Members

District 1

Kelly Simmons

Resides in Des Moines
(515) 770-1794
ksimmons@heartlandaea.org

School Districts Represented: Baxter, Bondurant-Farrar, Colfax-Mingo, Collins-Maxwell, Lynnville-Sully, Madrid, Newton, North Polk, PCM, Southeast Polk
Member Since: 2023
Term Expires: 2027

Kelly Simmons is a special education, autism and mental health advocate and the mother of two children who have significant autism, so she is extremely passionate about inclusive education and services. Kelly has served active duty in the U.S. Navy and has since spent her entire adult life in government funding, public policy, program integrity and legislation. She also has a background in working with youth-at-risk and in-home family counseling. Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies/psychology from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia Southern University and is currently working towards a doctorate in public administration. Kelly serves on the Southeast Polk Schools’ Board of Education and the Des Moines Sister Cities Commission. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Ames, IA.

District 2

Steve Rose

Resides in Indianola
(515) 979-2351
steve.rose@simpson.edu

School Districts Represented: Carlisle, Indianola, Interstate 35, Knoxville, Martensdale-St. Marys, Melcher-Dallas, Norwalk, Pella, Pleasantville, Southeast Warren, Twin Cedars, Winterset
Member Since: 1996
Term Expires: 2027

Steve Rose is a retired professor of education at Simpson College, where he coordinated the secondary education program, including teaching in the master of arts in teaching program. He was a member of the Simpson faculty for over 20 years. Prior to his time at Simpson, Steve was an education faculty member at Sterling College in Sterling, Kans., and he worked in the Lexington (Nebr.) Public Schools for 10 years. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in English, education and sociology and a master’s degree in education, both from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He earned his Ed.D. degree in administration, curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Steve is currently coordinating spoken word events in Central Iowa.

District 3

Margie Schwenk

Resides in Coon Rapids
(712) 830-3893
margieschwenk@gmail.com

School Districts Represented: Adair-Casey, Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, Audubon, Boone, Carroll, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Dallas Center-Grimes, Earlham, Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton, Glidden-Ralston, Guthrie Center, Ogden, Panorama, Perry, West Central Valley, Woodward-Granger
Member Since: 2018
Term Expires: 2025

Margie Schwenk is retired from a 41-year career in education. During four decades of service, she was a middle school teacher, gifted and talented teacher/program director and director of curriculum and professional learning, all for the Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District. Margie earned her master’s degree in educational leadership from Drake University, a bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy and science from the College of St. Mary in Omaha and a bachelor’s degree in education and philosophy from Iowa State University. On a statewide basis, she served as an evaluator for the Regents Alternative Pathway to Iowa Licensure program and as a gifted and talented consultant and curriculum specialist.

District 4

Tiara Mays-Sims

Resides in Johnston
(515) 771-2674
tmays@heartlandaea.org

School Districts Represented: Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee
Member Since: 2021
Term Expires: 2025

Tiara Mays-Sims is a graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. She later continued her education and obtained a master of business administration degree from Purdue University Global. She currently works in managed care as a contract negotiator. Tiara serves as a board member for the Red Cross of Central Iowa and Investing in My Future, Inc. In addition, she is an undergraduate advisor for collegiate women through her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Tiara is also a published author with her book #TwinChronicals™: Adventures of Prince & Tiana and is a contributor for Autism Parenting Magazine.

District 5

John Kinley

Resides in Ames
(515) 689-7904
jckinley@gmail.com

School Districts Represented: Ames, Ballard, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert, Nevada, Roland-Story, United
Member Since: 2015
Term Expires: 2027

John Kinley has been an educator for 45 years, beginning as a high school social studies teacher, then spending 15 years as a middle school principal. He rounded out his career by serving as the superintendent at the South Hamilton, Hubbard-Radcliffe and Gilbert school districts for a combined 10 years. Since retirement, he served a one-year position as an interim co-principal at St. Cecilia School in Ames, and he is currently the director of the Story County Consortium, a partnership of Story County Schools to provide learning opportunities for the county’s high school students in career/technical education. He has also been a lecturer in the Iowa State University School of Education for over 20 years and has served on other community boards.

John holds a bachelor’s degree in distributed studies, a master’s degree in education administration and a superintendent certification, all from Iowa State University.

District 6

Pete Evans

Resides in Ankeny
(515) 491-2698
pmevans@iastate.edu

School Districts Represented: Ankeny, Des Moines, Saydel
Member Since: 2013
Term Expires: 2025

Pete Evans, AIA IDSA is an assistant professor in the Industrial Design department at Iowa State University with over 25 years of industry experience. Pete’s teaching, scholarship and research involve mixed reality (VR and AR) simulation, prototyping, design and communication; impacts of 21st-century skills on K-16 students and workforce; UXUI, HCI and human-centered design; phenomenology and perceptual cognition. He also founded and coordinates the FLEx (Forward Learning Experience) — a mobile design and STEM outreach program that has reached over 80,000 Iowa students and citizens since 2014.

Pete received a master of industrial design degree from Iowa State University in 2017, a Human Computer Interaction Master Certificate from Iowa State University in 2014 and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Iowa State University in 1995.

District 7

Alex Piedras

Resides in Des Moines
(515) 201-5475
apiedras@outlook.com

School Districts Represented: Des Moines
Member Since: 2021
Term Expires: 2025

Alex Piedras has been the Director of Multicultural and Community Outreach at Grand View University since 2005 and is also a part-time mental health counselor at Ellipsis’ Hope Hall. He has 25 years of experience working in the Des Moines community for various non-profit organizations and is dedicated to issues of equity and inclusion. He currently serves on several boards and community organizations in Central Iowa. Alex earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Grand View College and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Drake University.

District 8

Margaret Borgen

Resides in Des Moines
(515) 243-2400
mborgen@borgensystems.com

School Districts Represented: Des Moines
Member Since: 2007
Term Expires: 2027

Margaret Borgen is a former middle school and high school teacher and director of an alternative high school. She also served on the Des Moines Public Schools’ Board of Education for nine years, and she is a past member of the Iowa Association of School Boards’ Board of Directors, having also served as the Board’s president. In previous years, she was the president of the Des Moines Council of PTAs and the Iowa PTA and was vice president of the National PTA. Margaret received her bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University.

District 9

Elizabeth Brennan

Resides in West Des Moines
(515) 222-6920
ejcb@me.com

School Districts Represented: Van Meter, Waukee, West Des Moines
Member Since: 2015
Term Expires: 2027

Elizabeth (Liz) Brennan is a current member of the West Des Moines Schools’ Board of Education and has served in many volunteer positions throughout the West Des Moines district. She serves on the Iowa Association of School Boards Board of Directors as the president-elect and is also a board member of BANK, a community bank based in eastern Iowa. Brennan graduated from St. Olaf College with a bachelor of arts degree in French and later earned her teaching degree, with an ESL endorsement, from the University of Iowa. She also earned her international diploma in early childhood teaching from Montessori Centre International. Liz is currently a preschool teacher at Montessori Children’s House in West Des Moines.

Board Officers

President: Margaret Borgen
Vice President: Elizabeth Brennan
Chief Administrative Officer: Cindy Yelick
Secretary: Jenny Ugolini
Treasurer: Kurt Subra