Board of Directors

The Sedona Educational Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) entity separate from the school district. The foundation is governed by an all volunteer board of directors. The board members are from the business community and the community-at-large. Through their leadership, the SEF will secure funding and award monies to provide supplemental resources that enrich and enhance teaching and learning in the Sedona District.

Jennette Bill: Philanthropist, Rotary Club of Sedona Village
Randy Hawley: SOCUSD Governing Board President
Kathy Wright: Sedona Resident, Former Governing Board Member
Dennis Dearden: District Superintendent

Annual Meeting Invitation: November 9, 2021

Annual Meeting presentation: October 2020
Annual Meeting presentation: November 2021

Jennette Bill, Board President

Jennette Bill is very excited to serve on the Sedona Oak Creek Educational Foundation Board of Directors.  “It is such an honor to be part of a foundation that enhances education through funding supplemental and innovative programming that will excite teachers and students in our district as well as provide scholarships for post high school education.”

For most of Jennette’s adult life she has volunteered furthering causes that benefit youth.  These have included cub scout leader, girl scout leader and chair for the Sedona girl scout program, PTSA president, school boards, and more than ten years of leading Rotary projects related to youth. She also loves being involved in her community.

Jennette grew up in Sedona attending the Brewer Road School and then Cottonwood Elementary.  For high school, she along with most Sedona kids, rode a bus to Jerome every day.  One high school year she attended Verde Valley School and would ford Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing when the creek level wasn’t high.

Jennette has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Arizona and worked in that field in San Francisco and Tucson before moving back to Sedona in 1988. Wanting to devote more time and energy to their family, she became the office manager for their dental practice for 28 years.  All three of the Bill children attended Sedona Oak Creek School District Schools and went on to earn degrees from the University of Arizona.

Jennette believes that Sedona kids deserve the best education we can give them, one that has them excited for learning and sees them growing as thoughtful, kind individuals.  She believes in the motto “Sedona Values Education.”  This Foundation gives an opportunity to show it.

Randy Hawley, Board Secretary

Randy grew up in Freeport, Illinois.  During his high school years he was very active in a variety of school activities. He was in the student council and captain of the football, basketball and track teams.  He then attended Northwestern University on a track scholarship. From the time he started school Randy always wanted to be a teacher, so when he went to Northwestern he majored in education.  When he graduated he took a job as a special education teacher.  During that time he also went to summer school and received his Master’s Degree from Northern Illinois University.

He taught special education for three years and then became a guidance counselor.  During that time he also coached football, swimming and track and was selected as the conference swim coach of the year twice.  For the next 35 years Randy served as an elementary and middle school principal and Associate Superintendent for Human Resources in suburban Milwaukee and Chicago.

Randy’s wife, Frances, is also a retired school administrator.  In her career she served as an English teacher, elementary principal, Director of Instruction, superintendent and national consultant.  He has two adult children.  His daughter is an attorney in Chicago and his son owns his own real estate development company in Milwaukee.  He has three grandchildren who all attend elementary school in suburban Milwaukee.

Randy and Frances built their home in Sedona in 2003 and have been living here full time since Randy’s retirement in 2012.  Because of his passion for education and helping children he ran for and was elected to the School District Governing Board in 2016.  He has served as its President the past 4 years.  He is also a charter member of the Education Foundation and is excited about working to connect the Community and the School District in order to enhance the education of our students.

Betsy Snider

Betsy understands it is a privilege to serve on the Sedona Oak Creek Educational Foundation Board of Directors. Any effort, large or small, that leads to supporting vibrant childhoods, nurturing appreciated educators, strengthening community connections, and promoting the joy of lifelong learning will be time well spent.

In 1990 Betsy and her husband, Russ, moved their young family (Brett age five and Bridget age two) to Sedona. Russ took a job as principal of West Sedona School and Betsy was hired by Flagstaff to teach in Sedona at the Brewer Road School. They had no idea the momentous changes that were about to take place.

Concerned community members envisioned one day having a school district of their own with fabulous facilities and an exciting environment for Sedona's children to thrive. Those visionary dreamers were successful and Betsy spent the next eighteen years teaching fifth grade in the most ideal conditions imaginable. Dreams can behave like dominoes, a chain reaction enhancing many lives.

Upon retiring in 2008 Betsy has let her insatiable curiosity and sense of adventure lead the way. After thirteen years of frolicking about the one thing she longed for could be summarized in a word, community.

It is her desire to give back to this place and the people that have given her so much.

Kathy Wright, Board Treasurer

Kathryn (Kathy) Wright grew up in Porterville, Calif. She graduated high school and Jr. College in her hometown.

At age 19 she moved to Wilmington, California and graduated from Harbor College with an RN nursing degree.

In 1971 she married Serge Wright (the love of her life). They have 3 children – Ryan, Kendra and Trisha.

She worked in the Surgical ICU at Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, California. In 1973 she and Serge moved to Sedona and she worked on the first team in the new Coronary Care Unit at Marcus J. Lawrence Hospital (now Verde Valley Medical Center). She then worked for Dr. Richard Griesenbeck until the first of her three children was born in 1976.

During the years of childrearing she volunteered for March of Dimes as local organizer and state representative and served as Director of Children’s Ministries at Christ Center Wesleyan Church.

Kathy served on the Mingus Union High School Board of Directors until Sedona formed its own school district. Kathy was the first President of the Sedona-Oak Creek School Board and served on that Board for 6 year. She currently is a “Certificate Holder” for Northern Arizona Healthcare (a group of community members who hear and share news about Northern Arizona Healthcare activities, needs, and successes).

Now, mostly retired, she helps with the management of professional office spaces in Flagstaff and Sedona. And best of all – has more time to enjoy family and friends.

Serving on the Sedona-Oak Creek Education Foundation Board has been very satisfying because it has shown her the full circle that our community has made in supporting the children – our future!

Corrie Cooperman, Board Member

Corrie Cooperman is delighted to join the Education Foundation Board. "It is an honor to help the generosity of our citizens be applied towards programs that contribute to the welfare and education of the children in our community." Corrie believes a community is at its healthiest when it cares about and directs ample resources towards the success of next generation.

San Francisco State University offered Corrie the opportunity to major in nursing. Upon graduation she became a Public Health Nurse in Marin County worked closely with “at risk” young women throughout their
pregnancy and first year of their infants’ life.

Corrie’s interest in helping people parent evolved into teaching childbirth and parenting education in hospital settings over many years. Her career path also drew her towards more alternative forms of helping people with
both their physical and mental health. She had the pleasure of being the 'Stress Reduction RN' at Marin General Hospital’s psychiatric unit.

37 years ago Corrie met Oliver Cooperman, a budding psychiatrist. After their son went off to college, their love of hiking drew them to live in Wyoming and Montana. Upon visiting Sedona 13 years ago they knew they
found home.

Corrie served as Vice-Chair of the Sedona Fire District Governing Board for eight years. Her husband is the psychiatrist for Red Mountain Sedona. Currently, Corrie has her own practice in the alternative modalities of
healing.

Much to the delight of Corrie and Oliver, their son and three grandchildren moved to Sedona two years ago, after living in Kenya for 12 years. It has been a major treat to watch their 7-year-old grandson flourish as a Wildcat
at West Sedona School and has given Corrie the opportunity to see firsthand the excellence of education offered by Sedona Oak Creek School District.

Dennis Dearden

Mr. Dearden is known nationwide as an extremely talented educational leader and brings a distinguished resume to his position in Sedona. Mr. Dearden was the Superintendent of the Marana School District and Casa Grande Union High School District, both in Arizona. Mr. Dearden came to SOCUSD in the summer of 2018. Before his time as Superintendent, Mr. Dearden served as the Cluster 1 Assistant Superintendent for Fairfax County Schools in Virginia, where he was responsible for 22 schools and nearly 20,000 students near Washington, D.C. All 22 schools in Cluster 1 earned full state accreditation, and the 3 high schools (Langley, McLean, and Herndon) were included in the 2005 Newsweek Top 100 high schools in the nation.

Prior to working in Fairfax County, Mr. Dearden served as a principal at the high school and middle school levels in Grand Junction, Colorado. He also spent 20 very rewarding years in the classroom as a social studies and special education teacher and has a strong coaching background at the middle school, high school, and college levels. Mr. Dearden earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education from Simpson College (Iowa), a Master's in Special Education from Drake University (Iowa), and his administrative certification from the University of Northern Colorado.