union and believe we have come far as an association in the past few years.  I am pleased to represent our certified employees.

Matt Fischer: My family and I are products of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.  I was born in Soldotna and have lived here all of my life with the exception of my college years.  I attended the University of Mary in North Dakota, and got a B.S. in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and went on to get a Masters in Management, as I was involved in several businesses.  After coming back to Alaska at the completion of my Master’s program, I met my future wife and decided to do my student teaching and received my teaching certificate in Special Education and Social and Behavioral Sciences.   I started my first teaching position at Soldotna Middle School in 2002.  The following year I was hired to be the Principal teacher in Tyonek.  In this position, I was able get a more complete understanding of how the system works, and the challenges faced by employees in several different areas. In 2005 I moved back to the mainland as a classroom teacher. I asked to be part of the bargaining team this year because I think that it is essential that we maintain professional wages and benefits.  I’ll admit, like many of the teachers in our district, I am not a big fan of NEA, but I do believe the KPEA has a responsibility to ensure that we are getting fair compensation and being treated fairly.   I would ask that other teachers that are in a similar situation step forward and support the bargaining process and team members.

Joe Rizzo: Joe Rizzo came to Kenai in 1979. He graduated from Soldotna High School in 1985 and after earning two degrees, returned to Alaska to raise his family here. He and his wife, Paulene, are raising six kids in Nikiski, the two oldest have graduated from Nikiski High. Joe has taught for 17 years, twelve of which have been for KPBSD. Active in the community, Joe is president of Triumvirate Theatre, a local 90-seat playhouse in Soldotna which does a great deal of charity work in the area. From providing scholarships for local kids going to college to offering a helping hand for families facing such difficulties as caring for a kid with cancer, Triumvirate makes a difference. In addition to his theatre activities, Joe has coached the Nikiski debate team for over a decade. Let’s hope those skills help this year during negotiations.


Terri Tidwell: Hi, my name is Terri Lynn Tidwell, formerly Terri Woodward.  I moved to Alaska in 1983 and have worked for this district since 1987.  In 1990 I began working at Skyview High School, becoming Head Custodian in 1995.  Both of my children graduated from Skyview, one in 1997 and one in 2001. I served as KPESA president from 2002-2006 and have been involved with bargaining support since 1992.

Margie Warner: My husband, Karl, and I love living here on the Kenai. I’ve been delighted to raise my children, Jerrod Reynolds and Jozlyn Reynolds here. Both of them are Skyview Graduates (2000 & 2004).  I’ve worked in several different positions for KPBSD. I’ve worked as a food service and secretarial substitute, a long-term substitute for an intensive needs classroom, and was finally permanently hired as a resource aide in 2001.  I am currently the head secretarial at Nikiski High School. Since 2001, I’ve been active in our local association. I was the KPESA building representative for Nikiski High 2001-2005; Treasurer of KPESA 2005-2007; I am currently KPESA President. I am a Leaders for Tomorrow Graduate since March, 2010.  I also serve on the NEA Resolutions Committee for the last two years.

 

Carl Locke:  Originally from Florida, we settled in Seward in the summer of 1986. I have worked at Seward Elementary for over 20 years now and hope to finally retire sometime soon after we settle this round of negotiations. I joined KPESA during my first year of employment and became building rep. and then Seward area rep. after Ann Wright, our school nurse, retired in the mid-90s. I will be on the bargaining team for KPESA this year and it is my second time at the table. I have also served our local on the Custodial Concerns, Rights, Bargaining Support committees as well as being a member of the Health Plan Committee and having been a delegate to the NEA-AK Delegate Assembly for many years. I hope you will help support our big family of employees by supporting our team.

  Patty Sirois:  I began working for KPBSD in 1992 starting in the finance department. I moved to Purchasing/Planning and Operations in 1998. Currently, I am an administrative assistant for the Student Nutrition Services department. While wearing my union hat, I am the vice president and rights chair for KPESA. This will be the second time I have been at the table for our Association’s members. My husband, Ken, and I moved from Minnesota to Kenai/Soldotna in 1984. We have two children, Hunter and Rainy, who attended KPBSD schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. They are both residing in Kenai/Soldotna and working in the community. We feel fortunate to live in a world class community and that our children are choosing to do the same.