
Raised on a Kansas Family Farm
Married to Gordon
Children
* Randall
* Rebecca
Six Grandchildren [two attend Salina public schools]
Resident of Salina for 42 years
Community Service Organizations
United States Jaycee Women
* President of Salina Jaycee Women [aka Jaycee Jaynes]
* President of Kansas Jaycee Women
* President of United States Jaycee Women + Recognized as one of Five
Outstanding State Presidents
* Recognized as US Jaycee Women National Officer of the Year
Epsilon Sigma Alpha
* President of local chapter
* Zone 7 Chairwoman
* Kansas State Council Committee Chairwoman
* Recognized as Chapter and Zone Outstanding Sister
Sunrise Presbyterian Church
* Member
* Served as Deacon
* Served as a Church School Teacher
* Member of Mariners
* Served as Skipper and other offices
GETTING TO KNOW DEENA PROFESSIONALLY:
* Taught Second and Fourth Grades at Peabody Elementary School
* Taught Art at South Middle School [also taught Art at Roosevelt-Lincoln;
Middle School and South High School]
o Served as Department Chairman
o Recognized as Salina Master Teacher and as one of six
Kansas Master Teachers
o Retired in 2008 and now is a substitute teacher
Professional Organizations:
Salina-National Education Association
o Served as President and Secretary
o Served as Chairman of several committees
Phi Delta Kappa
o Served as President of local chapter
Kansas National Art Education Association
o Serves as Treasurer and the Legislative Liaison
Delta Kappa Gamma
o Serves as Chairman of the Legislative Committee for the
state organization.
Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development
GETTING TO KNOW DEENA LEGISLATIVELY:
Current Standing Committee Assignments:
o Education – Vice-Chairman
o Elections
o Aging and Long-term care
o Veterans, Military and Homeland Security
o Vision 2020
Past Standing Committee Assignments:
o Governmental Organization and Elections
o Health and Human Services
o Higher Education [Vice-Chairman]
o e-Government [Chairman]
o Kansas 2000 [Vice-Chairman]
o Local Government
Joint House and Senate Committee Assignments:
o Legislative Education Planning [Chairman]
o Arts and Cultural Resources [Vice-Chairman]
Served on the following Special and Interim Committees:
o Education Finance
o Property Taxation
o Higher Education
o Kansas Commemorative Coin Commission [Chairman]
Author of the following bills that have been enacted into law:
o School Safety and Security Act
o Exemption of junior high and senior high boarding schools
from adult-to-child ratios intended for care of small children
o Supported legislation signed by the Governor that has
o Reduced taxes [car, property, sales, and income]
o Worked to provide more equitable funding for middle and
larger school districts such as Salina
Including numerous other bills..
Constituent work:
* Works during the session and during the interim to keep Constituents
informed during the session by sending regular newsletters sent to someone
living in every neighborhood in the 69th District and attempts to make
certain that every registered voter received at least one newsletter during
each of her two-year terms.
* Works to place agencies in contact with Constituents in order to provide
to them answers and possible solutions to the problems a Constituent has
encountered.
Selected to represent Kansas:
* On the Health and Human Services Task Force for the American Legislative
Exchange Council [1995 – 96]
* One of three Kansas legislators selected to attend the Bowhay Institute of
Legislative Leadership Development in 1996.
* On the Human Services Committee for the National Conference of State
Legislators [1997-98]
* On the Midwest Legislative States' Bowhay Institute of Legislative
Leadership Development Selection Committee [1999-2000]
* On the Communications Committee for the National Council of State
Legislators [2001-2002]
* On the Suggested State Legislation Committee for Council of State
Governments [2003-2004]
* On the Access To Higher Education Task Force for Women in Government
[2003-2004]
* On the Education Committee for National Conference of State Legislators
[2005-current]
* On the Education Technology Task Force [2006-2008]
* On the Drop-out Task Force [2009-current]
* On the Education Committee for American Legislative Exchange Council
[2009-current]