Six apply to fill vacant MUSD school board seat

Six Maricopa residents have applied to fill the seat on the Maricopa Unified School District governing board left vacant by Veronica Gay.

They are: Julianne Hoopes, Anna Marie Knorr, Jeffrey Kramarczyk, Gary Miller, Rebecca Molus and Murray Siegel.

The deadline to apply was Monday. Pinal County School Superintendent Jill Broussard is setting up interviews with the applicants and then will meet with the school board in a special meeting Aug. 28 to get input from board members before making her appointment by the end of next week, said administrative assistant Shannon Henderson,

The time of the special meeting is yet to be determined.

Julianne Hoopes

Hoopes, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday, is InMaricopa.com’s 2013 Mother of the Year, selected by readers after being nominated by her husband, a first lieutenant in the Utah National Guard. The couple has three daughters.

In his nomination letter, Austin Hoopes wrote that his wife “maintained a positive attitude” during his time away in Afghanistan. “Julianne is the example of strength, determination and love.”

The family ran a booth at this summer’s Great American Barbecue painting faces and raffling donations to raise money for Our Military Kids, which provides grants and financial aid to children of reservists and soldiers of the National Guard.

AnnaMarie Knorr

Knorr is a fourth generation Arizonan. She, her husband and their three children have lived and farmed in Maricopa for eight years.

“I applied to fill the vacancy on the MUSD board because I want to do everything I can to help improve the schools within our district,” she said.

Knorr is the Arizona government affairs manager for the Western Growers Association. She has a bachelor’s degree from ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business and has been trained in nonprofit organization management.

“I believe that we can have the best schools in the state and I am willing to devote the time and energy to make our schools better so that students and their parents want to stay in the local schools.”

Jeffrey Kramarczyk

Kramarczyk, who owns and operates Crate Coffee pour-over bar, has been a member of the Maricopa Education Foundation since 2008, serving on numerous committees and as vice president and president. He and is wife have three children attending school in the district, ages 9, 10, and 12.

“I applied for the vacancy just to help. That’s what it comes down to,” Kramarczyk said. “It’s not a competition for a spot. I’m offering my services to the board, the district and the students of Maricopa.”

Kramarczyk said he hoped whoever fills the vacancy will stick with the job because the board and district need the stability to move forward.

“The state needs help with its education process and the best place to start is here where I live,” he said.

Gary Miller

Miller and his wife have lived in Maricopa since September 2005. Both are behavioral health professionals.

“My purpose is to serve others in the roll of an active citizen in the city of Maricopa,” Miller said, adding he was considering running for the board in the next election before the current vacancy opened.

Miller is on the city’s board of adjustment and chairman of the Pinal County Teenage Republicans. He has been a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for juvenile offenders, license foster parent and advocate for at-risk youth in meeting their individual education plan (IEP) goals and objectives.

“As a volunteer my experience is in public policy through my active role in the state and county legislative process,” Miller said. “I have served on various not-for-profit and city-appointed boards throughout my professional experience that may set the policy for an organization or a department within an organization.”

***ADVERTISEMENT***Rebecca Molus

Molus has been a management analyst with the city of Maricopa since November 2007, transferring to the police department in January 2009. She and her husband have lived in Maricopa for eight years; their daughter attends Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

She said she is interested in filling the vacancy “because I care.”

“I have worked with Dr. (Steve) Chestnut while serving on a couple of school committees and I am very impressed with the leadership and direction of the Maricopa Unified School District,” Molus said.

“I believe a strong school district is a key component to a successful community, and I would like the opportunity to serve.”

Murray Siegel

Siegel was a business manager and executive before taking a 70 percent pay cut to teach and he said he’s “never been sorry.” With a Ph.D. in mathematics and 40 years of teaching math in grades one through 12, Siegel said he’s now cut back on his teaching at Arizona State University as he eases into retirement.

“I have more time and I thought maybe I’m qualified and let’s see if I can contribute,” he said about applying for the board seat.

“At this point, we want to give back,” he said of himself and his wife, who is a mathematics instructor at Central Arizona College.

Siegel was a captain in the U.S. Air Force flying combat missions over North and South Vietnam. He also has coached soccer, track and cross country. The couple moved to Maricopa in 2007 and has two grown sons.