Four candidates filed to be placed on the April 5 election ballot to fill two open seats on Pattonville Board of Education. Those who filed to serve a three-year term on the board are, in order of filing, Daniel Wentz, incumbent Mary Kay Campbell, Summer Johnson and Akeia P. Mathis. Board members whose terms are expiring are Campbell and Ruth Petrov. Find out more about each candidate below.
DANIEL WENTZ
A 29-year resident of Pattonville, Wentz is a veterinarian and owner and president of the Ferguson Animal Hospital. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a doctorate of veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. A Bridgeton resident, he and his wife, Julie Wentz, are the parents of four children, two who are Pattonville graduates, one from the Class of 2006 and one from the Class of 2020, and one junior at Pattonville High School.
Volunteerism/Experience
“I have served on multiple 501c3 boards for over 25 years. Have been involved in many youth mentoring programs. I am an Eagle Scout. Have been recognized for excellence by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, St. Louis Business Journal, as well as being a finalist for America's Favorite Veterinarian.”
Statement of Purpose
“I wish to help provide every student is educated in a safe and secure environment. In this setting, they become proficient in reading, writing, math, science and life lessons. To keep politics out of the curriculum. To be a good steward of the taxpayer’s money.”
MARY KAY CAMPBELL (Incumbent)
A 28-year resident of Pattonville, Campbell is a retired Special School District (SSD) teacher who taught in Pattonville for 32 years. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in special education from Fontbonne University. She is currently employed by the St. Louis Cardinals as a recycling coordinator. A resident of Maryland Heights, she is the mother of two Pattonville graduates, one from the Class of 2006 and one from the Class of 2009.
Volunteerism/Experience
“I have been a member and officer of the Bridgeton Kiwanis Club for five years. I have been a volunteer at KidSmart in St. Louis for 10-plus years. I have been an OASIS volunteer for five years working with younger students in Pattonville elementary schools.”
Statement of Purpose
“I have served on the Pattonville school board for seven years. As a retired Special School District teacher, having taught in Pattonville for 32 years, I feel I have a unique perspective of where the district was in 1980, where we have moved to - a district of distinction - and how we need to continue to grow. I am committed to serving this district in the future.”
SUMMER JOHNSON
A five-year resident of Pattonville, Johnson works as a clinical psychologist and director of behavioral health for CareSTL Health. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Truman State University and a master’s degree from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology and a doctorate from the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, both in clinical psychology. She is a resident of St. Louis County and the mother of a fifth grader at Willow Brook Elementary School.
Volunteerism/Experience
“Willow Brook PTO, Willow Brook School Improvement Team, CSIP, Title I Advisory Committee, director of behavioral health for a federally-qualified health center.”
Statement of Purpose
“Working primarily in health care, I would like to help ensure the physical and emotional security of our students and our workforce. I want to protect the district's academic integrity while responding to the ongoing evolution of our cultural landscape.”
AKEIA P. MATHIS
A four-year resident of Pattonville, Mathis works as a registered RMA (registered medical assistant)-medical secretary at Washington University. She earned her registered-certified medical assistant from Missouri College and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in health care management from Lindenwood University. A resident of St. Ann, she is the mother of a Holman Middle School eighth grader and a Pattonville High School junior.
Volunteerism/Experience
“My passion and purpose in life is to serve and represent people in an array of communities from neighborhood, health care, student/parent school communities. In my prior experiences, I was involved in a St. Louis City ward committee in which I volunteered for three years to serve my living community.”
Statement of Purpose
“My purpose to serve as a member of the Pattonville Board of Education is to be an advocate for parents and students, to produce or reestablish resources to ensure complete educational success by visiting the idea of implementing diverse student involvement in learning curriculum. I appreciate your consideration.”