Board President

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Julie grew up in Shawnee, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City.  She received her BS in Feed Science and Management from Kansas State University in 1986.  She worked for Quaker Oats in St. Joseph, Missouri, as a maintenance supervisor, and for Caprock Industries feedlots in Leoti, Kansas, Bovina, Texas and Dalhart, Texas.  While working with the cattle in the feedlots, she decided to follow her lifetime dream of becoming a veterinarian.  She graduated from Kansas State University with her DVM in 1998.  She worked at a veterinary clinic in Hays, Kansas before joining the staff of Pratt Feeders as the lead vet in Hays, Kansas.

 

Julie and her now deceased husband, James, moved to Gardner in April of 2015, from Cotopaxi.  Prior to marrying James, she lived in Hartsel, CO, managing a 30,000 acre ranch, Salida, CO, managing an alpaca farm, and Buena Vista, CO, as well.  She is still practicing veterinary medicine part-time.

 

She has never had children, but enjoys helping steer them toward a bright future.  She joined the GVS School Board after the invitation to apply for a position from the Head of School and another board member and was voted in.  She appreciates the small town school that wants to ensure a complete education of their students. She wants to help GVS continue to grow and be THE school that parents want their children to attend.

Board Vice-President

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Amanda is the mother of three Gardner Valley School students and has been a resident of the Gardner community for the past 9 years. She received her BA in Animal Science from the University of Wyoming. After graduating, she chose to be a stay-at-home mom to raise and care for their three children for the following ten years.  Amanda has stayed actively involved at the school in Gardner.  Most recently, she sat on the Board of the Gardner School Foundation for the past 7 years and also served as a substitute teacher at the school for 6 years. 

Within the last year, she has become licensed and works as a Realtor for Code of The West Real Estate. She feels it is of great importance to stay involved in the community in which she lives, where she and her husband have planted roots for their family.  “I want to invest my time and energy in helping our school, the heart of our community, to reach its full potential and to ensure sustainability and achievements are existing and flourishing for many years to come.” 

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Board Secretary​

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My name is Cheyenne Griego and I currently reside in Walsenburg where my husband and I raise our four children. I spent two
years at Gardner School before I moved on to graduate from John Mall High School in 2009 and
I cherish the memories that I have of the time spent growing up in the Gardner area. I am
passionate about advocating for our youth and have spent many years volunteering for
numerous organizations while trying to make a difference. I strongly believe that we must invest
in our community to see it succeed and I look forward to supporting our school!

Board Treasurer

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Being a resident of Gardner for over 20 years, Jackie Williams has witnessed many changes within the community. She has raised two boys with her husband Wayne on the Bar H ranch, where work ethic and morals are instilled. Both boys are married, raising families, and continuing the ranching tradition.  Ranching supplies the Williams’ livelihood and intertwines with their hobbies. Growing up, their sons attended Gardner School and were then homeschooled by Jackie.  Through the years of her two sons attending Gardner School, she worked at Gardner School as the secretary, a bus driver, and a substitute for various positions. She served on the Gardner School Foundation during the formative years.  With the knowledge of Gardner School transitioning into a charter school, she applied to be a part of the school board to help assist future decision-making.  She is very invested in the success of Gardner Valley School and in seeing her community thrive.

Board Director

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Bio coming soon.

Board Director​

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My name is Jaime Strickler. My family and I moved to Garder from Pennsylvania in Jan 2023.
My son attends GVS. When we moved, we wanted our son to go to a school that helps mold children into adults who are honest, caring and self-aware. Once I read the vision and mission of GVS, I was pleased that this would be the school and community that we call home. We love
the outdoors as well, especially fishing and hunting. I am an ER nurse, and my husband has his own HVAC business. After almost 2 years, I can say that we are pleased to be a part of the Gardner community. Most importantly, I am honored that I was asked by community members to
join the school board. I take my position very seriously along with the safety and education of our children. I look forward to meeting more of the community members at school functions and around town.

Board Director​

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Kindra is the proud mother of a current Gardner Valley School student and one former student. She is also married to a Gardner School alumnus who is a lifelong resident of Huerfano County. Kindra herself has been a resident of Huerfano County since 2012, where she and her family run their cattle operation and they also operate two small businesses. Her ties to the people of Gardner and the surrounding area span generations. 

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Raised on her family’s farm east of Pueblo, Kindra’s life has always been deeply rooted in agriculture. Her grandparents were farmers and ranchers, and her parents and brother still operate a farm of their own. Kindra’s passion for agriculture and her belief in the importance of hands-on learning, work ethic, and creative freedom led her to join the school board in hopes of contributing to the school’s mission and continued success. 

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Kindra also serves as a board member of the Gardner School Foundation. She is passionate about the value and significance of having such a unique place like Gardner Valley School in the community, and she is committed to seeing the school and its students thrive.