Meet the JCSF Board
Megan Salois - President
Megan Salois is the Today in Iowa Morning Meteorologist at WHO13 in Des Moines and a current Urbandale/Johnston community member and parent of JCSD students, Nate and Josh. Megan is serving as President of the Foundation during the 23-24 School Year. She enjoys the opportunity to volunteer with the Foundation and helping to make decisions on funding special classroom grants & school projects, not funded by the District itself. She says it is encouraging to also be a part of the Schlenker Scholarship team and meeting impressive JHS Seniors each year who make it to final interviews for this generous financial award.
Jennifer Wedemeyer - Vice President
Jennifer Wedemeyer is an employee of West Bank who works with the West Bancorporation Foundation to provide funding for local non-profits, as well as working on projects within the West Bank Human Resources department. Jennifer believes that being involved with the Johnston Community School Foundation is a great way to help build a strong community that values our teachers, students and families within the district. Jennifer is a 20 year resident of Johnston, and is the mother of three children. Her sons, Andrew and Luke, are graduates of Johnston High School, and her daughter, Alena, is enrolled in middle school. Jennifer is inspired by the education of her children, and in appreciation of the educational excellence in Johnston Schools, Jennifer knows that supporting our teachers is one of the best ways to continue to build excellence in education for our children, families, and community.
Gerrad Clausen - Treasurer
Gerrad Clausen has served as the Foundation Treasurer for the past eight years and has been part of the Johnston Community for 19 years. Gerrad volunteers his time because he believes the Foundation makes a difference in the lives of students and teachers through classroom grants, larger projects which effect many students and individual college scholarships. Gerrad spent his career in the Insurance Industry and is currently retired. Gerrad and his wife, Carrie have two daughters, both who graduated from Johnston.
April Wilson - Secretary
April Wilson joined the Foundation as Secretary to the Board in December of 2021. She and her husband, Brent, have lived in Johnston since 2014. Their son attends the Johnston Early Learning Academy. April is a former middle school social studies and language arts teacher in the Johnston Community School District. As a Johnston community member, a former JCSD teacher, and a parent to future Dragon, she is grateful that her work with the Foundation enables her to help teachers create powerful learning experiences for Johnston students and to promote continued excellence in the school district.
Ryan Bhattacharyya - Board of Directors
Ryan Bhattacharyya is the President of PREMAC Wealth Management in West Des Moines and a Professor of Practice at the Ivy College of Business in Iowa State University in Ames. Ryan has been a resident of the area since 1992 and currently has 2 children in the Johnston school district. Ryan is a strong believer in the value of a high quality education and the opportunities it can provide in the long term. Ryan and his wife Lanesa believe in giving back to the community in various ways and serving on the Foundation board is an opportunity to do that for the community.
Jaime Boeckman - Board of Directors
Jaime Boeckman is the Director of Teacher Education Services within the School of Education at Iowa State University. She has spent over 20 years teaching, leading, and preparing educators. She is in her first year on the board and is excited to be giving back to a community and profession she believes in and values. She and her husband, Chad, have a son attending Johnston Community School District and have lived in the Johnston/Granger community for four years. Jaime is looking forward to her continued involvement with the foundation.
Erica Boliver - Board of Directors
Erica Boliver is an Associate Vice President of Human Resources at F&G Life Annuities and Life Insurance in Des Moines. She, her husband Grant, and sons Gavin and Ethan have lived in the Johnston community for over ten years. Erica has served on the Board of Directors at Youth Homes of Mid-America, now called Ellipsis, for several years prior to joining the Foundation. Erica enjoys giving back to the community in which she lives and her sons attend school. She enjoys being a part of a successful foundation that contributes to the education of Johnston students through classroom grants or scholarship opportunities.
Kendall Palmer - Board of Directors
Lane Sires- Board of Directors
Lane Sires joined the Johnston Community School Foundation Board in 2021. Lane is a Johnston High School graduate and currently lives in the Johnston school district with his wife and two children. Lane has seen first hand from living in Johnston since the 1980’s the great things this community and school district offer. Lane is excited for the opportunities this foundation provides for classroom grants and scholarships we are able to offer. Lane received his BA from Graceland College and MBA from Drake University. Lane also works for a large Des Moines based insurance company consulting with organizations to oversee their retirement plans.
Jill Trobaugh - Board of Directors
Jill Trobaugh is in her second year as a board member with the Foundation. She’s looking forward to sharing her passion of giving back to the community, and is excited to make an impact for our schools as part of the grant committee. An Operations & Integration Consultant with Bank Of America, Jill and her husband, Derek, are Johnston Community members and parents of Mara (a JCSD student) and Grant.
Jason Lems - Board of Directors
Jason Lems joined the Foundation Board in the summer of 2022. He and his family moved to Johnston in 2014 where he currently works at John Deere Financial as the Manager of Tactical Sales. He and his wife Janette have a desire to improve the education opportunities for the youth and giving back to the local community. In addition to serving on the Foundation Board, Jason is an active mentor in the Johnston Youth Mentoring Program (JUMP). His wife Janette works as a part time associate in the Johnston school district. Jason and Janette’s two children, Sophie and Braxton, attend elementary school in the Johnston School District.