School Board
Ankeny Board of Education
School Board Meetings are held at the Ankeny Community Schools District Office at Neveln | 406 SW School Street | Ankeny, IA 50023
Here to serve you: Members of the Ankeny Board of Education are elected at large for four-year voluntary terms; they receive no pay for their services. The Board of Education follows a governance model. In this process, the Board gives direction to the school district as to their priorities and goals, and the administration then develops the best procedures and practices to fulfill those goals.
- You can email the Ankeny Board of Education utilizing the form on this page.
- The Board Secretary is Jennifer Jamison, who also serves as Ankeny Community School District Chief Financial Officer. You can e-mail the Board Secretary at jennifer.jamison@ankenyschools.org.
A brief profile and contact information for each board member is presented below. The members of your current Ankeny School Board are:
Ryan Weldon, President
Ryan and his wife Regina have been married for 18 years, have four children, and have lived in Ankeny since 2010. Ryan graduated high school from Beckman Catholic High School in 2002 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Christian Leadership and Management from Liberty University. Ryan has a diverse career working with executive teams across many industries and using his entrepreneurial drive to lead six start-up companies including two non-profits. Ryan was elected to the school board in 2019 and is honored to serve the community and school district in this capacity.
Joy Burk, Vice President
Joy and her husband, Nate, have four children; three are at Prairie Trail Elementary and one at Terrace Learning Center. Joy grew up in Ankeny and graduated from Ankeny High School in 1999. She received her BA in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Northern Arizona University. She taught for 10 years in Arizona and in Ankeny at Ashland Ridge Elementary before leaving the classroom in 2014 to focus on her family. Joy and her husband have hosted two foreign exchange students, which gave them a glimpse into life with teenagers. Joy has also served on the board of a non-profit called Miracle Travel Works. Joy is confident in her ability to help govern the Ankeny Community School District. She is excited to serve in this capacity and looks forward to being a positive voice for the constituents in the community.
Sarah Barthole, Board Member
Sarah and her husband Brady have two boys; and, have lived in the metro since 2007 and moved to Ankeny in 2015 for Ankeny schools and the small town feel that it offers. Sarah grew up in Northwest Iowa, and attended Iowa State University earning a BS: Marketing and BA: Advertising. She is an IT Delivery Manager for Principal. Sarah has been actively involved in Ankeny Schools serving on the School Improvement Advisory Council (SIAC) for four years and as a board member of her sons’ elementary PTO and a homeroom mom. Sarah is an energetic and engaged working mom that wants to bring a new voice to the district and have a positive impact on our students’ educational experience in Ankeny. She believes the connections between our students, families, district and community is so important to helping us all thrive and be successful together.
sarah.barthole@ankenyschools.org
Katie Claeys, Board Member
Katie and her husband Michael have lived in the metro since 2002 and moved to Ankeny in 2012 because they wanted their children to attend Ankeny Schools. They have three boys: Brady, Charly and Jack. Katie graduated from Loras College (2000) with a BA in Elementary Education. She also has two Masters degrees: one in Curriculum and Instruction of Middle Level Education from UNI (2007) and a second in Educational Leadership from Drake University (2015). Katie currently serves as the Director of Teaching and Learning for Ballard Schools. She cares deeply about each child having access to a quality educational experience and governing a system committed to equity for all. She is excited to serve the community as a School Board member.
katie.claeys@ankenyschools.org
Aaron Johnson, Board Member
Aaron and his wife, Rebecca, have four adult children; all of whom graduated from AHS. They have lived in Ankeny since 2000 when they moved to Iowa from Chicagoland. Aaron received his Bachelor’s in Communications from the Moody Bible Institute and his Master’s in Business Administration from Northwest Missouri State. Aaron has spent most of his career in marketing and communications with stints in radio, video production and web development. Today, Aaron is the Vice President of Marketing and Customer Strategy for Accumold, a high-tech manufacturing company located in Ankeny. Prior to his service to the Board of Education, Aaron has served on various committees and boards including the Ankeny Planning & Zoning Commission and the Ankeny Parks Board.
aaron.johnson@ankenyschools.org
Joshua Palik, Board Member
Joshua and his wife, Emily, moved to Ankeny in June 2021, bringing Emily back to her family here and Joshua a leadership opportunity with his company. They chose Ankeny to raise their three children in this wonderful community and have them experience the excellent education Ankeny Community Schools has to offer.
Upon graduating high school from a rural Western Nebraska town, Joshua attended the University of Wyoming obtaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 2006. After graduating, Joshua began his career focused on transportation engineering in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska serving state departments of transportation, cities, and counties throughout Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. His time out of the office has been focused on professional societies such as the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Council of Engineering Companies, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers developing meaningful leadership skills. Additionally, Joshua found a passion for educating the next generation of engineers by guest lecturing at universities, community colleges, and presenting at student professional societies. He also spent two years working with a group of professionals developing a curriculum for the youth after-school program called “Engineering Adventures for Kids” at the Salvation Army Omaha Kroc Center.
Joshua will bring his years of professional experience to represent the community and provide leadership to the district to continue the work of making Ankeny Community Schools an excellent educational system.
joshua.palik@ankenyschools.org
Amy Tagliareni, Board Member
amy.tagliareni@ankenyschools.org