The nomination committee is honored to announce the nominees for the Alabama State PTA Board of Directors. Other candidates are encouraged to run from the floor. Elections to be held at the Alabama State Convention on Saturday, April 25th. Read more about each candidate below:
2015-2017 Slate of Officers
Donna McCurry
Candidate for President
PTA Activities:
National:
Trained as a TCBI presenter.
State:
Currently serving as Treasurer Alabama PTA for my second term. Past Reflections Chair.
Council:
Current Treasurer of the Jefferson County Council of PTA’s. Past Positions include: President, First Vice President and Treasurer (Jefferson County) and Secretary (Montgomery County).
Local:
Member since 1990, both in Montgomery and in Birmingham. Past Positions include: President of local elementary PTA unit (Montgomery County) and local High School PTA unit (Jefferson County). Past Treasurer for local elementary PTA unit (Montgomery County).
Other Activities:
Volunteer teacher/mentor in the state prison system.
Supervisor for Primary Elementary Education at Church.
National Speech Coordinator in Atlanta for Lads to Leaders, Inc.
Secretary, Alabama Alliance for Arts Education.
Personal:
Married to Louis “Skip” McCurry past Secretary for Alabama PTA. One daughter Virginia McCurry Johnson, a Professor at Samford University. One son, Louis William McCurry, III, a Police officer in Georgia. Occupation: Part Time accountant and Full time volunteer.
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Donna Russell
Candidate for Vice President of Leadership and Development
Donna Russell is Executive Director of the Alabama Alliance for Arts Education, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization that works with teachers and students all over the state. The Alabama Alliance for Arts Education is the Arts Advocacy organization for the State of Alabama. Russell’s duties include overseeing office and programming staff, organizing summer workshops and Advocacy Day activities, keeping up with current trends in arts education, and supporting programs, policies and practices that ensure that all Alabamians can discover and develop their talents, have access to a comprehensive arts education and have enough knowledge of the arts to understand the cultural heritage of others.
Donna currently serves as Alabama PTA Reflections Chair, and is a Past Cultural Arts Chair for Alabama PTA. Past positions include; Reflections Chair, Ways & Means Committee Chair on the Council level, President, Reflections Chair, and Fundraising Chair for Carver Elementary and Bear Elementary Schools in Montgomery. Donna has been a member of Alabama PTA since 1994, in Montgomery and recently in Gadsden.
Other Statewide Activities: Russell serves on the Alabama Arts Education Leadership Team – a partnership between the Alabama State Department of Education and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. A blue ribbon task force that has been established and charged with developing a plan that will include strategies for initializing implementation, sustaining support, and broadening the base of participation by numerous partners. The team consists of a diverse group of educators, artists, community arts leaders, business leaders, and public officials from all parts of the state.
National activities: Russell serves as the State Captain for Alabama for the Americans for the Arts Advocacy Coalition, the State Arts Action Network, and on the National Leadership Committee for the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network.
Personal: Married to Robert “Bob” Russell for 30 years. Two “only children” - Tommy (40) and Stephanie (26), Nana to three of the most wonderful Grandchildren on earth. Hobbies include spending time with those grandchildren, walking, gardening, paper marbling, and glass
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Kim Munford
Candidate for Vice President of Programs
State: Currently serving on the Alabama PTA Board of Directors as Jefferson County Council President.
Council: Current serving second term as president of Jefferson County Council of PTAs. Past positions held include First Vice President, Second Vice President, and Area Director.
Local: Active member in PTA since 1998. Past PTA president at Irondale Community School and Hospitality Chair. Past PTA treasurer at Grantswood Community School. Also served as PTO president at Gresham Middle School and PTSO president at Shades Valley High School/JCIB/Shades Valley Technical Academy.
Other Activities: Current member, and past chairman, of the City of Irondale Library Board. Member of the Jefferson County Education Foundation Board. Member of the Jefferson County Citizen Supervisory Commission. Parent involvement committee and school improvement team member for Shades Valley feeder pattern. Current greeter at church. Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Past volunteer for Grantswood Community School. Former Girl Scout troop leader.
Employment: Substitute teacher for Jefferson County School System
Personal: Happily married for 22 years. Two wonderful daughters and one beautiful granddaughter.
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Candice Longnecker
Candidate for Vice President of Membership
Candice began serving on her local PTA board in 2010 as the PTA Awards and Reflections Chair. The following year, she joined the Montgomery County Council PTA as their Board of Education Liaison.
“While serving in these positions I fell in love with the PTA organization and all it represented.”
Over the last couple of years, Candice and her fellow Montgomery County Council board members have worked hard to make sure that every school in Montgomery County has the ability to either start or grow their PTA.
“I believe in the power of a strong PTA and the positive effect it has on a school. If elected as the Alabama PTA VP of Membership I will work to grow PTA membership in the state of Alabama and increase awareness of the benefits of having a true PTA in each school.”
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Marvin Lucas
Candidate for Vice President of Legislation and Advocacy
Marvin L. Lucas, an active PTA volunteer and an advocate for the education and
well-being of all children. I am the father of Victoria A. Lucas, (15 years old). I was elected to the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education District 6 in 2009 and am presently serving.
Over the past 18 years I have served Alabama PTA and the children of Alabama in a number of roles.
Tuscaloosa City PTA and Tuscaloosa City & County
• Served as PTA President of Stillman Heights Elementary School,
Northington Elementary School and Eastwood Middle School
• Served as President of Tuscaloosa City PTA Council
• Participated in Junior Achiever Tuscaloosa City and County
• On the Parent Leadership Academy Planning Committee for University of Alabama
Alabama PTA
• Served as Field Service Representative, Diversity Committee Chair, and Male Involvement Chair and VP of Leadership
National PTA
• Member of Men Organized to Raise Engagement and All Pro Dads, as well as a
participant in the Minority Leadership Conference (4 years), NCS Rep for Alabama
PTA (2 Years), have gone to NPTA Conventions (2 years), and NPTA Legislative Conference (2 Years).
Work
• Asst. Supervisor of Phlebotomy and Instructor DCH Regional Medical Center
• Worked with the Medical Explorer Post at DCH
• Currently works with the HOSA/Medical Profession students in Tuscaloosa City
And Tuscaloosa County Schools
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Denise Hills
Candidate for Secretary
Denise Hills has been active with education and outreach programs throughout her professional life. She has been a college instructor, museum science educator, youth summer program teacher, in addition to her scientific research positions. Currently the Director of the Energy Program at the Geological Survey of Alabama, Ms. Hills encourages clear and open communication of ideas to better serve the public. To that end, she participates actively in many professional organizations, including the Association for Women in Geoscience, the Alabama Geological Society, and the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. For the past five years she has co-taught a weekly geoscience class in a local elementary school. She also volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America, and is a former Sunday School teacher. Currently, Ms. Hills is active with the Tuscaloosa Education Network (TEN), a community group that is working for more transparency and open dialog about education within our community. An active PTA member, Ms. Hills has served in various roles locally and statewide with PTA. She was involved in the start-up of Tuscaloosa Magnet School – Elementary PTA, and served as VP of Enrichment and VP of Communications there. Additionally, she was President of the Tuscaloosa City PTA Council, and is currently serving on the ALPTA Board as State Extension Chair.
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Kathie Rooker
Candidate for Treasurer
Kathie Rooker has been a PTA leader for six years. She has served at the local, council and state levels. Most recently, Kathie was the Alabama PTA Communications Chair. Her accomplishments include designing and building the new Alabama PTA website, starting the electronic newsletter, and hosting several social media workshops.
Kathie’s background includes an MBA from the University of Texas and business degree from Georgia Tech where she completed many finance, accounting, and economics classes. She also served as a local unit PTA treasurer and member of the state audit committee.
Outside of PTA, Kathie was president of a non-profit school board, has coached sports teams, and continues to volunteer for several organizations in Huntsville, AL. She is married with three boys – ages 12, 11, and 3.