Yasmin Kassel
President
Yasmin is an Arizona public school proud alumna, a mom, and a former strategic business consultant-turned-public education advocate. She brings over a decade of business transformation consulting experience from her time at IBM. Currently, she is working on her doctorate in education from Johns Hopkins University, specializing in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education. Yasmin believes that a strong economy starts with a strong core, and high-quality, equitable public education is at the heart.
Jacob Martinez
Vice President
Jacob is a life-long resident of Mesa, Arizona, and is currently a student at Arizona State University working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. His experience has a recent student has motivated him to fight for public education and community in his day to day life.
He currently serves as a Security Forces Member (MASN) in the United States Navy, a small business owner, and a Commercial Corridor Manager with RAIL CDC.Â
In addition, he serves as the Chairman of the Mesa Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and on the Board of Directors for the Mesa Historical Museum. He had the privilege of serving as President of the Mayor’s Youth Committee and as Vice President of Dobson’s School Improvement Advisory Committee, as well as serving as a member of the Mesa Public Schools Bond and Override Advisory Committee. Jacob also sat on the Arizona Department of Education’s School Safety Task Force, where we developed a model school safety plan that was distributed to schools to support safer learning environments.
Zeyna Pruzhanovsky
Secretary
Zeyna Pruzhanovsky is a teacher who enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for public education. She is a proud mom of three public school graduates, community leader, and classroom educator for 12 years in Arizona. She earned her Master’s in Education from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Kansas. She teaches in the Gila River Indian Community. Zeyna believes that intentionally creating a sustainable future for generations begins with advocating for strong public schools.
Cindy Hans
Cindy Hans is a mom of 3, a grandmother of 2, and a retired public-school educator. Her formal education includes a B.S. Ed from Ball State University, an M.S. Ed from Indiana University, followed by post-graduate courses. Informally, she was schooled by a life that included a couple of decades with middle school students, their teachers, and their parents as a teacher, assistant principal, and a principal. Her first political activity beyond voting was to gather signatures for Save Our Schools Arizona for Prop. 305. Cindy ran for Arizona Senate in 2022 and was proud to not only be encouraged to run, but to be endorsed by Save Our Schools. Her retirement, as well as her campaign platform, reflects an unwavering commitment to public education as the backbone of democracy and as an anchor for successful communities by volunteering with Save Our Schools; by working with the elections department as a deputy registrar, a poll worker; and as a volunteer supporting women’s reproductive healthcare.
Gabriela Chen
Gabriela Chen is a J.D. candidate at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. As a first-generation college student and proud graduate of Arizona’s public schools, she fights for strong public education because she has seen firsthand how well-funded schools can open doors of opportunity and transform families and communities. Through her work in legislative research, she has fought bad bills at the legislature and supported policies that expand access, equity, and public investment. Gabriela is committed to ensuring every Arizona student has the resources, support, and high-quality public education they deserve.
Jill Humpherys
Jill Humpherys is a public education advocate who has served on the Gilbert School Board since December, 2012. She and her husband, Richard have 5 children, all of whom attended and graduated from Gilbert Public Schools and college. In 2021, Jill was the first recipient of the School Connect Collaborative Leadership Award for her work on community engagement. She served on the Arizona School Board Association Board of Directors representing Maricopa County from 2017-2021. Jill has been a part of Save Our Schools Arizona since 2017.
Carolyn Kidd
As a parent of two adult children and three grandchildren, Carolyn Kidd understands the importance of creating and fostering an inclusive and safe environment where every student and teacher can flourish and prosper. As a Flagstaff Unified school board member, she advocates daily to ensure that children and teachers have the resources needed to develop a much-needed higher quality of education for ALL. This includes advocating for increased funding for our schools, improving teacher training, compensation, and promoting policies that support student achievement and teacher retention. As a resident, lifelong learner, and avid volunteer, she understands and embraces the importance of strong partnerships between schools, families, businesses, and governments. She is committed to making a difference in our schools by building and sustaining strong relationships between schools and the broader community to provide opportunities for our students and teachers to excel today, not later. She advocates for the social and mental needs of our children and promote innovative programs to develop our children’s critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and creativity to be resilient in today’s volatile society. Carolyn is a parent, grandparent, wife, public servant, and community leader.
Judy Schwiebert
Judy Schwiebert is a mom who raised her children in her neighborhood public schools, a teacher for 27 years at Greenway and Cactus High Schools in the northwest valley, and then a State Representative elected from the community she’s spent a lifetime serving to the Arizona legislature for four years. Passionate about ensuring that every Arizonan has their chance to thrive, she believes that public schools and qualified, well-paid teachers are essential to creating strong, safe and economically thriving communities that benefit all of us. She is honored to now serve on the Save Our Schools Arizona board.Â
Randy Larson
Randy Larson is an Arizona native with extensive experience in state and federal political campaigns. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, specializing in special needs instruction. Drawing from his travel and canvassing, Randy has developed strong communication skills for discussing cultural and political issues with diverse constituencies, and has a proven ability to persuade voters on key matters like education and workers’ rights.
Tara Lathrop
Tara Lathrop is a native Tucsonan, a product of Arizona public schools, and a proud parent of two students attending public schools in the Phoenix area. She has volunteered in her school communities for over ten years and has been a vocal advocate for public education, volunteering with Save Our Schools Arizona since its inception in 2017. Tara has also dedicated thousands of hours to volunteering with organizations that support women and children, including Child Crisis Arizona, Phoenix Youth at Risk, Planned Parenthood, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the University of Arizona Refugee Health Program. She believes that every child has the right to a quality public education and is committed to this vision for Arizona’s future.
Ty White
Ty White is an educator and nonprofit leader with experience spanning classroom practice, rural education systems, and national STEM-focused initiatives. Ty has been recognized as the 2023 Arizona Teacher of the Year, 2023 National Rural Teacher of the Year, and 2024 National AFA Aerospace STEM Teacher of the Year. His work centers on building sustainable education and workforce pathways through cross-sector partnerships and community engagement. He brings a systems-level perspective to board service, with strengths in program design, organizational growth, and strategic alignment. He is excited to support and give back to Arizona’s public school systems.
Wes Oswald
Wes Oswald is a member of Tucson Education Association and has been an elementary teacher in Tucson Unified School district for nearly 20 years. He believes that all students deserve excellent public schools and that our state must invest in public education and end its universal private school voucher system. Whether its volunteering on the campaigns of pro-public school candidates, working with the local educator union to improve public schools, or educating Arizonans about issues related to our schools, Wes is a steadfast public school advocate. In his free time, Wes loves gardening, environmental sustainability, music, and cooking and eating great food.