A new year brings one veteran and one new person to leadership for the Apache Junction Unified School District governing board.
In separate votes Jan. 14, the board voted unanimously for Dena Kimble to again serve as board president and for Cami Garcia to be the board’s vice president. The former vice president was Gilbert Cancio, who ran unsuccessfully for school board.
“(I)f you guys are comfortable with me remaining in this role, I’d be honored to continue,” Kimble said prior to the vote.
“I would like to step up as vice president,” Garcia said prior to the vote of president.
Following the vote for president, AJUSD Board Member Gail Ross said the vice president position is not necessary and she asked if it could be removed.
“It’s come to my attention that a vice president is actually not a necessary requirement so I was wondering how everyone feels about not even having a vice president,” she said.
“Well, I think we should have a vice president just in case something happens to Dena,” Board Member Sandra Leen said.
Some districts don’t have a vice president but the AJUSD board has always had one. Some districts have a clerk who is the backup to the president, Kimble said.
“So I’ve heard the chatter too in regards to the vice president conversation and I think that we need to continue having a vice president backup,” Garcia said.
After additional discussion, including that there are no AJUSD set duties for a vice president, Kimble asked if anyone in addition to Garcia would like to be considered for the vice president position.
“I would accept if somebody felt that I was the better candidate even though there isn’t much to do,” Ross said.
Garcia nominated herself to be vice president, and the board voted 5-0 to approve the nomination.
AJUSD has three elementary schools, a junior high school and a high school. In 2025 it is slated to open The Classical Academy at Superstition Mountain, a K-5 school designed to provide students with a traditional, liberal arts education. The district boundaries run from Meridian Road on the west to the town of Queen Valley on the east and from the Goldfield Mountains to the north, south into the San Tan Corridor. Communities served include Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Peralta Trail, Queen Valley and unincorporated Pinal County land in-between.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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