Voters in Lane County will be asked to cast their votes for the special election on Tuesday, May 21. There are a handful of local school board seats contested for this election, while others remain vacant.
CRESWELL
Six people have filed for the four open seats on Creswell School Board (CSB).
Kandice Lemhouse-Worsham and Whyat Ocumpaugh have filed for Position 1, a four-year term.
Lemhouse-Worsham has been serving on CSB since May 2018. A graduate of Siuslaw High School, she received her bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from Oregon State University and a master’s degree in business from Salve Regina University.
Lemhouse-Worsham is the senior application consultant at Bails & Associates LLC, and was previously a human resource partner and a human resource management system analyst at PeaceHealth. She has been on the board of directors for WomanSpace, and also was a past president. She was on the Junior League of Eugene board of directors, and also was past president.
Ocumpaugh previously served on CSB from March 2015 to April 2017. Ocumpaugh attended Creswell High School. He joined the United States Air Force his junior year, and graduated high school from Ellsworth Air Force Base. He is a graduate at Pioneer Pacific College, where he received a diploma in computer networking, and also attended Lane Community College for building construction and machining.
Ocumpaugh is an information systems technician at Jerry’s Home Improvement Center. He has a background in millwork and woodwork, and has experience working in the U.S. Army Reserve as an aircraft electrician, civil engineering electrician and as a microwave radio technician.
Tim Rogers and Debi Wilkerson have filed for Position 3, a four-year term.
Rogers has been serving on CSB since 2013. A graduate of Creswell High School, Rogers received a bachelor’s degree from OSU in pulp and paper technology, and received a master’s degree in education from Northwest Christian University.
Rogers is employed as a science laboratory and operations manager at NCU, manages the NCU science lab complex and also assists with biology and chemistry lab instruction at the school. Previously, Rogers was a purchasing agent for OSU; a lab manager at Chemcraft Coatings; and a chemist for Akzo-Nobel Coatings.
Wilkerson is a graduate of Creswell High School, and attended Lane Community College for accounting and communications. Wilkerson is currently the registrar at Lincoln Middle School in Cottage Grove. She previously was a senior accounting clerk for Lane County Sheriff’s Office and an educational assistant at Creslane Middle School.
Mark A. Parker has filed for Position 2, a four-year term.
Parker attended Community College of the Air Force and the US Army Advanced Leadership School, and studied leadership in both institutions. Parker also received an associate applied science degree from Lane Community College in environmental control.
Ashley R. Miller filed for Position 7, a four-year term.
Miller is a graduate of Cottage Grove High School, and also attended Lane Community College. Miller’s educational background includes business management, budgeting, marketing, finance and also served as homemaker for five years. Miller is an executive assistant at Jones & Roth.
Ballot drop site: Creswell City Hall, located on the north side of parking lot at the corner of South 1st and C streets. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on May 21.
PLEASANT HILL
Eight people have filed for three positions on Pleasant Hill School Board – one of the more stacked school board races in the area.
There are three filings for Position 1, a four-year term.
Andy Jenness is a managing co-director at Jennessco LLC, a boutique public relations firm. Jenness is a graduate of Pleasant Hill High School, and received a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master of business administration in economics and a master of science degree in journalism from OU.
His previous employment includes adjunct instructor at the business and journalism schools at the University of Oregon, interim director of communications at UO and director of Spirit Mountain Casino Board.
Prior governmental experience includes three years with Tribal Council Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR) and two years with Editorial Board Smoke Signals CTGR.
Marshall White is an administrator at Guaranty Chevrolet & RV Super Centers and has a background in marketing, administration and management, budgeting, analysis and nonprofit administration. White is a graduate of Philomath High School. He was graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and from Portland State University with a master’s degree in business administration and finance. He also has a project management professional license.
John Oldham has served as a director on the Pleasant Hill School Board since 2007 and is the owner of Oldham Crane Service Inc. He graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
There are three filings for Position 3, a four-year term.
Wylda Cafferata has been on Pleasant Hill School Board since 2006 and works as a tree farmer. Cafferata previously taught at a middle school and at UO. Cafferata graduated with a bachelor’s in English from University of California, Berkeley, and from UO with a master’s in education.
Jeremy Dotson has been the senior pastor at Trent Church of Christ in Dexter since 2017 and has been a board member of Love in the Name of Christ of Central Lane County in Eugene since 2018. Dotson received a bachelor’s degree in Christian education from Boise Bible College, a master’s degree in theology from Lincoln Christian University and a master of divinity in chaplaincy from Liberty University.
Crystal E. Holmes is a wellness advocate with Young Living and is owner/operator of Rattlesnake BBQ at Dexter Lake Club. Holmes is a graduate of Pleasant Hill High School and received an early childhood education certificate from Lane Community College. Holmes previously was a co-program director at Unity School and was a teacher for children up to fifth grade.
There are two filings for Position 5, a two-year unexpired term.
Kimberly Jeremiah has been on the Pleasant Hill School Board since 2018 and is a psychotherapist in a private practice. Jeremiah received a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Wake Forest University and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Villanova University. She previously was a clinical director a Monte Nido RainRock.
Stephen Hammond is a child welfare caseworker and is a graduate from Pleasant Hill High School. Hammond received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UO and previously was a human services caseworker in Idaho.
Nearest ballot drop site: Creswell City Hall, located on the north side of parking lot at the corner of South 1st and C streets OR Cottage Grove Community Center: 700 E. Gibbs Ave. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on May 21.
SOUTH LANE
There are four open positions and five filings for South Lane School Board.
Tammy Hodgkinson is running for position one, a four-year term. She has served two terms on South Lane School Board and received a bachelor’s degree in biology from OU. Hodgkinson is a stay-at-home parent and was previously a kindergarten teacher.
Dustin Bengtson is running for Position 3, a four-year term. Bengston is employed as a federal employee for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Iowa and has volunteered for South Lane School District as well as the City of Cottage Grove. Bengtson has experience in budget development and execution, personnel management, asset management, facility maintenance and policy management.
Gerard ”Jerry” Settelmeyer is running for Position 6, a four-year term. Settelmeyer is retired from public school administration and teaching. He is a graduate of Cottage Grove High School, received bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate from Western Oregon University and a master’s degree in curriculum from University of Oregon. He previously was a board member for South Lane County Fire & Rescue.
Gary Mort and Demian Schwartz are running for Position 7, a four-year term.
Mort has served on South Lane School Board since May 2016. He serves as a community college instructor now. Mort is a graduate from Southern Oregon University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and received a doctorate degree in chemistry from the University of California, Davis.
Schwartz worked previously as a school administrator. She is a graduate of Fox Lane High School; received a bachelor’s degree in sculpture and glass from Rhode Island School of Design; a master’s degree in education from Goddard College; and an administrative license in education leadership from UO. She has been on nonprofits and on the Lane County Commission for Children and Families, the Lane County Equity Coalition.
Ballot drop site: Cottage Grove Community Center: 700 E. Gibbs Ave. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on May 21.
LOWELL
There are two open seats on Lowell School Board, and only one has filed for a position.
Suzanne Kintzley is running for her current seat Tuesday. Kintzley is a commercial real estate broker. She is a Thurston High School graduate and attended Lane Community College, where she studied graphic design.
Her previous government experience includes Lowell School Board director, Lowell Downtown Development Committee chair and Lowell Urban Renewal Committee chair. Kintzley has an occupational background at Aster Publishing Co., Downtown Athletic Club and the Factory Restaurant and Edison’s Bar.
Vice Chair Dennis McCallum’s position also expires in June, through no one has filed for the position.
Lowell dropsite: Lowell City Hall: 107 E. 3rd St. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on May 21.
SPRINGFIELD
Laurie Adams and Todd Mann are running for Position 1 on Springfield School Board, a four-year term.
Adams is a retired insurance sales and real estate sales agent and attended UO for education. She was an incumbent on the Springfield School District Board.
Mann is the president of Todd Mann Financial Services Inc. He is a graduate of Springfield High School; graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from OU; a master’s degree in political science from Inje University; and earned a doctorate degree in political science from Kyungpook National University.
Mann previously was an assistant professor at Inje University; an elementary teacher at Gimhae Public Schools; a part-time teacher at Youngwoon High and Daegok Middle school; a research assistant at Pacific Institutes for Research; and was a programming assistant at UO.
Naomi Raven and Jessica Adams are running for position 4, a four-year term.
Raven is a basic secondary education instructor at Lane Community College and is an administrative assistant at Raven Dental and was appointed to the Springfield Public Schools Board in September 2018.
Raven has been a substitute teacher for Springfield Public Schools and a special education teacher at Alpine School District in Utah. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Utah, a master’s degree from Indiana University and a K-8 endorsement in education from Pacific University.
Adams works at Stafek and Son Trucking and handles billing. She is a graduate of McKinleyville High School and attended College of the Redwoods for education. She previously was vice president for Springfield High School Boosters.
Michelle R. Webber and Karen Hunter have filed for Position 5, a two-year, unexpired term.
Webber was appointed to Springfield School Board on in June 2018 and currently works at Columbia Bank in loan operations. She is a graduate of Newport High School.
Hunter is a homemaker and mother. She is a graduate of Thurston High School and graduated from Southern Oregon University with a bachelor’s degree in health education. From 1998-2003, she was an evaluation coordinator and research assistant at the Oregon Center for Applied Science.
Ballot drop site: Springfield City Hall: Between 5th and 6th streets off A Street (in drive-through under building.) OR at Splash! At Lively Park, 6100 Thurston Road. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on May 21.
