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School Board

The Camas Board of Education consists of five citizens of the school district elected from director districts for a four-year term.

Any resident may run for election to the board providing the candidate meets certain legal qualifications. Board members serve without pay.

In Washington, education is defined as a function of the state government by the constitution. Legislative actions have created school boards to serve as agents of the state to administer the school functions which have been delegated to local districts. School board members are responsible to the voters and act under the restrictions of state law.

The board provides direction for the district, approving policies, making financial decisions, determining building needs, and approving the budget. The progress of the district is reviewed regularly by the board. The board relies on the superintendent for advice, but final decisions are the responsibility of the school board.

Contact Information

Please note that this page does not contain live links to e-mail. In an effort to control harvesting of staff addresses by SPAM web-crawlers, staff e-mail names are separated from the district’s domain information. Patrons who wish to e-mail staff should copy and paste the staff member’s “E-mail Name” and add it to “@camas.wednet.edu” to complete the address.

Casey O’Dell

Email name: Casey.Odell

Casey O’Dell joined the school board in 2001when his three children were just entering Camas schools because he felt it would be great way to be involved with their education. A life-long resident of Camas, he feels his work on the board is his way of giving back to the community in which he was raised.

Casey has a degree in Construction Management from Washington State University and is the facilities manager for Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas located in Camas.

Julie Rotz

Email name: Julie.Rotz

A newer member of our community, Julie Rotz wasted no time getting involved when she joined the school board in 2009 just one year after moving to the area. Camas was selected as the Rotz’s new home thanks to the reputation of the schools; Julie joined the board as a way to understand public education more broadly and help be a positive influence in decision making for the district.

Julie has a degree in English, with a minor in Business, from Brigham Young University and works as a technology consultant and project manager for HotDocs Corporation. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, writing, cooking/baking, and being active.

Connie Hennessey

Email name: Connie.Hennessey

Connie’s is a native of California who graduated from Oregon State University and received her Master’s degree in guidance and counseling from City University, Seattle.

A long time volunteer in Camas schools, Connie worked in various positions with the Helen Baller PTA, and the Camas Educational Foundation before joining the School Board in 2005. She and her husband, Patrick, have two children: Taylor who graduated from CHS in 2012 and Reilly who will graduate in 2014.

In the fall of 2013, Connie will join the staff at the new Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School in the Evergreen School District as a school guidance counselor. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching football, hanging out with family, and traveling.   

Doug Quinn

Email name: Doug.Quinn

Although born in the Portland area, Doug was fortunate to grow up in a large family in Coos Bay, Oregon. While living in “the other Bay area” Doug developed a passion for the outdoors and the myriad of hobbies that return him there regularly. His father is a retired electrical engineer and his mother, “Dr. Quinn,” was a college instructor until her death. It is evident that education has always been a core family value when one realizes that Doug’s parents, all seven of his siblings, his wife, and their three children have all attained their college degrees.

Beginning in the late 80′s, Doug served as the Public Works Director/City Engineer in Camas. In 2003 he joined Clark Public Utilities as the Director of Water Services. He volunteers his time on the Boards of the Camas School District, Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce, Camas Downtown Association, and until recently the Washington State Public Works Trust Fund. As time allows, you will find him hiking, diving, or biking someplace sunny or, if you listen very carefully, practicing on his blues harp.

Mary Tipton

Email name: Mary.Tipton

Mary joined the board in 2008. She was appointed and then elected to fill a vacancy that her husband, Gary Tipton, left after he passed away from pancreatic cancer. Both shared a commitment to the Camas School District after many years of volunteering in the schools and with the Camas Educational Foundation. All three Tipton daughters attended and graduated Camas schools.

A graduate from Oregon State University, with a major in business/accounting, Mary is retired from Hewlett Packard where she worked in finance and business management for 28 years. In addition to her work on the Camas school board, Mary volunteers with the YWCA CASA program. She enjoys frequent walking, with her dog Lucy, hiking, cycling, and skiing in the Vancouver/Portland area.



Every effort is made to ensure that all employment decisions are administered in accordance with the principles of equal opportunity. The Camas School District #117 does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Rita Pakenen, Title IX and Compliance Coordinator, and Dana Lighty. Both may be contacted at 360-335-3000 or 841 NE 22nd Avenue, Camas, WA 98607.