Tracy Dakil - Dibble Public Schools

Ms. Tracy Dakil is a Spanish teacher at Dibble Public Schools. She also teaches via IETV to Grace, Minco, Verden, and Wetumka Public schools. Tracy has taught for 14 years, including 9 years of IETV teaching experience.

As a junior in high school, Tracy was given the opportunity to be an exchange student for a year to Lima, Peru, S.A., which piqued her interest in studying Spanish. She later graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Her students at Fort Cobb-Broxton dedicated the 2003-2004 annual yearbook to her.

Tracy served as the president of her local Professional Oklahoma Educators chapter in Ft. Cobb-Broxton for three years. In 2007-08, during her first year of teaching in Dibble, Tracy helped start a local chapter that went on to decertify the union and adopt the Collaborative Communication Model to replace antiquated union bargaining methods.

In 2005, Tracy was honored as a nominee for the Professional Oklahoma Educators Foundation’s Kathy Cox Elementary Educator Merit Award. She is an active member of First Baptist Church in Anadarko, OK. She is married to Greg Dakil, VP of Anadarko Bank and Trust, with whom she has two sons, Douglas and Mitchell.

State Vice President Esther Bell - North Rock Creek Public School Esther Bell has been teaching for 13 years. She currently serves as a fourth grade teacher at North Rock Creek Public Schools in Shawnee. She graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with a business degree and received her Master of Education degree from OU. Esther also has experience as a Title VII assistant. She currently serves as the treasurer of her school’s Professional Oklahoma Educators local chapter. She served as State Secretary for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years. The 2008-09 school year will mark her second term as State Vice President. She is excited to serve as a Professional Oklahoma Educators officer because the organization reflects her values, and it is truly a professional organization that serves its members. Esther grew up in Henryetta, Oklahoma, but has been a resident of Shawnee for 24 years. She and her husband, Kelly, have two grown children (daughter Lisa and son Mekko) and four precious grandchildren (Dylan, Skye, Alec and Kaleigh).

Kenneth J. Winnie - Mounds Public Schools

Kenneth J. Winnie, known as “Ken,” helped start the Mounds local chapter of Professional Oklahoma Educators, MOPED (Mounds Oklahoma Professional Educators). Ken was involved in membership recruitment and has served as the Membership Chairman, Vice President and Acting President at the local level.

Ken currently serves as MOPED Treasurer. The MOPED group has gone from 2 members to over 30 members in less than 3 years. The annual scholarship for post secondary educators has increased from $200 to $750 for this year’s winner! Participation in the organization has gone from 1% to 33%!!

Ken has officer experience at the local, state and National levels of other educational and business organizations. He has dealt with budgets as small as $50,000 and as large as $2,000,000.

Professionally, Ken is a Middle School Special Education Teacher for English & Math with tutoring in other academic areas, such as Geography, American History and the Sciences. Ken is also a certified School Counselor, though he does not officially function in this area.

Ken has been a born-again Christian for over 37 years as of April 27, 2008. He is involved in a Bible-believing church and has been involved in a local church since becoming a Christian. In church related ministries, Ken has been involved with youth, young adults and now the homeless, prisoners and their families. He currently serves in a church that ministers primarily to “un-churched” individuals.

Ken and his wife of 33 years, Joanne, have 3 children – Samuel, Sarah and Suzanne.

Brenda Asher – Oklahoma City Public Schools

A transplant from Michigan, Brenda came down to finish her last two years of college at Oklahoma Christian University. While at OC, she fell in love with Oklahoma, and her late husband, Steve.

Brenda graduated from OC with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and later went on to receive a Masters of Education in Early Childhood from the University of Central Oklahoma. She will soon begin pursuing another Masters with an emphasis in Administration.

For the last 18 years, Brenda has served as a teacher for preschool to 1^st grade students. Brenda also has experience as a substitute teacher for grades 2 through 6. She currently works for Oklahoma City Public Schools, teaching at Edgemere Elementary. She also serves as coordinator for the Preschool department where I worship.

Brenda has served as secretary and president for several different organizations, including the Oklahoma Early Childhood Teacher Association and the Metro Oklahoma Knitter’s Guild.