• Nikole Shurn, Board President 

    Nikole Shurn is a former middle/high school English Language Arts teacher and currently holds the position of Wrap Around Services building director for the School District of University City. In her role, she is responsible for assessing student needs and addressing those needs by identifying community resources that will assist in student achievement. Additionally, she is tasked with aligning and coordinating systems within the district and building adult capacity, resulting in better student outcomes.

    Nikole has over 20 years of combined experience in the areas of nonprofit, education, corporate, and entrepreneurship. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Kentucky State University in Business Administration, a masters' in Secondary Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a masters in Media Communications from Webster University. As a life-long learner, she is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Maryville University.

    Nikole is dedicated and passionate about educational equity and racial justice and will be sure to bring a voice to the voiceless when it comes to those two topics. She is a member of the Keysor Racial Equity Committee, a member of Wyman’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and a member of the Transformational Leadership Team at Brittany Woods Middle School. During her tenure on the board, she promises to make decisions in the best interest of ALL students and encourage clear and transparent communication for ALL stakeholders.

    A pioneer at heart, Nikole graduated from Kirkwood in 1996 and currently has two students in the District – one at Keysor and the other at KHS. In her spare time, she brings the community together by mentoring kids and collecting prom dresses and prom-night necessities for high school girls and offers them free of charge to those need through her non-profit, Nspire 2 Dream and the Fairy Glam Project.
     

    Judy Moticka, Board Vice President 

    Judy Moticka (formerly Judy Larsen) has lived in Kirkwood since 1991, when she moved with her two young boys after being drawn to the stellar schools and neighborhood feel. She taught high school English for 15 years, the last 6 at Kirkwood High School, and her boys and stepchildren all went through Kirkwood schools, graduating from Kirkwood High School in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008. While they were students, she was active in the PTO and other district events. She has also served as a mayor-appointed member of  the City of Kirkwood Human Rights Commission and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in the Foster Care System.

    In her personal and professional life, and in volunteer service, she has focused on children--protecting them, empowering them, supporting them. She believes there are few things more important than our public schools. She is committed to working with fellow board members to move the district forward to a steady and bright future. Her priorities include hiring and retaining great teachers, partnering with parents in everything we do and focusing on the responsibility of the School Board to be good stewards of the Prop R funds.

    Jennifer Pangborn, Board Secretary

    Jennifer Pangborn is a dedicated Kirkwood resident who values community and education.  She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Masters of Science in Construction Management and now works as an engineer and community planner with WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff. Jennifer’s career is focused on strategic thinking and project leadership, and she is a skillful collaborator.  She helps communities plan long-term needs with fiscal constraints, all while meeting the needs of residents. Jennifer and her husband, Mike Dolde, have three boys. Joey and Billy attend Robinson Elementary, and Timmy will attend KECC in the next couple of years.

    Mike and Jennifer moved to Kirkwood in 2013, because of the award-winning schools and strong community. Jennifer has been fully committed to the community and to the education of our children. She is the PTO Co-Vice President at Robinson Elementary, and has assisted with fundraisers, coached little league sports, and mentored students on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) projects. She serves on the Kirkwood Board of Adjustment at City Hall, and functions as a peer mentor to female engineers. 

    Jennifer wants to ensure a high quality education for current and future students in our community. Her professional experience will provide her with the patience for the process, but she will insist on actions and results. She carries the leadership and insight to create policies and plans to balance the highest quality services within the constraints of a responsible budget. Jennifer is a skillful listener, and she wants to find new ways to improve communication between the School Board and the community, so important decisions and discussions are relayed to all citizens of Kirkwood.

    Jean Marie Andrews, Board Director 

    Jean Marie Andrews spent a decade teaching in the Kirkwood School District. She earned her degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from Fontbonne University and taught kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd grades at Robinson Elementary. During that time, she developed the district’s Extended Day program for at-risk kids.

    Elected in 2018, she has been the president and vice president of the Kirkwood School Board and has served on the following District Committees: Communication, Safety, Curriculum, Strategic Planning, and Policy Management. Jean Marie also co-chaired the successful 2017 Prop K campaign.

    Jean Marie and her husband, Ben, have lived in Kirkwood since 2012. They have three children: Paige, who attends North Kirkwood Middle, Caroline, and Jack, who both attend Keysor Elementary.

    Mark Boyko, Board Director

    Mark has served as the Director of the Kirkwood School Board since his election in 2019. Mark and his wife, Meg, have two children at Kirkwood Schools — one at Nipher and one at Kirkwood High.

    Mark also currently serves on the Board of Directors of St. Louis Area Diaper Bank and previously served as a Director at Places for People, a St. Louis non-profit supporting families and individuals dealing with homelessness, and mental health and co-occurring disorders. Mark also served on St. Louis County’s Economic Rescue Team, tasked with recommending changes to help the county recover from the impact of COVID-19.

    Mark is a lawyer whose practice focuses on protecting employee and retiree savings against inappropriate fees and conflicts of interest. He has litigated cases against dozens of corporations and secured over $500 million in judgments and settlements, as well as improvements to 401(k) and other retirement accounts. He also represents a biotech startup, having helped it grow from an idea to a 130+ employee brand valued at $700 million.

    Mark graduated from the University of Illinois (Economics), University of Missouri (Law), and New York University (Masters of Law).

    Ben Caffey, Board Director 

    Ben was sworn in as a member of the Board of Education on Monday, April 17. More information coming soon. 

    Laura Hepburn, Board Director

    Laura Hepburn is a lifelong Kirkwood resident and a graduate of the Kirkwood School District (Class of 2002). While at KHS, Laura was involved in Youth In Government, Student Council, Peer Helpers, The AIDS Project, Art Club, KH Players, and more. Her parents were Kirkwood graduates as well, and she currently has three children enrolled in the district at Westchester Elementary and Kirkwood Early Childhood Center.

    Laura graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Pierre Laclede Honors College at UMSL, with a degree in Mass Communications. Her career in marketing was focused on brand management which involved being responsible for the success and growth of various brands and products. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data for analysis, in addition to creative exploration and cross-departmental execution, Laura helped take her brands to new levels of achievement. 

    After leaving her most recent position as Head of Marketing for Schlafly, Laura devoted herself to her family and to the Kirkwood community. She volunteered as PTO President for KECC and added her communications talents to the Prop S and Prop R campaigns. She also participated in the district’s community focus groups in the development of the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.