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MEET THE SCHOOL BOARD
Our school board members are elected at-large for four-year terms and receive no pay for their service. Background and contact information for each board member can be found below. We encourage everyone to come to our board meetings to hear the discussions around our great district. Regular board meetings are held at the Okoboji Administration Building beginning at 5:30 pm the Wednesday prior to the 15th of each month.
Juli Johnson - President
My husband Travis, a 1996 Okoboji Community School District Alumni, and I have lived in Milford since 2002. We have three children in the school district. I graduated from Galva-Holstein Community School District in 1997 and Iowa State University in 2000 with a BS in Accounting. From 2000-2010, I worked professionally in both private and public accounting and am currently serving as the Director of Finance at a local non-profit, a position I have held since 2010.
I am a board member of the Okoboji Community School Foundation, board chair of the Okoboji Community School Foundation Special Projects Committee, Pioneer Parents (elementary PIE group) Treasurer and past member of the Okoboji Community School District finance committee.Click HERE to send Juli a message
Jon Pausley - Vice President
My wife, Shantel, and I have lived in Milford since 2013 and in NW Iowa for almost 15 years. Okoboji area is home and we enjoy raising our family here. All three of our children (Grace, Abby, and Jake) are students in the Okoboji Schools. In 2018 I became the Executive Director at Okoboji Bible Conference Ministries in Arnolds Park. Prior to my current position, I served as Executive Director of the Cherish Center in Milford for nearly six years.
I enjoy organizational leadership and have a master’s in Transformational Leadership from Bethel University in the Twin Cities. I enjoy volunteering in youth sports coaching and in various areas at our church. Our family enjoys being involved with the school activities our kids participate in while supporting the Pioneers. We have a strong community and I am privileged to serve on the School Board.
Click HERE to send Jon a message
Tracy Evans
The saying, "I wasn't born here but I got here as fast as I could!" rings true for my relationship with Lake Okoboji. I spent the first 6-weeks of my life here and have enjoyed visiting my grandparents every summer since. My husband, Lance, and I both graduated from Webster City Schools. We had the opportunity to move to Okoboji full time in the spring of 2002 after finishing college at the University of Iowa. We currently live in Arnolds Park and have two children. A son named Wesley and a daughter named Hampton. They both attend Okoboji Elementary School. My son is very excited to get to attend the new middle school next year.
My career began at Lakes Regional Healthcare where I spent close to 13-years as the Radiology Manager. In 2015, I resigned to spend more time at home with our children. Currently, I balance quality family time along with practicing real estate at RE/MAX Lakes Realty. My husband is in the wealth management field at Northwest Bank.
I sincerely enjoy being involved in community groups that focus on bringing opportunity to the area for all ages. My way of giving back has been through volunteering my time and enthusiasm with these groups: YMCA, Farmers Market In The Park, Youth & Philanthropy, City of Arnolds Park Parks & Rec, Okoboji Protective Association, Lakes Regional Healthcare Foundation, First Lutheran Sunday school teacher and Boys Town. Being a Winter Games Cheerleader in 2006 was an amazing honor.
The Okoboji School system has impressed me ever since we first moved here. Outstanding academic commitment and student performance has always been a priority. The creative leadership that works effortlessly to give the kids the best opportunity in life is evident. I feel lucky that my kids get to attend this school. I also feel lucky that my community supports me as a school board member.A few top priorities over the next 4-years:
- Work with the public and school to create a positive, supportive relationship through transparency and community involvement.
- Bring the focus of the board back to academic achievement by quickly yet thoughtfully approving a district-wide facility maintenance plan.
- Work with school leaders to help support the different student needs with the goal that every student will walk away from Okoboji with a sense of pride and appreciation.
Click HERE to send Tracy a message
Jesse Hoss
I am a Police Officer for the City of Milford, and my wife Stacy is a Police Officer for the City of Arnolds Park. She is a graduate of the Okoboji School District. I grew up in Spirit Lake and graduated from the Spirit Lake School District. In 2004, I joined the Marine Corps, and in 2008 completed my 4-year military commitment. I attended Iowa Lakes Community College and received my Associates Degree in law enforcement. We live in Milford with our two children Madelyn and Ryan.
Click HERE to send Jesse a message
John Klopstad
I am the General Manager of Kozy Heat Fireplaces in Lakefield, MN, and my wife Tammy, former owner of BomBazi salon, live in Milford with our two children Mack and Lauren.
I graduated from the University of South Dakota in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and taught in White River, South Dakota, out of college. In 2008, Kozy Heat fireplaces hired me as the Customer Service Manager, and over time, I took over as General Manager of over 150 employees in Lakefield and 600+ dealers across North America.
I am a member of the Minnesota Blue Flame Gas Association since 2008 as a nonprofit organization that promotes and brings education to consumers on the benefits of natural gas. I also sat on the Hearth, Patio, and Barbeque Association (HPBA) National Fireplace Institute review board creating and reviewing the curriculum administered to trade association members. During my time with HPBA, I have been a keynote speaker on education and training of fireplace gas valves multiple times over the past years. Committees that I sit on with the Okoboji School District include the finance and safety & crisis planning committee.
Click HERE to send John a message
