Wyoming State Board of Education

Dr. Mark Mathern has served in education for 32 years as a classroom teacher, school principal, and associate superintendent in Natrona County School District. He facilitated the process of establishing dual language immersion, beginning in kindergarten, in several districts across Wyoming. He was recognized as a Friend of Education by the Wyoming Foreign Language Teachers’ Association. His work also included expanding college and career readiness learning opportunities through the Pathways Innovation Center in Casper and ensuring all NCSD preschools were National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited. Mathern has a bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University in classical languages, a master’s degree from the University of Wyoming in educational administration, an Ed.D. from Seton Hall University, and maintains his certification as a school administrator. He is an accreditation evaluator and staff development presenter for schools and systems in multiple countries, many U.S. states including Wyoming, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Mathern has several family members engaged in Wyoming education including his partner, Donna, her daughter, and four grandchildren.

Ellen Creagar is a Professor of history, government, and business law at Eastern Wyoming College. Prior to moving to Torrington, she practiced law in Denver, after clerking for a Denver District Court Judge. Ellen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA), her JD from the University of Colorado-Boulder School of Law and a Master of Arts in Teaching History from the University of Wyoming. Ellen is truly inspired and motivated by her students who exhibit determination, passion, hard work and intellectual curiosity on a daily basis.

Ellen actively volunteers, serving as the Vice Chair for the Wyoming State Board of Education and as the President of the Goshen County Library Board. She and her husband, Bob, have two adult children, Molly (Lincoln, NE) and Ethan (Houston, TX) and a lovely cat named Laila.

Reynolds J. (R. J.) Kost was a mathematics instructor, a coach, and the curriculum coordinator in Wyoming public schools from 1975–2018, when he retired. He received a double major Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and in Physical Education/ Health from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, then earned his Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wyoming.

R. J. has a strong passion for the education of our youth. He is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), and Wyoming Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (WY-ASCD). R. J. serves as President on the board for one of our local credit unions and President of the Powell Valley Health Care Board, and a member of the Powell Economic Partnership. Currently he is also on the Board of Trustees for Northwest College and the Northwest College Foundation Board in Powell. He had the honor of serving one term as Senator for District #19 in the State of Wyoming.

He credits his success to his wife, his two children, and two grandchildren. It is R. J.’s desire to give back to the community, the county, and the state where he has been blessed with his success.

Dr. Amy Pierson was born and raised in Wyoming. She has dedicated her life to public education and is excited to serve on the State Board of Education. Amy attended the University of Montana, where she received her BA in Elementary Education (2004), a Reading Specialist Certification (2004), and her dual Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and Literacy Studies (2008). She also completed her PhD in Education specializing in Learning, Instruction, and Innovation.

She is a National Board Certified Teacher and the 2016 Wyoming Teacher of the Year. Amy also serves on the University of Wyoming Trustees Education Initiative (TEI) Governing Board and the Johnson County Library Foundation Board.

Amy, her husband, and three beautiful children reside in Buffalo and enjoy spending time in the Bighorn Mountains every chance they get.

Kristen Schlattmann, J.D. is a Public Defender with the State of Wyoming Office of Public Defender in the Worland trial field office. Prior to joining the Public Defender’s office in 2017, she served as a staff attorney for the District Court in Hot Springs, Washakie, and Big Horn Counties. She also worked as a healthcare compliance officer and was in the private practice of law in Cheyenne before moving with her family to her husband Mark’s hometown of Basin in 2008. Kristen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1996. Schlattmann is currently serving her third term on her local school board, and enjoys being engaged with her church, her community, and being outdoors whenever she can. Schlattmann and her husband have three adult children, all of whom attended school in Basin before moving on to trade school and the University of Wyoming. 

Taylor Jacobs resides in Lander and has served on her local school board since 2020, working in partnership with families, community members, and school staff to develop policies and procedures that support and enhance the learning environment and promote student success. Taylor earned her B.S in Psychology from Colorado State University and M.S degree in School Psychology from National University. Taylor has spent her career serving in public education as a School Psychologist and a national Board Certified Behavior Analyst in the preschool through 12th-grade setting. She attributes much of her passion for education to a family of educators that promoted and emphasized lifelong learning.  

Taylor and her husband are both Wyoming natives. They have three sons. Taylor has volunteered on several non-profit boards, has coached youth sports, and actively serves in her church.  Taylor and her family enjoy traveling, hunting, and spending time on their family ranch.  

Beginning in July of 2025, Dr. Matthew Scott Crisp became the Interim Superintendent of Schools for Teton County School District #1. Prior to this position, Scott served as the Assisant Superintendent of Schools for Teton County School District #1 from 2023 to 2025. While serving as the Principal of Jackson Hole High School in Jackson from 2009 to 2023, Scott was named the Wyoming High School Principal of the Year in 2021. In 2013, JHHS received the Blue Ribbon Award for “High Performing High School”. Crisp has led, with his staff, Jackson Hole High School to be ranked number #1 high school in Wyoming by U.S. News & World Report in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Prior to being a school leader, Crisp spent ten years as a high school social studies teacher in Wyoming, South Carolina, and Oregon. Crisp was twice selected to serve as a U.S. Department of Education Principal Ambassador Fellow, both in 2017-18 and in 2020-21.

Joseph Gaspari was elected to serve on the Carbon County School District #2 Board of Trustees and has been a dedicated board member since 2010. In 2023 he was appointed to serve on the Region V BOCES Board. Previously, he served on the local BOCES Board for nine years, and for 40 years on the Governing Board of his local church. Gaspari moved to Carbon County in 1970 and is a graduate of Platte Valley High School in Saratoga, as are his four daughters. Since receiving an Associate Degree in Automotive Technology from Casper College in 1981, he and his wife, Carolyn, have owned and operated a successful automotive repair shop in Saratoga. Joe and Carolyn also have seven wonderful grandchildren all of whom are currently attending Wyoming public schools. Gaspari understands the value of training up a child in the way they should go. He considers it an honor to serve on the State Board of Education to help make the future of Wyoming’s youth the best it can be.

Fred von Ahrens is currently serving as the Vice President of Manufacturing at Genesis Alkali in  Green River, WY. With over 40 years of experience at FMC and now Genesis Energy, Fred has held various roles in Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, Plant Management, and General  Management across different locations in the United States, including Corporate Headquarters.

Throughout his extensive career, Fred has consistently emphasized safety, manufacturing excellence, continuous improvement, and growth. In addition to his professional endeavors, Fred is an active participant in his community. He is a board member of the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board. Regionally, Fred played a pivotal role in establishing the Pulse of Southwest Wyoming, an initiative that aims to inform regional legislators about crucial business, health, and education initiatives and legislation important to communities. Fred has also played a key role in forming the Southwest Wyoming Manufacturing Partnership, a business education partnership spanning across five counties. Furthermore, he is a member of the University of Wyoming Art Museum National Advisory Board.

Fred’s past memberships include the Governor’s RIDE initiative, serving as the Chair of the Wyoming Business Alliance, and a board member of the Sweetwater Memorial Hospital Foundation. He was also a board member of the Wyoming Mining Association, and Fred is an alumnus of Learship Wyoming, having completed the program in 2012.

Lisa Williams lives on a ranch north of Lusk with her husband JD. She is a graduate of the University of Wyoming where she received her B.S. in elementary education and attended the American College of Education, receiving her MS in Educational Leadership. Lisa has served in education in Albany and Niobrara counties over the past 30 years. Lisa and JD have three adult children, Clayton (Trisha), Allison (Carter), and Larkin Williams. When Lisa is not working with her team at the Wyoming Virtual Academy,  she enjoys spending time with friends and family, feeding the ranch hands, listening to music, being active, and traveling. 

Casey Tillard is a fifth-generation rancher born and raised in Converse County. His wife
and three kids live in Glenrock where they raise cattle and sheep. After graduating from
Glenrock High School, Casey attended EWC on a rodeo scholarship. After graduating
with an associates degree he continued his education at the University of Wyoming on a
rodeo scholarship where he earned a Bachelors degree in Ag Business. He returned to
the family ranch in Glenrock to raise his family. He was elected to the local school board
in 2014 where he continues to serve as the chairman. In 2014 he was appointed to the
NEW BOCES in Gillette and is currently serving as the Chairman. In 2012 he was
appointed to the converse county predator board where he is also currently the
chairman.
Casey and his family enjoy attending and competing in rodeos, going on family trips,
participating in 4H, FFA, many different sports and attending and participating in County
fair.

Megan Degenfelder was elected Wyoming’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction in November of 2022, making her one of the youngest elected statewide officials in Wyoming history. Megan grew up in a six-generation ranching family in Casper and graduated from the University of Wyoming with bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Political Science. She was selected as the University’s top graduating female, served as students body president, captained the rugby team and was in leadership of College Republicans.

Megan went on to earn a master’s degree in Economics from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China, with her thesis focusing on the elasticity of demand between coal and natural gas. During her time in China, Megan taught in K-12 schools and community colleges.

Megan served as the Chief Policy Officer at the Wyoming Department of Education under Superintendent Jillian Balow. She oversaw multiple divisions, including standards & assessment, accountability, and the Hathaway scholarship, as well as a $30 million budget and 25-person staff. Megan also comes from years of private sector experience, in the fields of coal and oil and gas, where she worked to lessen regulatory burdens and government overreach.

Megan volunteers on several non-profit boards, coaches the University of Wyoming women’s rugby team, regularly fosters rescue dogs, and is an active volunteer in her church. She enjoys hunting, competitive trap shooting and hiking, and has traveled to six continents and 37 countries. Megan’s husband, Bryan Dugas, is an anesthesiologist, and they have two beloved rescue dogs, Loretta Lynn and Patsy.

Dr. Jenna M. Shim serves as the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Interim Dean of the College of Education at the University of Wyoming, the Executive Director of the Trustees’ Education Initiative, and a professor in the School of Teacher Education. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, she has held leadership roles including interim dean, associate dean, associate school director, and program coordinator, demonstrating expertise in strategic planning, accreditation, curriculum development, and fostering institutional growth.

As dean, her core commitment is to serve the state of Wyoming, aligned with the land-grant mission to improve the lives of children and adults through education. This mission is guided by four key visions:

1. Delivering the highest quality education, expanding resources, and strengthening university-district partnerships to prepare students for the future in Wyoming and beyond.
2. Advancing teaching and educational outcomes through research and projects that address the unique opportunities and challenges of rural education.
3. Deepening engagement and partnerships with Wyoming’s rural communities to benefit the state as a whole.
4. Cultivating a nurturing environment that promotes the well-being, growth, and success of faculty, staff, and students.

Dr. Shim earned a B.A. in piano performance from California State University (1994) and an M.M. in piano performance from Manhattan School of Music (1996). She transitioned into education, earning a teaching certificate in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the University of California-Los Angeles (2001). She also holds an M.S. in literacy education (2006), a CAS in literacy education (2007), and a Ph.D. in language and literacy education (2009), all from the University at Albany, State University of New York.

An accomplished scholar, Dr. Shim has published extensively but, in her current role, also prioritizes research that has a meaningful impact on educational practice.

With a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Wyoming, Dr. Laurel Ballard currently serves as Deputy Director and Chief Academic and Student Services Officer at the Wyoming Community College Commission. Her extensive career includes roles such as WDE Innovations Officer and Director of Digital Learning and Innovation at the Wyoming Department of Education, and leadership positions at the Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Services and Natrona County School District #1. Laurel’s expertise spans strategic planning, policy development, operational oversight, and educational innovation, resulting in securing millions of dollars in grant awards. She has held leadership positions on boards like the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and the Wyoming Computer Science Teachers Association, and her achievements include awards such as the EdScoop EdTech Hero (2017).