Ten candidates are running for three open seats on the Gretna Public Schools Board of Education. The Gretna Breeze sent the candidates a questionnaire and asked them to respond to each question in 125 words or less. Their answers are lightly edited for clarity.
Greg Beach
Beach
Age: 41
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: 12
Occupation/Employer: Vice President-Special Asset Manager, Core Bank
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): Cedar Hollow HOA board president (2014-2017)
1. Tell us something about yourself.
My wife, Katie, and I have three daughters Charlotte (sixth grade, Aspen Creek Middle School), Gracie (fourth grade, Palisades) and Lydia (kindergarten, Palisades).
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I currently serve on the Gretna Chapter of Teammates Mentoring Program board as treasurer and have for the past six years. I continue as a mentor in the same program where I have been a mentor for the past nine years at Gretna Middle School and Gretna High School.
Our family belongs to St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church where we have attended for 16 years.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
The top challenge is managing the growth of our district. This requires balancing spending while maintaining our position as a top school in Nebraska.
An additional issue related to growth is recruiting, developing and retaining teachers and administrators to educate our kids. We have excellent faculty, administration, and support staff in our district. The need for more will grow with the opening of new schools while enhancing curriculum/activity offerings. Our district policies and school culture must provide a strong foundation to retain and develop the staff we have.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
I bring a perspective of having grown up with a parent who is a longtime Nebraska public school administrator while personally having a lending and risk management background in the financial sector. I understand students and the community as a whole benefit from a strong and receptive school board. If elected by the voters, I will keep the students’ and the community’s best interests as the focus of every decision.
Jenna L. Garcia
J. Garcia
Age: 37
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: ~2 years
Occupation/employer: Executive Secretary, municipal government
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): Aspen Creek Elementary PTO – Secretary 2020/2021 school year, Vice President 2021/ February 2022 (resigned to run for school board); Employer bargaining unit – Board member 9/2019 to present, Treasurer 11/2020 to present
1. Tell us something about yourself.
My family chose to move to Gretna almost two years ago and we are so happy with our decision. The community maintains its small-town feel even while it is developing so rapidly. My husband works in law enforcement, where there is never a dull moment! We have one daughter in the first grade at Aspen Creek Elementary. I have worked in municipal government for 13+ years, giving me a unique outlook and understanding of public entities. As a family, we enjoy traveling, supporting our local restaurants and businesses, and spending time with family and friends. In my spare time, I love hanging out at my daughter’s school, watching her try her newest sporting endeavor, reading and attempting to garden.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
A couple of things that the district needs to address, or continue to address, is growth and the retention of staff. I commend the administration for recognizing the growth and continuing to prepare for new facilities to be built for the safety and welfare of all students and staff. Alongside this growth, we must be cognizant of the retention of our talented staff. We are hiring a lot of new, brilliant staff but one must ask why there is such a high turnover rate? Raising wages for all staff so they are higher than average for the area will help, but there are other issues that must be addressed if we are to continue being great. I will advocate for a communications director for the district as well.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
It’s an exciting time to be in our community with such growth! While considered an outsider, I believe it’s an advantage because I’m able to view things with a fresh perspective. I’m a proud product of our Nebraska public schools and they need to be preserved and protected. When elected, I will actively collaborate with parents, staff and community members to ensure that our schools remain top-rate. I will continue to be accessible to anyone who would like to talk and I will work with senators in the Legislature to advocate increasing the level of state support for our schools, with the goal of reducing our property taxes used to support schools. An investment in education is never wasted because it is an investment in our community’s future.
Gabriel Garcia
G. Garcia
Age: 43
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: 14
Occupation/employer: Director of Maintenance, Toshiba TGCS
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): N/A
1. Tell us something about yourself.
My wife Sharon, our two sons and I have been blessed to be a part of the Gretna school district for the last 14 years. Our oldest son, Arian, graduated from Gretna High School in 2021 and attends Bemidji State University. Our youngest, Caden, is currently a junior at GHS. My wife and I are both proud to be Navy and Marine Corps veterans, respectively. Faith, family, friends and community are my passions.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
Growth is our greatest opportunity and challenge. Ensuring we are attracting and retaining our staff, offering “Best in Class” educational opportunities, to include improved grading scale and providing facilities for today and the future. In conjunction with growth, broadening our hiring scope when it comes to future leadership is another important opportunity.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
My military and professional career have provided me with many opportunities to gain skills and experiences, which will benefit me as a board member. I’ve overseen multi-million dollar budgets, trained leaders on critical leadership skills and worked with a diverse team of thinkers to help determine the best solutions. I am a servant leader who will lead with integrity and humility.
Mark Hauptman
Hauptman
Age: 45
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: 20 years
Occupation/employer: Self Employed, H&H Lawn and Landscape
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): Gretna Chamber of Commerce (2 terms), Gretna Days Board of Directors (since 2003), Gretna School Board (currently in the first term)
1. Tell us something about yourself.
My family moved to Gretna in 2002. My wife Anne and I have 4 children, Sidney, a Gretna graduate who attends NE Wesleyan, Charlie and Henry, both freshmen at Gretna High School, and Betsy a fifth grader at Palisades Elementary. My brother and I own H&H Lawn and Landscape in Gretna. I served on the board for the Gretna Chamber of Commerce for two terms, have been on the Gretna Days Board since 2003 and have served one term on the Gretna school board. I have always felt that if you live and work in a community you need to give back. It’s why I have shown such interest in these volunteer positions where I can serve the community to make it a better place.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
The biggest challenges Gretna public schools is currently facing is keeping up with the rapid growth of the district. The school board is challenged with building schools and hiring teachers at a rate that will keep class sizes appropriate while not building schools before they are needed to try and control taxes for homeowners and business. Gretna has an opportunity to grow but not change. As many districts grow they lose focus on the important things, the students, the interaction with the parents and they stop listening. We have the opportunity to be different. To continue to put students first in everything we do. We can grow without affecting the quality of our schools and that is a priority for me.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
As a business owner in the school district, over the last three years, I have learned so much about how the school operates and many of the rules and laws that the district is required to follow. While I feel I have learned may important things, I feel there is a lot more that I want to learn and understand, and feel it takes time to really understand your role on the board and look forward to helping the district grow and improve so that our kids can have all the opportunities that students in other districts might have. I want to keep limiting taxes as much as possible and supporting great education at the top of our list of priorities.
Ronald Jones
Jones
Age: 66
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: 46 years
Occupation/Employer: Retired
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): School Board for 16 years; Foundation Board
1. Tell us something about yourself.
I have a wife and three children and five grandchildren that have been in the school district. I belong to Good Shepard Lutheran Church.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
To keep the classes small and keep up with the curriculum.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
I’m retired and I have the time to be devoted to it, and since I have been on before I know about the system.
Lori Lowry
Lowry
Age: 42
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: 4.5 years
Occupation/employer: Floral Designer, All Seasons Floral and Gifts
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): N/A
1. Tell us something about yourself.
My family and I love Nebraska and love Gretna! I am a wife and mother to three awesome children 17, 13 and 11. We are active in our local church, which always creates many opportunities for service. I have a bachelor’s degree in Technical Journalism with a minor in history from Colorado State University. I have worked as a substitute teacher as well as a special needs paraprofessional, which created my love for not only public schools, but our teachers and students. Over the past couple of years I have become an “accidental activist” left with no choice but to fight for our kids, which is why I decided to run for School Board.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
Gretna is growing, which is always exciting, but creates new challenges and opportunities. As a community, we will soon have two high schools, which will create some new challenges and hopefully friendly rivalries. It will be important that as a district we are still unified even though we will have multiple new schools.
Another challenge facing our district is fighting is to keep CRT and the proposed health standards out of our schools. There has never been, or will there ever be a space for hateful ideas to be taught to our children. I will fight to keep the curriculum out of the classrooms. I will stand as a firewall against these standards, giving the power back to the parents to have these conversations.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
I consider myself to be a mom on a mission. I am here to fight for our children! When elected, I will create a bridge between the School Board and the parents, allowing every parent to feel as though their concerns are not only being heard, but met with real solutions. I have the same concerns, the same worries and want the best for not only my own children, but all children. I will do my absolute best to keep any and all perversion and division out of our schools and to ensure that Gretna Public Schools remain number one!
Lance Molina
Molina
Age: 39
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: I have lived in Gretna since 1989 with the exception of military service and college.
Occupation/Employer: Disabled veteran
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): Treasurer Northridge Estates Homeowners Association 2015-2018
1. Tell us something about yourself.
I am from Gretna and served in the Air Force. I am married have three children in the district.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
Our taxes have ballooned out of control because our current way of construction and setting tax levies. Our school has a reserve account that has evolved from a rainy day fund to hoarding of tax dollars with no end in sight. Our district fails to be transparent with business dealings and often the same companies are selected or questionable business transactions are occurring. Our school has shifted from the primary focus being the children to the business aspect of the school.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
It is time we had a shift in the way our district operates back to the kids being the priority not the construction contractors being the priority. We need full transparency in our district with school meetings, taxation, spending and education.
Steve Rogers
Rogers
Age: 50
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: 18 years
Occupation/Employer: President & CEO of Shared Service Systems (a division of the Nebraska Methodist Health System)
Elected offices held: None. I was however on the Metro Tech Advisory Board from 2012-2018. This advisory board helped both the college and the students understand what skills would be needed before entering into a specific trade industry.
1. Tell us something about yourself.
I was born and raised in west Omaha when it was still empty fields and dirt roads, not concrete and buildings. I moved to Gretna in July 2004 and immediately knew that I had found a new “hometown”. My wife Kari and I have been married for 14 years. We have two children, our 13 year old son Ross and our 11 year old daughter Adyson. We enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, golfing, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
Challenge #1: Teacher/employee retention. At the meetings it is reported on how many teachers are leaving versus those who have been hired. The current snapshot indicates more are leaving than we are recruiting. We continue to build schools but if we can’t fill them with teachers and other professionals the students ultimately suffer. We need to have action plans regarding recruiting and retention.
Challenge #2: Improve overall transparency and communication from the Board of Education to the public. At the beginning of every board meeting there is an opportunity for the public to ask questions. However, the questions are never recorded in the meeting notes or answered. How is the public supposed to understand and get clarity on issues if the questions being asked are not answered?
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
It is obvious that our “small town” is growing in leaps and bounds. Just like all other parents, I have a vested interest in the success of our schools. Investing in our youth, public service workers and community is essential. It is my top priority to ensure that each student is served in the best capacity based on their individual needs, understanding that providing support to our school employees is the foundation for student success. It is important to me that we keep the proper education, safety and well-being of each student and school employee at the forefront of our decisions.
Blake Turpen
Turpen
Age: 44
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS District: I transferred into Gretna as a High School Freshman in 1991. Except for a 3 year stint that my work took us to Kansas City, I have been in Gretna since i arrived.
Occupation/Employer: Federal Government Sales, Outset Medical
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): None
1. Tell us something about yourself.
My wife, Amy, and I met in college. We got married in 2000 and have four children — Sarah (GHS Class of ‘21), Abby (GHS Class of ‘23), Libby (GHS Class of ‘24) and Bryce (GHS Class of ‘28). My mom was an elementary school teacher in Millard and Amy taught middle school in Elkhorn until our oldest daughter was born. Nancy Turpen, my stepmother, worked in the office at Gretna High School from the mid-80s until her retirement just a couple of years ago.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
The district continues to set new records for growth in enrollment each year — a trend that will not be slowing anytime soon. To keep pace with growth, it will be important to balance the financial realities of building and maintaining facilities with the need to deliver a robust educational experience for kids. By doing the right thing for students — providing them with safe learning environments and employing dedicated educators who are committed to their profession — we can balance all three priorities (growth, fiscal responsibility and educational excellence) and further build a school district that attracts families to our community.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
I’m running for Gretna School Board because I believe when we do what’s right for kids, we all win. Students should be challenged academically and held accountable for delivering work that is on par with their ability. They deserve be given opportunities to be part of a team, club, organization, etc., that enhances their sense of belonging and helps foster life skills outside the classroom. Kids need to be recognized for accomplishment — both academically and in service to others. The goal of the our district should be to ensure that each individual learner is equipped for whatever comes next for them, while supporting parents in helping to develop responsible citizens along the way. Doing this will ensure a best-in-class experience for our students no matter how much Gretna grows in the decades to come.
Ann Sackett Wright
Wright
Age: 44
Number of years you’ve lived in the GPS district: 32
Occupation/Employer: Information Systems & Technology Manager, OrthoNebraska
Elected offices held (include calendar years served): Gretna Public Schools Board of Education, 7 years
1. Tell us something about yourself.
I am a seventh generation Gretna resident. I attended K-12 at GPS and graduated in 1995. I am in my second term serving on the School Board. My father also served on the Board for GPS for 20 years. I have a Master’s Degree in Nursing and am specialized in Nursing Informatics. I have been working in healthcare for 24 years.
I am married to Rob Wright. My son graduated from Gretna in 2021 and my daughter is a junior. Both of my children have attend GPS since they were kindergarteners. We are members of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
2. What are the top two challenges or opportunities Gretna Public Schools should address over the next four years?
GPS continues to face rapid growth. The number of housing and business developments is tremendous, and it does not appear to be slowing. Planning for the growth and acting on the needs of the district are a balancing act. We must time the purchasing of land, building of schools and hiring of staff appropriately so that our students needs are met and yet remain fiscally responsible to our taxpayers.
With a growing district and the current labor shortages, staffing at all levels will be a major focus. We will need to look at how to retain and recruit great talent for all positions. This will include looking at all areas of our business, from our bus drivers, paraprofessionals, teachers, secretaries, lunch staff and central office staff.
3. Why should voters elect you to the Gretna Board of Education?
Gretna Public Schools was not built overnight. It has been built by the hard work and dedication of many people over the years. We have an amazing district, that people want to be a part of, because we always focus on “what’s best for kids”. The town of Gretna is changing with the opening of a second high school and the continued growth. I have always felt it was important to carry on the legacy and story of what brought us to where we are today. We are changing and growing, but I know the story of how we got here, and I would be honored to be a part of the next chapter of Gretna Public Schools and continue the focus on doing “what’s best for kids”.
