Catrina Leamon is running for a Region III seat on the school board on both the Democratic and Republican tickets.
Leamon was born Catrina First and raised in Youngsville. She graduated from Youngsville High School in 1993 and went on to attend Edinboro University where she received bachelor degrees in both Elementary and Special Education.
After graduation Leamon moved to Las Vegas where she was a special education teacher for nine years. For the final three years of those nine, she was special education facilitator. "While in that position, she was responsible for overseeing the Individualized Education Plans of over 200 students per year," Leamon said. "Included in that was creating the master schedule for them, scheduling each student individually, along with making sure their services and needs were met." Leamon said she also scheduled each of those IEP meetings, along with any others that were needed. She was also responsible for ten teachers and four aides.
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Catrina Leamon
"Due to my teaching and being a facilitator, I have a strong knowledge of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act along with No Child Left Behind," she said. "While teaching, I received my Masters' degree from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas in Education Administration."
"Once I had my first child, I decided that I wanted to work from home," Leamon said. In 2007, "I began working as an Independent Contractor for Western Governors University as an evaluator." She went full time as a WGU faculty member in the summer of 2010 as an Evaluation Facilitator. "Within this position, I oversee approximately 15 employees and am responsible for their time cards, evaluations, student appeals and much more," she said.
She is a member of, and actively attends, the Pittsfield Otterbein United Methodist Church where she is an assistant to the Children's Director.
Leamon has been a member of the Warren Welcome Club for three years and is the vice president of that group.
She was a co-advisor for junior high winter cheerleading at Eisenhower Middle High School during this past basketball season.
"My reasons for running for the board are simple," Leamon said. "I want the best for students."
"I want to be an active player in the education of my children and others," she said. "I want children to be first again. The needs of the many should outweigh the needs of the few."
"I want to encourage the public to try to have faith in our educational system and school board and perhaps it's time for new members to achieve that," Leamon said.
Leamon said she and her husband decided to move back to Warren County about three-and-a-half years ago. "We wanted to raise our children in a small knit community," she said. "I wanted to be able to take part in their education and to be an active member in our community. "
"I am married to Erik Leamon, Assistant Principal of Eisenhower Middle High School," she said. "I also have three children; Nathaniel, Alexander and Bailey, my step-daughter."
"In my spare time, I like to play with my kids, read, crochet, bike and camp," she said.