John Keagy is married to his high school sweetheart and is a father of three children. He holds both a Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in chemical engineering and works as a research and development engineer in the semiconductor and security manufacturing industries. This requires him to work on complex teams to solve difficult problems, skills he will leverage as an elected board member to address the many problems facing the district today. He is a longtime community volunteer and has devoted countless hours leading a WatchDOGS program in Round Rock ISD, serves as Troopmaster for a local Trail Life USA Troop and plays piano in his church.
Orlando Salinas is a husband and father and resides in the Stony Point learning community which has long been underrepresented on the board of trustees. A Brownsville, Texas, native and bilingual, he works for the Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety in the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) to combat abuse and keep Texans safe. Salinas holds both a Master in Business Administration and Master in Health Administration. As the son of a retired army officer, he values faith, family, and freedom and prioritizes academic excellence and safe schools. Salinas also volunteers his time on Round Rock ISD’s Bond Capital Projects Oversight Committee.
Jill Farris is a wife, mother and stands on an impressive, years-long record of volunteerism and advocacy for our precious students. Her service at Round Rock High School is especially prolific as she is the Sertoma parent liaison for Zoi Ora Filos, a Thespian Booster Club board officer, the parliamentarian for Project Graduation and an active member of National Charity League. Her efforts also include serving as a literacy partner in a Round Rock ISD Title 1 school and in several PTA and classroom parent positions on elementary and middle school campuses. Farris worked as a senior recruiter for an IT firm before finding her passion for students in our schools. She looks forward to serving all 46,000+ Round Rock ISD students.
Christie Slape and her husband have had children in Round Rock ISD schools for the past 17 years. As both parent and former educator, she will work to address the real challenges facing the profession today, and believes parents are critical partners in improving student outcomes. She holds a BA in Spanish and psychology, is bilingual and earned a Texas Lifetime Secondary Education Certification. In addition, Slape has participated in and led students on international mission trips to Mexico, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Ethiopia. She also sponsored Texas public high school student groups for competitive events locally and nationally. Today Slape works as a Board Certified Professional Organizer and enjoys volunteering throughout the community including leading US Constitution classes, serving as the Grief Ministry Lead at The Fellowship Church and the PTA in Round Rock ISD.
Zimmerman is a husband, father and 22 year RRISD resident of Canyon Creek in the Westwood High community. He earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Texas A&M, ’84) and works in LASER scanning microscopy R&D. He was elected President of his Utility District in 2002 promising litigation against Austin City for illegal taxation; the lawsuit was won and saved taxpayers $18 million. In 2014 he was elected to the Austin City Council (District 6). Zimmerman’s wife Jennifer holds a M.A. in Education Administration and is a professional Spanish teacher, as well as Executive Director of Innovative Teachers of Texas, a conservative teacher’s professional group. Zimmerman’s focus is on improving students’ math and science achievement, enforcing parental authority, and reducing spending and taxation.
Elected and unelected leaders have lost their way by spending time, energy and money on programs and priorities that have nothing to do with children. Many of our students aren’t reading on grade level.
