School Board

Barbara Gaston, Ph.D. (President)

Barbara Gaston, a resident of Garden City, works at Hewlett-Packard as a Project Manager. She received her Bachelor of Science from Lewis and Clark College in mathematics, a Masters of Science from Vanderbilt University in Astronomy and a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Pennsylvania State University. Born in Oregon, she’s also lived in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. She now considers Idaho her home as this is where she met her husband Robert Gustafson. Together they are raising five children – Solveig (11), Avelina (7) and three year old triplets, Brede, Soren and Eamon. The older girls attend Garden City Community School.  In addition to taking care of the household and children, Robert has a small grass-fed beef business. Barbara is a member of the Southwest Idaho section of the Society of Women Engineers.

Martha Monroe, Ph.D. (Secretary)

Marti is a family educator, parent and teacher coach, and a marriage and family therapist, with a specialty in Adlerian psychology. She recently worked with the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation’s Open Book Initiative through the Lee Pesky Learning Center. She has been coordinator of Continuing Studies in Education at Northwest Nazarene University, and has worked as a public school teacher and college administrator. Marti also serves as a director of the Mary Parker Follett Foundation. As Director of Family Education at the Landing Community Center in Eagle, she does in-home family coaching and parent and teacher education. She also teaches a three day intensive conflict management course each month at the Idaho POST Academy (Peace Officers Standards and Training).

Brett Spencer (Treasurer)

Brett is a resident of Star and has been a corporate accountant for twenty years. He is currently employed as Controller for Sommer Construction. He has Bachelor degrees in Animal Science from the University of Idaho and Accounting from Boise State University.  He has been a Board member of IDADIV Credit Union for four years and is currently Chairman.  Brett and his wife Joan have seven children and three grandchildren.  Their two youngest boys attend Garden City Community School.

Janet V. Thomas, Ed. D., LCPC

Jan is a family educator and counselor, using principles of Adlerian psychology.  She received her bachelor and master degrees at the College of Idaho, and her doctorate at the University of Nevada-Reno. Jan spent 40 years working in educational settings from kindergarten to the graduate college level, including 25 years as an elementary counselor in the Boise Schools.  Jan is also CEO of Diamond L Development, Inc., a land development company with her two sons, Gary and Mike.

Mark Bader-Hellstrom, P.E.

Mark is the Vice President Infrastructure Services for Washington Group International. In this capacity he is responsible for engineering services in the Western U.S. serving our major infrastructure markets of rail and transit, highways and bridges, water resources and hydropower, and government services. Mark holds a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Utah and has 20 years of experience in engineering, construction, and management, specializing in the design-build delivery method. Mark brings the perspective of both the designer and constructor, thus optimizing design through an understanding of constructability and value engineering. Major design-build projects include the Northwest Parkway Project in Denver and the ongoing Metro Gold Line light rail system extension in Los Angeles. He is also supporting the program management and design efforts for two significant programs: a major road system reconstruction program throughout the State of Idaho and four corridors of light rail extension in Houston, Texas. Mark’s project experience encompasses a wide variety of assignments managing engineering efforts in infrastructure, remedial action, mine development and operation, and buildings projects. He previously served as Sr. Vice President - Business Development and Sr. Vice President – Design-Build Business Development for Washington Group International.  He and his wife, Betsy, have three sons – two who are attending Garden City Community School.

Bill Ramey

Teresa Worth