The Board Directors
The Sisters School Board is composed of five non-salaried trustees elected by the community to serve overlapping four-year terms. As elected officials, board members are responsible for shaping the scope, quality, and direction of education within the district. The Board serves as the official policy-making body of Sisters School District #6.
In addition to setting policies that govern district operations, the Board helps define the district’s educational philosophy. Working in partnership with the superintendent, the Board establishes educational goals and standards; authorizes curriculum development and revisions; approves hiring and termination of staff; adopts the annual budget and sets the tax rate; approves property acquisitions and new construction plans; and serves as a forum for addressing concerns from employees, students, and community members.
Serving as a School Board Director is a significant commitment. It requires a generous dedication of time and effort, including attending numerous meetings and school events, reviewing extensive reports and proposals, and making thoughtful, and often challenging, decisions on behalf of the community.
Sarah Keeton has been an active member of the Sisters community for many years. She strongly believes in the importance of education and community service. Her children have been educated in Sisters’ schools and have benefited from the strong commitment that the teachers and Board have established. Sarah is ready to give back.
Sarah works as an Orthopedic Surgical nurse. She completed her nursing degree later in life and understands that education can provide the keys that unlock every child’s future.
Sarah considers her most significant achievement to be raising her children. She understands that parenting is difficult. “It is equal parts wonder and terror, with endless dishes and laundry to do.” She wants you to know that while you are doing the everyday parenting, she will be working hard to provide strong schools for your kids to thrive in.
In 1978, Erik joined the Sisters community when his father accepted a teaching position at Sisters Elementary School. With both parents working in the school district, Erik grew up surrounded by the city’s educational community, and was in the first class to attend all four years at the then new Sisters High School. After high school, Erik attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland. There he earned a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science before starting a career in software development. In 2021, he returned to Sisters Country, and now has two children in the Sisters School District.
Erik strongly believes that education empowers children to reach their greatest potential. Sisters is a special community that has shown its dedication to achieve this goal. He hopes to build on the incredible work that’s already been done to create even more outstanding schools and unparalleled opportunities for its students. He believes in giving back to the community that supported him and to ensure its continued success for future students.
Jeff Smith served on the Sisters School Board for a dozen years from 1999-2011. He was later appointed as an interim board member and then elected for a 4-year term in May 2015 and has been on the board ever since.
Jeff retired as a university professor in 2004, after 30 years of teaching, primarily in the areas of governmental finance and public policy analysis. Jeff has been active in each of the schools in Sisters since moving to town in 1995.
He is committed to ensuring that every graduate of our schools has the knowledge, skills, and values to be a great citizen. In his spare time, Jeff serves as the unpaid coach of the Middle School wrestling team, and hikes a section of the Pacific Crest Trail every summer.
Asa Sarver is proud to volunteer on the Sisters School Board and help grow and maintain Sisters Schools as the best in Oregon. He has two young children in the school district and is an active volunteer in the community.
As a member of the school board, Asa’s goal is to work for policies that allow for strong educational access for all students, as well as awareness of an ever-changing job market. He believes safety in schools is a top concern, and making sure policies reflect what can best keep our kids and teachers safe. His primary goal is to create conversation and compromise as Sisters continues to grow.
Asa also serves on the City of Sisters Parks Board and Zimbabwe Rhino Project, a nonprofit that supports an anti-poaching team based in Southeastern Zimbabwe.
When he isn’t working, you’ll find him and his family skiing at Hoodoo, biking on Peterson Ridge, hiking Black Butte or playing in Village Green Park.
Emily Horton is honored to serve the Sisters community as a school board member. As the parent of three district students and an alumna of a small rural school in eastern Oregon, she brings both personal investment and professional expertise to her role.
Emily works for the Deschutes County Public Health Department, managing environmental health, emergency preparedness, and community engagement.
She deeply values the Sisters community, which is special for its strong dedication to supporting the schools and nurturing well-rounded students who thrive both academically and personally. Emily believes in creating strong schools where students are known, seen, challenged, and empowered. She is committed to academic excellence and real-world learning, with a special focus on literacy recovery, building critical thinking skills, and fostering resilience.
In her free time, Emily can be found ferrying her kids to activities, gardening, cooking, caring for farm animals, or baling hay on her family farm.
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