The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education has elected Brenda C. Jones as board president.
The vote was taken at the July 18 school board meeting.
The board also has elected Irene Caudillo as vice president.
Jones was elected to the Board of Education in April 2007. Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, she is a product of the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools.
She attended Kansas State University and retired after 36 years working at AT&T. She has been active in many community organizations over the years including the Economic Opportunity Foundation, Sumner Alumni Association, United Way of Wyandotte County, the Workforce Investment Board and the Shepherd’s Center of KCK.
She is a member of the Metropolitan Baptist Church, where she serves as the clerk. She is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts of America and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Caudillo is the president-chief executive officer for El Centro, Inc., an organization that works to strengthen communities and improve the lives of Latinos and others through educational, social, and economic opportunities.
She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Throughout her career, she has developed children and youth programs for nonprofit organizations including El Centro and Wyandotte Mental Health Association in Wyandotte County. She previously worked with the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department as the first minority health outreach coordinator.
Other positions she has held include executive director for Youth Opportunities Unlimited, Inc., director of family strengthening for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and director of clinic operations for Swope Health Services. Her service to the community goes beyond her career with involvement in numerous community boards including AIRR, Community Housing of Wyandotte County, KU Advancement Board, University of St. Mary’s Board of Trustees, University of Missouri Kansas City Public Administration Advisory and Hispanic Advisory Boards.
She and her husband, Ryan, have three children.
– Story from Melissa Fears, director of communications and marketing, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools