A Sumner High School alum, Kevin Lewis wanted to become a school board member to give back to the community and make a positive impact on the District. Kevin and his wife, Jessica, have two daughters: Mayzie and Ilee.

Kevin has volunteered for the District on the Sumner Middle School Booster Board, many PTA positions and coached 8th grade girls basketball with the Sumner Basketball Association. In his spare time, he enjoys camping, boating and traveling.  

Bill Gaines is no stranger to the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District. In fact it’s only been a couple of years since Bill Gaines retired as a decades-long administrator with the district. 

Prior to his role as assistant superintendent, Bill served as assistant principal and principal for more than 20 years at Sumner High School, where he was instrumental in cultivating and leading an award-winning Spartan culture with Valley pride that remains strong. 

Bill earned a Master’s in Education Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Education K-12 with a focus in Special Education. 

Bill and his wife, Kim, have a son, Erik, and daughter, Megan, along with five grandchildren — all SBLSD alum/students. 

In his spare time, Bill enjoys golf, boating and family projects.

J.B. is eager to cultivate a robust and collaborative relationship with the board, the district, and the community. Her foremost priority will always be keeping the children at the heart of decisions, and striving to do what is best for their well-being and academic success.

She strongly believes in the significance of transparent communication, fostering respectful dialogue, and staying aligned with common goals — principles she sees as essential for ensuring the continued success and integrity of our school district.

A longtime member of the Sumner community, J.B. currently serves as a Senior Biomarker Testing Account Executive at Genentech, a biotechnology company. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in genetic counseling from Sarah Lawrence College. 

J.B. and her husband, Rad, will celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary in August 2024. They have three daughters, all Sumner High School alums — Abby (2015), Annie (2018) and McAllister (2020). The couple’s four-legged family members are a red lab, Sage, and a 15-year-old little mutt, Daisy. In her spare time, J.B. enjoys walking, hiking, playing pickleball and gardening. 

Fun fact about the female Smiths, they all attended Maple Lawn Elementary, Sumner Middle School and Sumner High School. The SBLSD connection continues as J.B.’s husband taught special education at SHS and was the school’s varsity football coach in the 90s, and her mom was the school nurse at Bonney Lake Elementary for more than a decade. 

A servant leader, Tom Watson is eager to bring his skills, experience and heart for service to the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District to make a real impact.

Since 1995, Tom has dedicated his life to serving the Bonney Lake community in a variety of capacities through community service activities and leadership roles in local organizations and initiatives, including Bonney Lake Lions Club, Beautify Bonney Lake, Communities for Families Coalition, Bonney Lake Kiwanis Club, Chamber Collective, and Sumner-Bonney Lake School District.

Tom is CEO of Watson’s Wooden Words, which serves as his hobby of creative woodworking and 3D sign-making. While enjoying this hobby as a business since 2008, Tom simultaneously served as a Bonney Lake City Council Member from 2012 to 2023, and a decades-long career in retail management prior to the city council.

Tom and his wife, Denise, have two children (Ryan and Jennifer) and two dogs (Max and Rosie).

A fun fact about Tom, he has visited every National Park west of the Mississippi. His deep appreciation for the outdoors started early, spending time with his father, who was a California State Park Ranger. Tom enjoys hiking around Mount Rainier and capturing the scenic memories through photography.

A board member since 2013, Erin Markquart believes in the power and strength of education for all and its impact on our greater community.

Erin knows education first-hand as a First-Grade Teacher and Literacy Teacher on Special Assignment with the Enumclaw School District. She earned Bachelor’s degrees from Pacific Lutheran University in Elementary Education, Special Education and English, and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from American College of Education.

Erin and her husband, Joel, have four children. In her spare time, she is active as a Bonney Lake High School parent volunteer, community helper and a sports mom.

Dr. Dent has served over 20 years in public education and was appointed as Superintendent of the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District effective July 1, 2016. 

Serving in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District since 1998, her previous role was Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, where she lead, promoted and sustained exceptional academic achievement at all schools district-wide. Prior to becoming Assistant Superintendent, Dent served as the district’s Chief Academic Officer. 

Dent was Co-Principal at Mountain View Middle School for eight years and the Principal at Liberty Ridge Elementary for three years. During her tenure at Liberty Ridge, the school hit record levels of achievement, which lead to multiple School of Distinction awards and the Washington Achievement Award. Dent was named the 2013 Pierce County Principal of the Year for her efforts in raising academic achievement at Liberty Ridge.

Dent earned her doctorate from Northwest Nazarene University in spring 2018 and her Superintendent Certification in 2016 from Washington State University.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University, a Master of Education in Special Education from Pacific Lutheran University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, and an Administrative Certification from the University of Washington.

Fun fact: Dent is a member of the Marathon Maniacs and two-time Boston Marathon finisher!