Board Members
The Sisters School Board consists of five members elected to serve overlapping four-year terms as non-salaried trustees of the School District. As elected officials, the Board is responsible for the scope, depth, and quality of education and its the official policy-making body of the school district.
In addition to establishing policies for the operation of the district, the Board defines the philosophy of the district, and in cooperation with the Superintendent, determines educational goals and standards, authorizes curriculum revision or development, approves employment and termination of personnel, approves the budget and sets the tax rate, approves property purchases, approves new building plans, and hears grievances of employees, students, and citizens.
The responsibilities of a School Board Director require the unselfish giving of time and service. There are an endless number of meetings and school functions to attend, unlimited amounts of reports, agendas, proposals, and other information to read and study, and a variety of difficult decisions to make.
Most often introduced as “Kate’s mom,” Jenica is thrilled to represent parents with children in the district. Jenica is committed to judiciously setting budgets and policies to preserve and improve the district’s fiscal health and quality of education. She is passionate about staying true to our greatest collective goal: ensuring that each student is accepted, inspired, and prepared.
She has a knack for quickly organizing complexity and building consensus, thanks to a career in global organizations and now as a local small business owner. A degree in Journalism and Communications from the University of Oregon, and an M.B.A. from Willamette University taught her to be a stickler for proper grammar, fact checking, and balanced budgets.
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.
Edie Jones has been a resident in Sister’s Country for over 34 years, moving to Central Oregon in 1991, when she and her late husband Ted purchased Camp Tamarack. After 11 years of fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning and directing a camp, they sold Tamarack and settled into a life of volunteering, enjoying Central Oregon, and sharing their home with Walker, their Goldendoodle.
Edie graduated from WSU with a degree in Recreation and Dance and has a master’s in Adult Education from OSU. She is the author of two published parenting books, Raising Kids with Love, Honor, and Respect: Recipes for Success and Walkers’ Wisdom, His Journey from Puppy to Big Dog. Edie is an active member of the Transfiguration Episcopal Church in Sisters, singing in the choir and attending the Ecumenical Service.
Simultaneously, while enjoying Camp Tamarack ownership, Edie worked for Together for Children, a parent/child program that works with families that have a child from birth through three years old. In 2003 she became TFC’s Executive Director, retiring in 2013. She is currently the Board Chair for that organization. She was on the HDESD Board of Directors until 2024, as well as on the Sisters’ School Board since 2018. Her term expires in June.
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