Election News

The following members are campaigning for the board offices of the DEMC. The election will be held on May 7th at the Schultz Center. Only members in good standing can vote in our bi-annual election. We only have one member running for the offices of president, secretary, and treasurer. Therefore, we will only be voting for the office of vice president. Members will be asked to choose 4 vice-presidents to serve on the board of DEMC. We look forward to seeing you on the 7th at 4:00!

Running for the Office of President

Timothy William Kenney

It has been my pleasure to serve as President of the Duval Elementary Mathematics Council for the past two years. The council has gotten off to a great start, but I believe we need to continue to grow and affect others in the mathematics community. Over the past two years, in conjunction with other members of the council, I have worked on creating a set of by-laws, facilitated meetings (Board/ Council meetings), presented at FCTM, and helped develop the award for Math Educator of the Year. I believe with your continued support we can truly impact mathematics in Duval County.


Running for the Office of Vice-President

Melissa Kolb Buchanan

While I have only taught for 5 years, those years have been filled with experiences that would help me as a DEMC Vice President. As San Mateo’s Math Lead teacher and now active member of Hendricks’ Mathematics VLC it has always been a goal of mine to help further mathematics education. My objective in obtaining this position is to facilitate the spreading of awesome instruction not just in my school, but also throughout the county. As the chair of several committees and former Vice President of my Sorority I have leadership skills that enable me to plan big events and accomplish a range of objectives.


Zachary Michael Champagne

My name is Zachary Champagne and I am running for the office of Vice President. I have been a classroom teacher at West Jacksonville Elementary for the past eight years, and I have also served for the past two years as a vice president of the DEMC. During this time I have created a website, secured sponsors for the Mathematics Educator of the Year, presented at DEMC meetings and at FCTM on behalf of the council. This year I was also honored as a Presidential Award finalist for the state of Florida. I am looking forward to continuing to serve as a vice president of the DEMC.

Lon King

I am Lon King and I currently serve as one of your vice-presidents. I have been active in DEMC from the beginning and believe that the success of our council depends on teacher support. I know that this support and attendance at meetings will come as the result of providing useful, interesting, and real-world information at all meetings. I will continue to try to provide this either as a vice-president or as an active member. I am currently the math coach at Long Branch Elementary and have been teaching for five years. Thank you for your support and assistance.

Matthew Peterson

Matt Peterson received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Kinesiology, along with his United States Naval Officer Commission, from the University of Minnesota. After completing 11 years of military service, he joined Duval County Public Schools. His Professional Teaching Certificate has been completed through the University of North Florida’s Alternative Certification Program. As Arlington Elementary’s 2005-2006 Teacher of the Year, Mr. Peterson currently serves as a Third Grade Math / Science teacher, Math Model Classroom, Grade Level Chair, Shared Decision Making Chair, Academy of Mathematics participant and Vice President of Region IV on the Duval Elementary Mathematics Council.


Marcia Rivas

I would consider running for a vice-president position if I could continue to work with great people who love math. I am a 24 year veteran of Duval County Schools, and for 19 of those years I have taught math. I have been the math coach for my school since 2002. Our school (Twin Lakes) is a national model school for America’s Choice, so I get lots of training in math beyond the district level. I am a member of NCTM and obviously of DEMC (our school has the highest percentage of DEMC members).

Running for the Office of Treasurer

Carol Hazouri

As a member of DEMC this year, I have enjoyed attending the meetings and seeing how the organization works. I would like to serve next year in the capacity of treasurer. I am comfortable handling money, and am accurate in my record-keeping. After teaching for 39 years, I still find teaching math fun and stimulating. As a part-time math coach, I have experienced all levels of the curriculum. I feel honored to have been the 2007 teacher of the year at Crown Point. I enjoy networking with and learning from other teachers.

Running for the Office of Secretary

Rhonda Bajalia

I am interested in becoming more active in the DEMC by running for the office of secretary. After teaching for 29 years, I feel that I have a skills set that will be helpful in this capacity. As a teacher in grades 2 – 5, and a guidance counselor for six years, I feel my experiences have provided a good understanding of what children in need in mathematics. My experiences as a district-level, state and national presenter allow me to feel comfortable working with and presenting information to other teachers.