Brandon Engles – Alpine Education Association

(As submitted by the candidate.)

My name is Brandon Engles. I am asking for your vote for NEA State Director representing Utah. My number one priority has always been and continues to be listening to members’ voices. It’s vital that educators and staff feel heard as decisions are made.

I joined my local association during my district’s New Teacher Orientation 16 years ago. I was elected to represent my local at the House of Delegates. I have participated in every HOD for the past 15 years. I was asked by my local board to be on the negotiations team. After a few years bargaining with my district, I decided to run for my local/Uniserv Board. During this time, I was able to work on several Uniserv committees and UEA’s Election committee. After serving 2 terms on my local/Uniserv boards, I saw that members in my Uniserv felt that their voices weren’t being heard at the state level. I ran for and won a seat on the UEA Board of Directors. I have had many great experiences that have helped me grow as a leader and as a person. I have attend NEA’s leadership summits in which I have been able to develop my leadership competencies. I have also meet teachers from around the country and learned from them. I have also learned about important issues such as social justice and how to work with politicians. I have served on the NEA Elections and

I would appreciate your vote for NEA State Director.

Mindy Layton – Granite Education Association

(As submitted by the candidate.)

I am Mindy Criado Layton, your current NEA State Director--an elementary school specialist for Multilingual Learners in Granite School District.

It is an understatement that the past year has altered the operating platform of education. Never has our unified voice proven as critical as it does now. As the current state director, I’ve been at the decision table. I’ve witnessed defeats and triumphs as I advocate for educational equity.

My committee service on a national, state, and local level drives my passion to impact our profession. But your advice, your voice, and your vote needs qualified representation to better serve each student in Utah. You as an educator understand that WE are essential. Your voice makes the difference. I want to hear your perspectives, successes, and barriers in education.

Let’s team Up! Together we can improve rural and urban educational equity. Let’s provide better access to existing educational resources. Let’s fund proven educator-driven instructional practices. Let’s create training tailored to educators’ skills and platform needs. Together We Can elevate Utah Teacher’s working conditions and Utah Public Education.

It would be my honor to be reelected as your National Education Association State Director. Vote, Mindy Layton for NEA State Director.

Heather Amado

(As submitted by the candidate.)

Ya'at'eeh (Greetings),

Thank you for giving me this space to introduce myself. My name is Heather Amado. I am a Utahn through and through. I love that we get to experience all four seasons. I grew up on the Navajo Nation within a humble community known as Monument Valley. I came to Alpine School District to learn the academic dynamics of urban communities. I have loved building professional relationships with students, educators, and administrations here in Alpine. I especially enjoy working with our Alpine Education Association. I currently serve as your Ethnic Minority Rep. I am excited to start this new path with you.

It is an honor to be considered as Alpines’ Board of Directors candidate. Learning and getting involved with our communities is my passion. We all have a story to tell and I want to hear yours. I believe that your voice matters. I wish to support your needs as an educator. Our policies and procedures are the bread and butter of our profession and I want to ensure that you are well informed. I want to be a part of the decision-making process with your stories in mind. I look forward to sharing ideas with you. Ahehee' (thank you) for your time and consideration.

John Paynter

(As submitted by the candidate.)

I am excited to declare my candidacy for the Alpine Uniserv Board of Director's position. I have been a member of the AEA/UEA/NEA since August of 1993 when I was hired as an elementary school teacher. I was elected as the AEA building representative the next year and have served as such at every school I have worked at. For the past 10 years, I have been serving as a Board Member for Alpine Uniserv. I have also been involved with the AEA and UEA PAC committees.

I have always been an active education association member. In these service areas, I have strived to help the members I represent. Listening and collaborating to solve problems has always been important to me in working with the association and its members.

The future of education needs input from its teachers. If elected as a member of the board of directors, I would work hard in gathering information from the teachers I represent and work collectively to improve educational policies and procedures. I also would keep the members informed of what the UEA is doing to help them as teachers. I have always enjoyed being a part of shaping and supporting great public schools for every student.

I would appreciate the opportunity to serve and would appreciate your support in this 2021 election. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Vote John Paynter for Alpine Director on the UEA Board of Directors.

Aaron Webb

(As submitted by the candidate.)

In challenging times, the opportunity for triumph emerges. The importance and role of education in society is made clear and our calling to educate, to inspire, and to lead is magnified. I know that I have the heart and soul of a teacher because facilitating the success of others brings me fulfillment and joy. To any setting, I bring dedication to the profession, passion, and positivity.

It has been my great honor and privilege to teach music at the elementary, secondary, and university levels for the last 16 years. In this time I have earned Master’s degrees in Music Education and Educational Leadership. I am a passionate advocate for our profession, our communities, and our students. My roles in UEA have included:

• Association Building Leader
• Local Vice President/President-Elect
• Negotiations Representative
• NEA-RA Delegate
• Elections Committee Member
• UEA Policy Ambassador in-training

I am an out-of-the box thinker. I have strong organizational skills. I am intelligent and well-spoken. My leadership style is to listen and to act in the service of others. I have a calm and reserved demeanor, but I am not shy or fearful of trying new things. I believe in confronting issues with both intellectual honesty and compassion; people have good intentions and want to be a part of a successful system. I would be honored to represent the Eastern UniServ membership.

Marsha Curtis

(As submitted by the candidate.)

My name is Marsha Curtis, and I am running for the office of Eastern Director on the UEA Board of Directors. I have been an active member of the association for fourteen years and I love being able to be a voice for teachers and our students in this state.

I have served as an ABL-Association Building Leader for eight years, a minority representative for two years on our local board and then as local president-elect for two years. I am now serving my third year as the local president for Uintah County Education Association. I have also served on the Rules and Resolutions committee for two years and I am currently serving on the EMAC-Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee and I am also serving on the Equity, Justice & Inclusion Task Force.

As a representative for the association in different leadership positions I feel I can represent Eastern on the Board of Directors when the need arrives. I have experience in building relationships with many people in the various leadership roles they hold in the local, state, and national level.

If I am elected to the position of Eastern Director on the UEA Board of Directors I assure you I will do my best to promote collaboration and success in building positive relationships within our profession and then carrying it out into the community.

It would be my honor to represent and advocate for Eastern members and students.

Rod Hurd

(As submitted by the candidate.)

I have been involved with public education for twenty-five years. During that time I have worked at a small at-risk high school and in a regular rural high school classroom in Sevier School District. As a member of my local association, I have been a building representative, the vice-president and the president of my local. I understand the challenges and needs of rural schools.

I currently serve on the Board of Directors for UEA representing the physically largest region. As a member of the Board, I am on the budget and building committees. I have also been asked to work on the negotiations team for negotiations between UEA leadership and staff.

As a local leader and member of the UEA Board, I have brought members to five of the Leadership Academies. I am a regular at Day on the Hill and take teachers and students there to advocate for public education. I attend and have twice presented at the UEA Negotiation Summit. As a member of the Board and a local leader, I have been a representative at the Utah House of Delegates and presented a resolution supporting rural locals. Three times I have attended the National Leadership Training Summit. Three times I have been to the NEA Representative Assembly as a delegate for Utah.

I love teachers and appreciate all that they do. I understand how hard they work. I want to be the voice for High Desert on the Board so that rural issues can be heard.

Tyler Lamming

(As submitted by the candidate.)

I am thrilled to declare my candidacy for the Wasatch Director position for the UEA Board of Directors. I have been in education for nine years and have been teaching Earth Science at West High School for the past five years.

I am actively involved in the Association and have experience in leadership roles. I am currently a representative on the SLEA Executive Board, where I have dutifully served the past two years. I have served on various SLEA committees, including the Organizing and Membership Committee and the Political Education and Action Committee. In addition, I was appointed last year to the UEA Political Action Committee Executive Council as a representative of Wasatch UniServ.

If given the chance, I would use this position to build meaningful and trusting relationships within UEA and the community. I recognize that together we are stronger, and we need each other to be successful. By fostering the relationships around me, I am able to conduct difficult conversations and make tough decisions in a respectful and consequential way. My colleagues know that I am always receptive to their ideas and concerns.

As part of the Executive Board and UPAC, I frequently reach out to our members to gather information and concerns. I know that they trust me to make decisions that best represent their interests. I have often voted against my own preference in order to serve our members. I take this responsibility very seriously.

I greatly appreciate your support. Vote for me!