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Cottonwood-Oak
Creek School District conducts board meetings on the second Tuesday
of each month. Meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. at 1 North Willard in
the Clemenceau building board room. The public is encouraged to
attend our meetings. However, if you cannot physically attend our
meetings, we hope that you will take advantage of our web-based
agenda through
BoardDocs Public where you will have access to our current and
past meetings. |
Board Members
Randall Garrison | Jason Finger |
Janice Rollins | Lori Simmons |
Eric Wyles
Board Member Bios
 | Randall W. Garrison, President
Randall Garrison is proud to be a product of the Verde Valley
school systems, having attended Cottonwood Elementary School and graduating from
Mingus Union High School. He continued his education at Ottawa University in
Kansas, received two associate degrees from Yavapai College, and is currently
enrolled at Northern Arizona University. Mr. Garrison is a firm believer in the
importance of education, not just the gaining of knowledge but the pursuit of
knowledge as well. He feels that the most important principle that his teachers
of our local school system instilled in him was that “learning is a life long
experience”. Randy has been married to his wife, Debbie, for nineteen years, and
their daughter is currently attending Tavasci Elementary School. They both
work at their own businesses and enjoy being actively involved in the community.
Mr. Garrison has served on the COCSD Governing Board since January, 2003.
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| Jason Finger
Jason Finger and his wife Tracey have been residents of the
Verde Valley for over 10 years. Jason is a proud parent of three sons who
will be attending schools in the COCSD for the next 11 years. He received a
Bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas with a major in human
biology. He also received a Master of Physical Therapy degree from Rockhurst
University, a Jesuit institution in Kansas City. As a capstone project while
at Rockhurst, Jason developed and implemented a minority recruitment program
for the career of physical therapy, with a local high school that
specialized in preparing inner city students for careers in the health
professions. In continuing with those efforts, Jason also volunteers as a
mentor for the American Physical Therapy Association’s Minority Recruitment
Program. Jason is a physical therapist working in the Verde Valley in home
care with an emphasis in geriatric care, and special interests in wound care
and post surgical rehabilitation. |
| Janice Rollins
Janice and her husband, Ernest, are retired. They have lived in the
Cottonwood area for over 37 years. Their three children were raised in
Cottonwood and attended Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District. Their children
are graduates of Mingus Union High School. Janice and Ernie enjoy sharing
time with their eight grandchildren. At the present, one grandchild attends
Tavasci Elementary. For seventeen years, while her children were young,
Janice was a stay-at-home mom. During this period of time, she volunteered
for several community services. She was a Girl Scout Leader, PTA President
and Treasurer, Cottonwood Public Library volunteer and served on several
financial committees in her church. Janice retired from Cottonwood-Oak Creek
School District at the end of school year, 2004-2005. She served in several
capacities while working in the district for 26 years. She started with the
district as a bus driver and within a few short years was made a supervisor
for the transportation department. She worked part time for the food
service, business office and the district office. She ended her career with
C-OCSD as the Administrative Assistant for Special Services. During her
early years with Cottonwood-Oak Creek, she attended night classes at Yavapai
College and earned her Associate of Arts in General Education. Janice served
on the original committee that was responsible for professional growth for
the Support Staff and continued to serve on this committee until her
retirement. She also, served on the Superintendent’s Budget Committee for
several years. Janice worked under five Superintendents and four Special
Services Directors. She is looking forward to serving the community,
students and staff of the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District.
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| Lori Simmons
Lori
Simmons and her husband Mark, with their three sons, ages 14, 12, and 8,
have lived in the Verde Valley for thirteen years. Lori’s youngest boys are
being educated in the district, with the oldest at MUHS. Lori received her
Finance degree from Northern Arizona University in 1992. She is the Market
President for First State Bank, a Northern Arizona based Community Bank.
Lori strives to use her Finance and Banking expertise to assist the board in
the many monetary-related discussions. Lori married into an education
family, with her husband teaching Biology for almost ten years in the state
of Arizona, and her father-in-law retiring after teaching middle school
Science in Phoenix for over 30 years! Lori has been active in many community
support activities, mostly focusing on the youth of the Verde Valley. Lori
has been a Rotarian, has assisted with Verde Valley Little League
fundraising, has served on the United Way Board, and serves as Treasurer of
the Verde Valley Wine Consortium and High Desert Youth Football. She also
serves on the Cottonwood Economic Development Council and Verde Valley
Regional Economic Development Organization. She began her service to our
district by being an active member of the Cottonwood Elementary PTO for five
years. As the PTO President, Lori worked diligently to increase membership
through finding ways to include our working parents and primary Spanish
speakers in some of PTO’s many activities. Lori’s passion for children and
her desire to offer all children the opportunity to learn in a safe, fun
environment have motivated her to participate in the COCSD Governing Board. |
| Eric Wyles
Eric Wyles has been a resident of Cornville for over 32 years
and is a proud alumnus of both the Cottonwood-Oak Creek District and
graduate of Mingus Union High School. Eric and his wife Sharon have three
daughters, Amy who lives in Kansas with their grandson Aidan, Paige who
attends Mingus Union High School and Erica who attends the Oak Creek School
in Cornville. Eric has been actively serving the youth of our community for
many years. Eric volunteered with AYSO as a Board Member, Town Commissioner,
Coach, and Referee for over 10 years. Eric has also been a member of
numerous volunteer committees whose purpose was to enhance the educational
opportunities for students. Eric feels the education of the “Whole Student”
including opportunities in Art, Music, and Athletics creates an environment
for students to receive a well rounded education. Eric’s devotion to youth
and education is what has led him to humbly serve as a Governing Board
Member of the Cottonwood-Oak Creek District. |
Board
Retreat Archives
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