SIERRA VISTA — Five people have been chosen for the soon-to-be-formed Fort Huachuca Accommodation Schools governing board.
Cochise County School Superintendent Trudy Berry said seven letters of interest were sent to herself and Fort Huachuca Garrison Commander Col. Melissa Sturgeon, each of them picking two from that group. The four they picked chose the fifth member of the board.
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Lloyd Walker, Carol Kaunzner, Kevin Baylor, Mike Barber and Mike Rudkin will be sworn in in January.
“I was very pleased that we received enough letters of interest to be able to form the board,” Berry said. “I think we have a very intelligent, professional group.”
Each member is bringing a different background to the governing board.
Walker, for example, is a resource manager on post. He decided to apply for the board because he has a daughter enrolled at General Meyer Elementary.
“I appreciate the concept of trying to pull off an accommodation school district,” said Walker, who was one of Berry’s picks. “I really, truly enjoy the convenience and the curriculum. I think the teachers are wonderful.
“I just want to do what I can to help maintain that for any other children that may attend.”
Berry’s other pick, Kaunzner, worked as a teacher in the district for 22 years before becoming the technology director for 12 years before she retired. She now works for a contractor on post.
“I feel I bring a lot of insight and background, and I feel with that history I know where they’ve been,” Kaunzner said, adding that as the technology director she was a constant fixture at board meetings.
“And since I was technology director, I had a lot of future goals with the district and I’d like to see a lot of the goals that people in the past initiated come to fruition.”
One of those, she said, is the computer-based, vocational education program.
“I do want to see the vocational education go back to where it was 10 years ago when they had video editing and a lot of other things going on that have gone by the wayside,” she said. “It needs a little more of a push to keep it going.”
Baylor, one of Sturgeon’s picks, is the fire chief of the Fort Huachuca Fire Department. With two children attending school on post, Baylor thought the board was a way to get involved in his children’s education.
“I just think it’s important to be involved in my children’s lives,” he said. “I know the schools (in Sierra Vista) are good, and the schools on post are good too: They’re professionals, they’re really dedicated to their jobs.
“We just want to work to make things positive.”
Baylor said he thinks the board is going to be effective.
“It’s a well-rounded group with diverse backgrounds,” he said. “This is a real positive group, so I think it’s going to be good.”
Sturgeon’s other pick, Barber, is the Fort Huachuca casualty and mortuary affairs officer.
“I really thought it (the governing board) would be a great thing to apply for,” he said. “Kind of give back to the community here on post, the military folks and their families.”
Barber said this is going to be a “learning experience” for him, but interesting.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “I can’t thank Col. Sturgeon enough for selecting me.”
The four members picked by Sturgeon and Berry rounded out the board by picking Rudkin, a lawyer who works in the administrative law section of the Judge Advocate General Office on post.
Part of Rudkin’s reason for getting involved, he said, is his two sons who are going to school in the district. In addition, he said he wanted to give back.
“I definitely want to find some things to get more involved in the communities and this opportunity came up,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Having a legal background and being associated with the fort for the last 11 years, hopefully I have an understanding of the community,” Rudkin added. “Hopefully I’ll be able to meet the needs of people on and off post.”
Herald/Review reporter Katie Evans can be reached at 515-4611 or by e-mail at katie.evans@svherald.com.
