A native “Jersey Girl” who was born, raised and married in New Jersey, Dena Kimble and her husband, Raymond, an attorney, moved to Arizona in 1997. The couple’s three children attended AJUSD schools and Mrs. Kimble has supported the district by being an active volunteer and fundraiser. She served as PTO president at Desert Vista Elementary School for four years where she helped raise money to install smart boards in every classroom. That same year she helped recruit folks to participate in the AJ Parks and Rec Walk-a-Thon fundraiser and the school’s PTO not only won first place – they repeated those efforts the following two years.

As her children grew older she moved on to Cactus Canyon Junior High and became PTO president at the school. She was instrumental in raising money to install smart projectors in many of the classrooms, and worked on a successful $4000 grant that enabled the school to purchase new books for the library. One of Mrs. Kimble’s favorite accomplishments was teaming up with the Anthony Bates Foundation and AJ’s fire department to provide free heart screening in AJ, and, by donation only; she helped raise enough money to install Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in every AJUSD school and the district office.

Mrs. Kimble is a paralegal and manages Kimble Law Firm. She has also operated her own successful home-based business for many years. She said she is delighted to offer her energy, creativity and experience to serve the AJUSD kids and community as a member of the board.

Cami Garcia was born and raised in Apache Junction and continues to work and volunteer in the hometown she adores. This love of the community and a desire to serve others runs in the family. Mrs. Garcia married Joe Garcia, an AJHS graduate who is now captain for the AJ Superstition Fire and Medical District.

Mrs. Garcia is an active volunteer with a special interest in sports. She has been with the Black & Gold Youth Football League for 15 years, served as past vice president of Apache Junction Little League for three years, was a Football Team Mom for five years, and has stepped up to the plate to help out on a variety of parent teacher organizations when needed. Mrs. Garcia has served on the AJUSD School Governing Board for two years and is looking forward to continuing in her role through December 2020.

Mrs. Garcia and her husband have raised three children - Tanner, Cameron, and Garrett. Tanner and Cameron graduated from Apache Junction High School. Garrett currently attends district schools.

Mrs. Garcia is a real estate broker and owns Western Lifestyle Realty. While she admits her business and family keep her busy, she said she is excited to serve as a School Board Member for AJUSD and be a part of the decision-making process to allow our students to excel in school and in life. She said she firmly believes AJUSD teachers and students deserve the best!

Gail Ross is an optician with a vision for improving student learning and educational opportunities for district students. The newest school board member plans to implement policy and programs that will boost students’ basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as encourage critical thinking, accountability, and self-reliance. Now an Arizona resident for more than 22 years, Gail and her husband, Bob, are transplants from New Jersey. Tired of the bitter cold in the Northeast, the couple decided to relocate to a warmer climate. After doing their research and traveling throughout the state, they hit pay dirt with an incredible property to build a house near the Goldfield Mountains. While Gail says she and her husband are still mesmerized by the beauty of the desert and Superstition Mountains, she decided to scale back at work and be of service to the community. Drawing from the excellent education she received in her youth, her business acumen and knack for numbers, she decided to volunteer in an area where she felt she could do the most good as a Governing Board Member for Apache Junction Unified School District.

Sandra Leen was born and raised in Wisconsin. After marrying her husband, a longtime resident of Apache Junction, she moved to the area and quickly became involved in the community. Her daughter attended Desert Vista Elementary School, where Sandra served as PTO president.

Sandra earned her bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance in Wisconsin. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles, where she thrived in her field for 10 years. Following her marriage and relocation to Arizona, her stepdaughter informed her that AJUSD was seeking a strings teacher. Sandra seized the opportunity and returned to school to earn her master’s degree in Secondary Education, enabling her to teach. She proudly served as an educator in the district for nearly 15 years and aspires to pursue a doctorate once her child is older.

Sandra is passionate about the schools in AJUSD and is committed to doing what’s best for the district. She firmly believes in its potential to become one of the best and is excited to work collaboratively to achieve that vision.

Judy Williamson grew up in Michigan and moved to Arizona in 1997, where she met her husband of 24 years. Together, they have two children who are proud graduates of Apache Junction High School, from the classes of 2019 and 2022. Judy and her family own Old West Machining & Welding, a longstanding business in Apache Junction serving the community for 29 years. She also runs a custom T-shirt printing business.

Judy’s dedication to education began as a PTO member at Desert Vista Elementary School while her children were young. She later worked as a paraprofessional at Cactus Canyon Junior High. Now serving on the school board, Judy is honored to contribute to the success of AJUSD students and the community. Passionate about the district’s direction, she is committed to ensuring students thrive and have exceptional learning experiences.