Seven candidates file for RR School Board election

Two incumbents among the contenders vying for three seats in Feb. 7 election

Two incumbents are among the seven candidates who filed Tuesday for the three seats up for election on the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education, according to the Sandoval County Clerk’s Office. The election is Feb. 7. District 1 incumbent Don Schlichte, who has served on the board for 16 years, will not seek re-election.

Filing for District 1 were Wynne Coleman, Margretta Franklin and Natalie Nicotine.

In District 3, the candidates are incumbent Martha Evalia Janssen and William Edward Dunn.

The District 5 candidates are incumbent Catherine Cullen and Catherine Jabar. Janssen and Cullen were elected in 2013. Board positions carry four-year terms. Here’s a brief look at the candidates:

District 1

Wynne Coleman A first-time candidate for the school board, Coleman has two children who attend school in the Rio Rancho school system. She works in sales for Hewlett-Packard in Rio Rancho.

She said she seeks the board because of her concern about budgets and the welfare of every student.

“One of the biggest things that we need to take on is the issue with the budget,” Coleman said. “It’s very important that the board really have an understanding of the finances of the district.”

Margretta Franklin Franklin, who has one child attending a district school, said her reason for running was so she could get more involved and help kids in the school system. She has two older children who have graduated. She has served as parent volunteer with RRPS. It’s her first bid for the board. “I think being on the board and being able to help the children academically and in other ways would be an honor,” Franklin said.

Natalie Nicotine Nicotine is a social worker who has served on the Native American Parent Advisory Council as vice chair and is secretary for The Assembly for Native American Voices.

“In both positions, I’ve been able to serve my local community through advocacy, collaboration, critical thinking, and I know I am prepared to advance and improve Rio Rancho Public Schools,” she said.

This is her first time running for the Rio Rancho school board.

Nicotine has three children in the Rio Rancho school system.

District 3

William Edward Dunn Dunn, a first-time board candidate, said he wanted to get more involved with the community after moving back to Rio Rancho in 2014. He is an insurance agent.

“As a state we are probably in the biggest financial crisis we’ve ever been in,” Dunn said. “I feel if we can’t control what money we get from the state, then we should maximize the dollars we do have.”

He has two children in the Rio Rancho Public Schools system.

Martha Evelia Janssen Janssen, who is board secretary, said she seeks re-election to continue the work she started with the board.

“I am very committed and involved in our community and I have demonstrated that commitment during my first term,” Janssen said. “After four years serving on the RRSBOE, I now have a clear perspective regarding the crucial changes we need to consider.”

Janssen, an office manager for a financial advertising firm, has two children in the Rio Rancho school system.

District 5

Catherine Jabar Jabar said she is running because she has a strong commitment to public education and a belief that every child should be given a chance to reach his or her

Bernalillo candidates

Five candidates, including three incumbents, filed for the three seats up for election on the Bernalillo Public Schools Board of Education. The election is Feb. 7. Filing for the District 1 position were incumbent Isaac Francis Herrera and Merlinda K. Latoma. In District 2, incumbent Olivia Calabaza is seeking re-election. She is unopposed. The District 3 candidates are Jodilynn Ortiz and incumbent Gilbert Steve Lucero. fullest potential.

“Teachers need resources and the ability to be use knowledge and expertise in creative ways to help our children grow and learn,” Jabar said.

This is Jabar’s first time running for the school board. She is a social worker with a 1-year-old son.

Catherine Cullen Cullen, who is in the real estate field, said her main focus if reelected will be on the schools’ budget and how best to manage it.

“Obviously, the state is facing a financial crisis with the budget and we need to make sure we are advocating for our schools,” Cullen said.

She has one child in the Rio Rancho school system; another graduated locally in 2011.