Jayme Anderson has been a board member for 3 years and is now the Executive Director! Jayme believes all kids deserve the opportunity to learn, grow, be challenged and inspired. Jayme wants to be part of the effort to educate and empower our youth, so they have the skills and knowledge to be amazing. Jayme also believes in the mission of LEF, which is to inspire creativity through collaborative efforts in our community. Jayme feels like she can contribute to this mission and make a difference for our students. Jayme’s favorite LEF memory was getting to meet the rest of the board members in person, after two years. Jayme’s favorite vacation was to the Cayman Islands. Jayme is also a Prior Lake “Lifer” and her nickname growing up was “The Beet” because she loved eating beets!

Rickeeta Francis has been on the LEF board for close to two years. She chose to be on the LEF board because she wanted to help create positive change for all students in PL. She enjoys helping kids because kids are the future. Rickeeta’s favorite LEF memory was her first day as a board member, when LEF was approving grants to help students in all grade levels. Her favorite vacation was a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico right before Covid for her honeymoon. She got to ride a four wheeler in the forest and swam in the ocean. Rickeeta works in cyber security and loves to dance!

Ashley Cappuccino is new to the LEF board and joined in October of 2022. She has always loved kids, and believe they are the future of our society. Each child deserves to have a place where they feel welcomed, valued, and loved- where they are free to learn and be themselves. Ashley has a 5 year old who will be starting kindergarten next year, and wants her, and her fellow classmates, to have a positive and rewarding learning experience. Education is something Ashley is passionate about, and she feels she has skills that can help. Ashley’s favorite foods are sushi or anything Italian. She could eat either of them for days and not get tired of them. Ashley is also a Prior Lake Rotarian involved in many different aspects within that club!

Kimberly Churchill has been on the LEF board for 9+ years. Helping kids is important to Kim because she believes that providing the best education available is our duty as a society. Kim had a student in the school district when she joined LEF and wanted to make sure she got the best education possible. Once her child graduated, Kim decided to continue on the board of LEF so that she could continue the work of making sure that students were able to get the best education available. Her favorite LEF memory was when they were working at the wine table at the casino night fundraiser. Kim’s favorite food is ice cream and she and her family have been to every continent except Antarctica, where they plan to go one day.

Paul Wick rejoined the LEF board after a hiatus. Helping kids is important to Paul because kids are our future. Paul chose to be on the LEF board to give back to the community. Paul’s favorite LEF memories include some past galas and fundraising events. Paul’s favorite vacations have been skiing in Colorado and golfing in Florida. Paul’s favorite foods are pizza and lasagna or the buffet at Pizza Ranch. Paul and his wife Gwen have four kids, so there is never a dull moment at their house!

Richie Kucinski has been on the LEF board for 4 years. Helping kids is important to Richie because they are our future and deserve to have experiences that enlighten their mindset. Richie wanted to be on the LEF board in order to give back to the school district and community. Richie’s favorite LEF memory was the Dance Jam event in August of 2022. The best vacation Richie has been on was to Grand Marias with his family making memories near Lake Superior. Richie enjoys any kind of spicy food including hot pepper sauces like Carolina Reaper, Ghost Pepper, and Scorpion. He also loves Pho from Spicy Thai Cuisine. Richie loves meeting new people, is pretty flexible, and always has a lot going on!

Tim Bell has been on the LEF board for 8+ years. He believes student success has been the cornerstone of his career as a teacher and administrator. Helping students achieve more than they thought possible is the best feeling there is. Every student deserves to have the best experiences that help them grow, find success, and give them confidence to be their best. Tim’s first reason to be on the LEF board was to help give the community a chance to support students because they saw a need and wanted to help. By giving to LEF, donors have the opportunity to fund grants to teachers for students. The secondary reason includes being part of the change he wanted to see for students and teachers, to help ignite a passion project that would re-charge a classroom, teacher, and/or school, and advocate for innovation/creativity in school classrooms and programs. There have been many favorite LEF memories - one is the opportunity to give stationary bikes to a classroom at Five Hawks. This has been a project that cost very little when you consider it is in its 7th or 8th year! Tim’s favorite vacation was to Disney World with 2 of their grandchildren. To see the wonder of the magic of Disney through the eyes of an 8 and 10 year old - it is magic! They still talk about it with awe 7 years later! Tim would have to say his favorite food is anything from the State Fair! Favorite foods always have a memory attached to it, and the years of state fair attendance brings the aromas and tastes associated with it! Tim also loves to laugh, see the good in everything, and try to bring joy wherever he can.

Kristen Cvancara joined the LEF board in November of 2022. As long as Kristen can remember, she has had more questions than anyone could or would answer for her. Kristen grew up on the prairies of Minnesota, surrounded by family and friends who all looked and talked just like Kristen. As a first-generation college student, they were practical and worked hard to earn a college degree, thinking their education was a means to an end. However, Kristen realized she didn't want to ever stop learning and became an educator. Kristen wants kids to enjoy learning, to be able to engage in active experiences that develop their talents and broaden their understanding of the world. Kids who love to learn grow into curious and involved adults, and that is beneficial for our community. Kristen wanted to be on the LEF board because LEF enables staff and students to maximize their learning potential, while providing community members and organizations an opportunity to connect with the learning process. Supporting LEF is a prime opportunity to promote the school district through educational grants that serve as investments in the future of our community. Kritsten’s favorite vacation includes a month-long family camping trip to national/state parks in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. Exploring the Badlands, hiking around Devils Tower, seeing a June snowfall in the Tetons, white-water rafting in Yellowstone, watching bears in Glacier, a night-time rendezvous with unsuspecting buffalo in North Dakota - these are some highlights.

Bill Whalen is new to the LEF board as of 2022. Bill sees limitations in what the district can do in terms of financial and functional ability for all students. Bill desires to be involved in bringing more students opportunities to pursue within the schools. He also feels the district requires influences that will inspire change and support for equity and inclusion initiatives that are a necessity to see our community stabilize and grow. He is excited and looking forward to being able to partner with Dr. Thomas to bring all students opportunities regardless of their background, views, religion and any other area. Bill’s approach is very collaborative, laser focused on whatever mission he is asked to participate in. He believes that LEF is able to connect people together on common purposes and has the drive to successfully bring more opportunities to all people in our community. Bill’s favorite vacations include traveling to Curacao with this wife and family and vacationing in Marco Island, Florida is something his family has done since his kids were very little.