Governing Board

Linda Abril the longest-serving current Board member, currently serving her fifth term, was appointed to the Governing Board in May of 1994 and won elections in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 to represent Ward 5. Abril’s ward includes Trevor Browne and Maryvale High Schools. She was Board President in 2011-2012 and in 2002, and was the Board Clerk in 2009-2010. Abril was named the 2011 Outstanding Board Member by the Arizona Hispanic School Administrators Association. When the current term is completed in 2014, she will be the third-longest serving board member in the 118-year history of Phoenix Union. In her tenure, she has worked with five superintendents and 23 different board members. After working for the State of Arizona for 24 years, Abril retired as child support enforcement officer with the Arizona Department of Economic Security in 2000. She attended Phoenix Union High School as did her four children. Her term expires in 2014.

Lela Alston was elected to her first Governing Board term in 2008 as an At-Large member, and retained her seat in 2012 in an uncontested race. Alston is also a member of the Arizona House of Representatives (District 15), elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2012. It is her second stint in the State Congress, having served as a senator for 18 years, from 1976-94. A Phoenix native and product of Phoenix Union High School district, Alston taught Family and Consumer Science in the District for 34 years at West, Maryvale, Alhambra, Metro Tech and Bostrom High Schools. Among her career highlights and recognition, she was instrumental in working with a team to establish the ASU West Campus. She was honored by having the Lela Alston Elementary School in the Isaac District named after her. Alston earned a Bachelor of Science at the Univ. of Arizona, and received her Masters from ASU. She has received the U of A Distinguished Citizen Award, is an Honorary State Firefighter and won and won the Girl Scout World of Children Award. Her term expires in 2016.

Amy Kobeta was elected to her first term in 2006 representing Ward 3 and re-elected in 2010. Kobeta’s ward includes Central and Camelback High Schools. Kobeta was president of the Governing Board in 2009 and 2010. She is a vice president for the Arizona Children’s Action Alliance. She has also served as a public affairs director for the Arizona Human Rights Fund and Foundation. She has been an advocate and lobbyist for non-profit organizations much of her career. She has worked for Central and Northern Arizona Planned Parenthood, managed an emergency shelter for homeless women and children, served as press secretary for Senator John Kerry and was communications director for PFLAG, a national organization that provides information, support and peer counseling for parents, family members and friends of lesbian and gay people. A graduate of Penn State University, Kobeta also attended the University of Massachusetts-Boston for graduate work. Her term expires in 2014.

Richard M. Gallego was elected to his first term in 2010, representing Ward 2. Gallego’s ward includes South Mountain and Bioscience High Schools. Gallego is a graduate of Phoenix Union High School. He is the owner/operator for a landscaping company and worked for Roosevelt School District for 29 years before retiring in 2007. Gallego has served as a reserve firefighter for the Glendale Fire Department, and volunteered with Housing For Mesa. He has one child. His reason for becoming a board member is to provide Phoenix Union students the education and benefits such as scholarships, placement and admission to colleges and universities. His term expires in 2014.

Randy D. Schiller is the 2013 Governing Board President. He was elected to his first term in 2010, representing Ward 1 which includes Betty Fairfax, Cesar Chavez and Carl Hayden High Schools. Schiller is also the President of the Arizona School Board Association, having served on the ASBA Board of Directors and as Secretary and President-Elect of the Executive Board. Schiller was a member of the Laveen Elementary School District Governing Board for six years, elected President in 2007- -2009 and Clerk in 2010. Schiller is a Corporate Trainer for Vantage Mobility International. He has been active in the Laveen Community, serving on the Laveen Community Council 2009-2010 and with Laveen Summer Ball. Schiller attended North High in the District and Phoenix College. He is married with two children, including a son who attends Betty Fairfax High School. His reason for being a board member is to provide a voice for parents, students and community members. His term expires in 2014.

Laura Pastor was elected to her first term in 2010, representing Ward 4 which includes North, Metro Tech, Franklin Police and Fire, Bostrom High Schools, and the Desiderata program. Pastor is the Director of the Achieving a College Education Program (ACE) program at South Mountain Community College that assists students’ transition from high school through community college to earning a bachelor’s degree. Pastor graduated from ASU with a Bachelors in Education, and taught junior high school for four years in the Roosevelt and Isaac School Districts. She received her Masters in Public Administration in 2000 after being selected as one of 30 participants in the Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs National Urban and Rural Fellowship. Her master’s practicum was with the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education. She also worked with the City of Chicago partnering the cities’ museums with public schools. Pastor is married and has four children. She is the daughter of U.S. Congressman Ed Pastor. Her mother, Verma Pastor, is the former director of bilingual education for the Arizona Department of Education. Her term expires in 2014.

Ian Danley ran uncontested in November, 2012 for an At-Large seat, becoming the newest Governing Board member in 2013. Danley is a community leader and community organizer who directs youth leadership and college preparatory programs for local urban youth through his work at Neighborhood Ministries. His development of strategic partnerships with non-profits, local businesses, universities and government entities have provided leadership and engagement training, tutoring, access to the arts and support services that help urban youth complete high school and enroll in college. Danley has been involved in the planning and directing afterschool programs, organizing community forums and direct action campaigns, citizen lobbying and youth-led voter registration drives. A lifelong resident of Central Phoenix, Danley attended Phoenix Elementary schools, graduated from Phoenix Union’s North High International Baccalaureate program, earned an undergraduate degree in Policy, Planning & Development at USC, and a Masters in Public Policy at ASU. He serves on the advisory board at Promise Arizona and is active at his church. His term expires in 2016.