Aurora Public Schools

BOARD OF EDUCATION BIOS
2017 - 2024

Board of Education President Director Dr. Anne Keke

Dr. Anne Keke is a Native of Cote d'Ivoire, now a U.S. Citizen living in Aurora, Colorado since 2001 with her family.

Her professional training is in all aspects of criminal justice, including the Management, administration, continuous review and analysis, planning, development and general effectiveness of social programs. She has expertise in organizational leadership in conjunction with risk and crisis management, conflict resolution and program management. From 2010 to 2012, Dr. Keke worked with the District Attorney's Office in the 18th Judicial District in Littleton, Colorado, and the Arapahoe County Juvenile Probation Department. During this time, she worked with both juveniles and adults.

Presently, Dr. Keke holds the position of instructor of Career Readiness with the Colorado Early Colleges and holds the position of Restorative Justice Coordinator. After teaching, she utilizes the rest of her time is to ensure that relationships between students and instructors, between administrative body and instructors, and the relationship between instructor and instructor are at their best. She also provides resources to mitigate litigations and issues among different bodies in a professional manner, to ensure that the school environment is positive and safe for the administrative body, instructors as well as students. Prior to her role with Colorado Early Colleges, Dr. Keke was a Business Data Analyst for UnitedHealth Group, where she was responsible for analyzing employees' personal data and ensure that clients' information was favorable for the best benefits they could receive.

As an aside, Dr. Keke is also an active member of the African Leadership Group (ALG, USA), where she dedicates her time speaking about the importance of equal education for all in Colorado. To date, she has testified before the Colorado Board of Education, spoke before several educational advocate organizations and facilitated many workshops for education stakeholders and parents.

Dr. Anne Keke holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado Denver and a Master's degree in Criminal Justice from Colorado Technical University. In 2019 she received a Doctorate (D.M) in Management with a Minor in Criminal Justice from Colorado Technical University Aurora, CO. In her free time, Dr. Keke likes to explore the mountains and dedicates most of her time to her family.

Board of Education Vice President Michael Carter

Michael J. Carter is married to an educator who teaches at a public school and is the father of three children attending Aurora Public Schools.

Mr. Carter owns and operates his law firm in Aurora and has done so for almost 15 years. Before starting his law firm, he worked for a local medical malpractice firm during law school. He proudly served as a Deputy State Public Defender in the Arapahoe County Trial Office.

Mr. Carter was born in Austin, Texas. As a third-generation soldier and certified "Army brat," he lived in Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; and Olsterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany. Eventually, Mr. Carter's family returned to Texas where he graduated from Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas. While in school, Mr. Carter was a part of the track team, football team, Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) and Academic Pentathlon. Before graduating in his Junior year, he signed up to join the Army under the Delayed Entry Program (DEP).

Mr. Carter spent years in the Army: four years of active duty, one year of reserve duty, and five years of inactive reserve duty. While in the military, he was stationed in Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Fort Carson, Colorado, earning several badges and awards.

Mr. Carter then attended the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. He earned his bachelor's degree with a double major in African-American Studies and Political Science. Mr. Carter joined the rugby team and earned the UNM Rugby Hall of Fame induction. Upon graduation from the University of New Mexico, Mr. Carter immediately moved to Denver, Colorado to attend law school at the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law, where he graduated with a Doctor of Jurisprudence.

He is a former Judge Pro Tem for the City of Westminster. Currently, he serves on the Judicial Performance Commission for the 18^th Judicial District Arapahoe County Justice Coordinating Committee and is a current member of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar's Board of Directors.

Board of Education Secretary Danielle Tomwing

Danielle Tomwing was born in the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Business Management at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. After 4 years as a software engineer she took the opportunity to travel and work onboard the Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner for almost 4 years, where she met her husband. The privilege of working with over 50 nationalities onboard and traveling to some of the more remote places in the world such as Papua New Guinea and Vietnam has been the most humbling experience in her life.

She has been living in Northwest Aurora with her husband and 2 daughters for over 14 years. Their daughters have attended school in APS since kindergarten and they are currently in elementary and middle school. She became a US citizen in 2019. She has over 4 years of school board governance experience; serving a student population consisting of kids from diverse backgrounds and cultures. She has 15 years of professional leadership experience and is currently a Director of Information Technology Operations at a national healthcare organization and is proud to be building and leading teams both internationally and nationwide.

Danielle Tomwing served on the District Accountability Advisory Committee (DAAC) for APS for the past 2 years and continues to be involved in the community, advocating for our youth and working with community leaders. She loves to spend time traveling with her family, exploring new places, cultures and local cuisine!

Board of Education Treasurer Tiffany Tasker

Tiffany Tasker is a Colorado Native and Aurorean. She is an Aunt-T motherscholar, a co-parent of her niece with her sister. She is passionate about cultivating educational spaces that are inclusive and supportive of our students educational goals and achievements; thus, she has devoted her work in the educational field and ethnic studies.

Currently as the Director of Outreach and Marketing and Assistant Program Director of Financial Education and Economic Transformation Center, she is the secondary point of contact and responsible for overall outreach and marketing management as well as the technical assistance, consultations, and administrative. Tiffany is an Achieving Excellence Academy Teacher at DPS which is a cultural immersion program, a CU Succeed Professor at CU Denver of African American History and American Political Systems. While working with these organizations and institutions she is a CU Anschutz Instructor at the Pre-Health Scholars program of an African American History course.

Along with that she is a proud Lynx at CU Denver, working on a Doctorate of Education and Leadership for Educational Equity in Urban and Diverse Communities. At CU Denver as a Magna Cum Laude with college honors graduate she received a Bachelors of the Arts in Ethnic Studies following that was a Master’s of Social Science with a track in Ethnic Studies. Under CU Denver Social Science and Humanities, she published and dedicated her thesis Psychopathology of the Insomniac American Nightmare: Whiteness, Gentrification, and the Supposed American Dream in Five Points Denver Colorado to her Papa, Willie Joe Campbell and mama, Rachel Campbell.

Spending time with her family carries high significance. When she is not working on schoolwork, at her job, or spending time with the community, she is spending it with her family, the multi-Taskers going on adventures and having fun.

Board of Education Director Tramaine Duncan

Tramaine Duncan is the father of four beautiful children and husband to an amazing wife. A graduate of Overland High School, Aurora has been home for most of his life. He currently teaches middle school math intervention at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College. Tramaine has been working in the field of education and with youth for the past eight years. His career goals are to work as a Dean of Students and eventually as an Assistant Principal.

Tramaine graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 2013 with a Bachelors degree in Social Sciences. He has worked with youth in residential treatment facilities, detention centers and schools, and he occasionally mentors youth out in the community. Tramaine also spent time working as a juvenile pretrial release case manager for the city and county of Denver. He is also the owner and operator of Buddahs BBQ and Soul Food, a catering company that is located here in Aurora.

Giving back to the community has always been a goal of Tramaine's. As a youth, he witnessed the tragic murder of his friend that caused him to completely change his life around. He went on to be the first person in his family to graduate from a four-year university, start a business and eventually get elected to public office. His perseverance and determination to succeed in life makes him a great addition to the APS School Board.

Board of Education Director Dr. Debra E. Gerkin

Debbie Gerkin’s entire teaching career took place in Aurora, including her tenure as principal of Crawford Elementary School. But that wasn’t the first time Crawford appeared in her family’s story — Debbie’s husband Phil Gerkin went to Crawford — and her husband’s mother went to Crawford! All three of Debbie’s daughters graduated from Gateway High School, and now three of her grandchildren are students at Aurora Public Schools. Debbie’s husband taught in Aurora, and two of her daughters teach in Aurora now. In retirement, Debbie has worked as an instructional coach and mentor for new teachers in APS.

But education is not her only passion. Being bi-vocational, Debbie is also a clergywoman. For over 30 years, she has shared ministry with Fireside Christian Church, a Home Church for Metro Denver.

And in her free time? Debbie loves to read, to quilt and to travel. She’s a member of the Rotary Club of Aurora and plays golf with her husband in the Aurora Couples League. Debbie and Phil have been married for nearly 50 years. Together they have three grown children, six grandchildren and a yorkie-schnauzer mix named Cookie.

Debbie earned her Doctor of Ministry degree from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and her Master of Divinity degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. She earned her Teacher Licensure through Regis College at Loretto Heights in Denver and completed her Educational Leadership and Policy Studies through the University of Colorado at Denver. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma.

Board of Education Director Vicki Reinhard

Vicki Reinhard was born at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. She moved to Aurora in 1987 with her husband, Tony, and two young sons as her husband changed jobs. The Reinhards have been residents of Aurora ever since, and Vicki has had continuous ties to Aurora Public Schools.

Vicki earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Wayne State College, Nebraska, majoring in Social Sciences. Her teaching career began in Omaha, where she worked for one year as a district substitute and four and a half years as an eighth- grade Language Arts/Social Studies teacher at Lewis and Clark Junior High School. After moving to Aurora, Vicki worked as a substitute teacher in both the Cherry Creek School District and Aurora Public Schools, which allowed her some flexibility to be at home with her young sons.

Vicki worked as a counselor and teacher at Excelsior Youth Center in Aurora while pursuing an endorsement in Special Education at the University of Denver. Soon after completing this endorsement, she began working as an elementary special education teacher in APS at Kenton Elementary School, where she taught for 20 years, and then at Montview Elementary School, from where she retired in 2018. Vicki is a 25-year veteran teacher of APS and her career spanned 36 years! Working with and advocating for children has always been her passion.

Vicki has been married to Tony Reinhard for 37 years. Tony manages a construction supply branch in the Denver area. They are the parents of two sons, Tony and Donald, both Rangeview High School graduates. The Reinhards are also proud grandparents of three beautiful grandchildren: Ava, DJ, and Declan.

In her free time, Vicki enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling, especially to see family and try to keep up with their activities!