Serving Our Schools and Community
The Johnston Community School District Board of Education is made up of seven elected community members and two student representatives. Board elections are held every two years. Each board member brings a unique perspective to the district and uses background experiences, current practice, and feedback from district stakeholders to guide their decision-making process. The Johnston Community School District Board of Education works closely with the Iowa School Board Association to ensure compliance on all matters.
Below are more details about our school board members and how to contact them. Please note that it is not the practice of the Johnston Community School District to redact names or email addresses from general correspondence to the school district. Emails sent to board members and employees of the district will be considered public records under the Iowa Open Records Law and subject to disclosure unless it is a protected student or personnel record, or subject to attorney-client privilege.
Dr. Alicia Cleve
nger, Board President
Term expires 2023
Dr. Alicia Clevenger is a proud mom to three kids in the Johnston Community School District. She and her husband, Jason, chose to move to Johnston over 15 years ago with great schools being the motivating factor. Henry (11) and Mira (8) attend Beaver Creek Elementary and Maggie (4) attends Johnston Early Learning Academy.
Alicia’s background is in health care, with a Biochemistry Degree from Southern Illinois University, Doctorate of Chiropractic from Palmer College and postgraduate work becoming a Board Certified Pediatric Chiropractor. She has been in private practice for 16 years and loves working and interacting with kids. In more recent years she practices part time, works from home and owns two small businesses.
Community service is very important to Alicia and her family. They have served the Johnston community through their children’s activities for almost a decade. Alicia has been a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa and a speaker on behalf of Iowa Donor Network. Volunteering in her children’s classrooms has given her first hand appreciation of Johnston schools. She has also had the opportunity to be the homeroom parent for her children’s classes every year as well as a PTO committee chair. Alicia was elected to the board in 2019.
Contact Alicia: alicia.clevenger@johnston.k12.ia.us
Jennifer Chamberland, Board Vice President
Term expires 2023
Jennifer is a native Iowan who recently moved back after a spending a decade on the East Coast. She attended the University of Iowa, and has a background in Accounting, Finance, and Federal law enforcement.
Her children are at varying education levels, with a wide age range, which provides a unique opportunity to experience the district from multiple perspectives. Prior to moving back to Iowa, Jennifer served on her local school board. She looks forward to serving the Johnston community through her strengths in budgeting and policy making, as well as working to efficiently and effectively move the district forward. Jennifer was elected to the board in 2019.
Contact Jennifer: jennifer.chamberland@johnston.k12.ia.us
Deb Davis
Term expires 2025
Deb and her husband, Greg, have lived in Johnston for 25 years. Their two sons attended K-12 in the Johnston schools. Deb has a chemistry degree from the University of Northern Iowa, and worked as a Forensic Scientist specializing in Toxicology for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory for 32 years.
Serving the community has been important to Deb since her children were young. She has been a Cub Scout leader, an Awana leader, a weekly volunteer in her sons’ elementary classrooms, the founder of PURPOSE – Johnston, administrator of Pray Iowa, counselor in the Polk County Jail Ministry and a volunteer for the Polk County Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team. Deb was elected to the board in 2021.
Contact Deb: deb.davis@johnston.k12.ia.us
Clint Evans
Term expires 2025
Clint and his wife Lori moved to the district in the 1988 and reside in Urbandale. He has a marketing degree from the University of Iowa and is currently an Account Executive Team Leader for a local Mechanical Services Provider. Clint has actively served the community as a coach in several youth sports, coordinated and volunteered at OverTime activities after home football games, FCA Speaker, Catalyst Speaker, and hosted a student bible study in their home for over 5 years that served hundreds of high school students from several surrounding schools in addition to Johnston. Clint is honored to serve on the board because of his love for students and the belief that a strong school is the cornerstone of a strong community. Time outside of work and serving is spent hunting, biking, and spending time with grandkids.
Contact Clint: clint.evans@johnston.k12.ia.us
Katie Fiala
Term expires 2023
Katie Fiala and her husband Austin are both 2004 Johnston graduates. Their twins will start kindergarten next year, and their youngest attends Johnston Early Learning Academy. Katie received her law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and undergraduate degree from Iowa State University. She has worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Iowa since 2013, and has worked in public service for her entire career. Katie is an active supporter of community youth activities and currently serves on the Johnston Public Library Board of Directors. Katie was elected to the school board in 2019.
Contact Katie: katie.fiala@johnston.k12.ia.us
Soneeta Mangra-Dutcher
Term expires 2023
Soneeta and her family moved to Johnston in 2009 from Des Moines. Soneeta is the Operations Director at Central Iowa Works, United Way of Central Iowa. She has been with CIW since September 2012. Before that Soneeta was a GED instructor and the Adult Literacy program consultant at Des Moines Area Community College. Soneeta graduated from DMACC with her Associates degree and Upper Iowa University with a Bachelors in Psychology.Outside of working with employers, community organizations and job seekers at CIW, Soneeta mentors young adults earning an alternative high school diploma with Iowa NetHigh Academy, leads a suicide prevention and mental health awareness organization, Stand for the Silent Central Iowa and co-leads the Polk County Suicide Prevention Coalition. Soneeta’s most important role is mom and she spends as much time as she can growing, learning and experiencing life with her three daughters, Kitarrah (JHS 2017), Sierrah (JHS 2020), and Marandah (JHS 2021). Soneeta was elected to the board in 2019.
Contact Soneeta: soneeta.mangradutcher@johnston.k12.ia.us
Derek Tidball
Term expires 2025
Derek is a native Iowan, leaving Des Moines shortly after high school to serve in the US Army. He and his family returned in 2016 and chose a home based solely on its access to the Johnston School District. Their daughter, a 4th grader, takes classes at Timber Ridge elementary.
After his military service he used his GI Bill to obtain a degree in Public Administration from Indiana University, where he graduated with honors. He currently works in the energy sector as a pipeline operator for a petroleum pipeline company.
He looks forward to working with the board to keep Johnston a destination for parents seeking exceptional academics and making sure those parents and their teachers have a voice on the board. Derek was elected to the board in 2021.
Contact Derek: derek.tidball@johnston.k12.ia.us