Martha Rice has served on the Yakima School Board of Directors since November 1998 when she was appointed to fill a vacated position. In November 1999, Ms. Rice won the election to the board. She was re-elected to the board in 2003, 2007 and 2011. She was an active parent in the Yakima School District for many years, serving on many district level committees as well as an active PTA leader in Yakima since 1989. She served on the Washington State PTA Board of Directors and the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board. In March 2007, Ms. Rice was appointed to fill the vacant position of Vice President for the Washington State School Directors Association. She went on to be elected as President-Elect in November 2007 and served as its President from November 2008 through November 2009. Ms. Rice has been employed at Hanford since 1980 and currently works for the Hanford Fire Department. She has two grown children who attended and graduated from Yakima schools.

John Vornbrock was appointed to fill an open position on the Board in January, 2005. He received a Bachelor of Science (Industrial Engineering) from Northwestern University in 1970 and a Masters (Hospital Administration) from the University of Michigan in 1972. Mr. Vornbrock moved to Yakima in August, 1978 where he served as Senior Vice President- Chief Financial Officer until his retirement in mid-2011.

Mr. Vornbrock has held a number of board and leadership positions in various non-profit organizations in Yakima, including Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Yakima Sunrise Rotary, and the Yakima Hearing and Speech Center. He has also been active in a variety of youth activities and served the Yakima School District as co-chair of the citizens’ committee for the 2001 levy. Mr. Vornbrock and his wife, Paula, have three grown children who attended Yakima schools.

Walt Ranta was elected to the Yakima School District Board of Directors in November 2005. He graduated from White Pass High School in Randle, Washington. In 1974, he graduated from Central Washington State College (now Central Washington University) with a BA in Education, majoring in Secondary Social Studies. Mr. Ranta started his teaching career at Washington Junior High in Yakima in 1974. He transferred to A.C. Davis High School in 1981 where he taught a variety of social studies courses, coached sports at both high schools and helped design a new "small school" under a Gates grant. Mr. Ranta retired in 2004 after 30 years of teaching, but continued to work in the field of education as a substitute teacher and coach. He serves in numerous school and community service organizations. Mr. Ranta is married to a retired elementary teacher, has one daughter and a son-in-law who are both teachers, and two grandchildren.

Graciela Villanueva-Lopez was appointed to the Yakima School District Board of Directors in November 2011. She received a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Heritage University and a Masters of Business Administration from Washington State University. Graciela is employed at Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic as the Recruiting, Compensation and Benefits Manager. She has been an active volunteer at the local and state level in the areas of education, public policy, migrant health care and civic engagement. Her involvement includes appointments to the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs, the Workforce Committee of the Washington Association of Community and Migrant Health Centers and the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters. Her goal for Yakima schools is for all students to be positive contributors to our community and to be academically prepared for their next step in life. In her free time, Graciela likes to CrossFit, read, cook, and garden. Graciela is married and has a son currently attending Yakima schools. Graciela looks forward to serving the students and families of Yakima.

Raymond Navarro, Jr., was appointed to the Yakima School Board of Directors in November of 2011. He graduated from Wapato High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Central Washington University, a Bachelor of Theology from the National Apostolic Bible College, a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling from Heritage College, and a Master of Arts in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. Mr. Navarro has been employed by the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Washington since 2005 and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Southeast Yakima Community Center. He has served on numerous community service boards and organizations including the Yakima County Veterans Advisory Board, Migrant Education U.S. Space Camp Selection Committee, and HEP/CAMP Association (Western Stream Rep). He has served as a coach for the Southeast Saints Football Team for ten years and a mentor for the YMCA Inspire Program. He is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and served with the 307th Combat Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Mr. Navarro previously served as a Yakima School District Board member from 2006 to 2009.

Mr. Navarro is married to Anita Acosta Navarro, a high school counselor, and together they have three children, Raymond Navarro, III, Nicholas J. Navarro, and Kenista R. Navarro, all of whom attend Yakima Schools. He enjoys spending his free time with his family.

Elaine was born in the beautiful Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina. Her family represented two cultures her mother being a Carolina Tar heel and her father a recent Hispanic immigrant. Elaine graduated from high school and college in Puerto Rico. She earned her Masters degree in elementary education from the College of Charleston and administrative certification credits from the Citadel. She then received an Educational Specialist’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Ball State University and a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Leadership.

Elaine began her career as an educator in Charleston, South Carolina. Her career took her to Incirlik, Turkey, Ramstein, Germany, and later to Puerto Rico. Elaine served as the Superintendent of the West Point Dependent Schools and the Camp Lejeune Schools.

Prior to coming to Yakima, Elaine provided leadership for a geographically dispersed, school system with over 25,000 students, primarily serving the children of America’s military men and women. Her sense of pride and accomplishment from this work is tremendous.

Elaine was selected by the Yakima School District Board of Directors as Superintendent beginning July 1, 2009. Her goal is to add value to the lives of the children and young adults she serves in the Yakima Public Schools and to focus attention on the importance and role of each individual in supporting education and student learning.

Throughout her career, Elaine has distinguished herself as a powerful instructional leader who has had notable success in establishing collaborative leadership teams and creating a climate of open communication among all stakeholder groups. Each year she visits hundreds of classrooms and is a forceful advocate for equitable educational opportunities for all learners, narrowing the achievement gap, and ensuring success for all students.

Elaine would tell you that she has found that Yakima is an amazing place to live, work, raise children and experience traditional values that are grounded in the customs, traditions and ethics of a wonderful and caring community.