School Board

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.

A School Board member since December 2015, Paul Williams is serving as the Board's Legislative Representative. In this role, he closely monitors state legislation related to educational and District operational requirements to help apprise the Board of pending updates.

One thing Paul enjoys most about being a Board member is having a front-row seat to learn how families, staff, and the community tend to seek kindness and understanding when working through tough issues.  That process inspires hope and tells the story of our amazing District.

A Federal Way native, Paul graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in history and an initial teaching certificate. He then spent time as an Import Specialist and a Criminal Investigator for the federal government.  Currently, he works as a real estate broker.

If it involves adventure, count Paul in. In his spare time, he enjoys snow skiing, hiking, camp-fire roasting, and exploring old service roads in his Jeep. He also finds time to volunteer. Previous volunteer work includes ManeStage Theater Company, local Girl Scout troop, school classrooms and parent groups.

Paul and his wife, Rebecca, moved to the District in 2003. Their daughter currently attends Sumner High School.

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. 

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!