Trustee Profiles
Meet the Board Members
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Dave Wagers, President
Term Expires 2028
Dave Wagers was appointed to the Board in January 2015 and was elected President of the Board in September 2020. He has chaired the Strategic Planning, Facilities and Communications committees. Dave attended Cole Elementary, Fairmont Junior High and graduated from Capital High School, later graduating from the University of Idaho with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance. He earned a Certified Management Accountant designation in 1991. Dave has been president of Idaho Candy Company since 1998 and has been active in the community for many years, serving on numerous community, non-profit, and education boards. Dave's mom, Mary Wagers, taught English and Reading at Fairmont Junior High School for 15 years.
Dave and his wife Jill (a Borah High graduate) have four children, three of whom graduated from Boise High School and one that graduated from Frank Church High School.
Debbie Donovan, Vice President
Term Expires 2028
Debbie Donovan was appointed to the Board in April 2024. She is a highly-respected and knowledgeable educator, having served as an elementary school teacher, elementary school principal, district administrator, Boise Public Schools Foundation Board Member, and area director in the Boise School District before her retirement.
Vice President Donovan brings to the Board extensive experience and knowledge of the workings of a public K-12 education system and an understanding of the role of a trustee, including the importance of serving as a contributing team member of a high-functioning school board. In the variety of roles that she has held during her public school career, Vice President Donovan has demonstrated that she understands that all voices should be heard. To that end, Vice President Donovan is committed to listening actively to parents, students, staff and community members, as well as collaborating with her fellow Board members as part of working as an effective team member of the Boise School Board.
She earned her Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education from Boise State University, a Master Degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Boise State University, and an Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Idaho.
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Elizabeth Reiman
Term Expires 2030
Elizabeth Langley was appointed by the Board in November of 2020. Trustee Langley has significant experience working with the District on many levels, including as a parent. She has volunteered in the classroom, sat on the Boise Public Schools Foundation Board, served on the Foundation's Finance and Executive Committees, and sat on the District Calendar Committee.
Additional experience includes a number of non-profit boards, including the CATCH Homeless Initiative to address homelessness in our community. In addition, Trustee Langley has worked as an advocate and volunteer in committees at both the city level and at the state level in addressing the needs of education and homelessness. As a business person who deals with long-term strategic decisions and financials, Trustee Langley's experience lends itself well to strategic decision-making and supporting the needs of the District in ensuring each and every student is prepared to succeed in college, career, and citizenship.
Trustee Langley is a Partner of Echelon Group, Inc., and in her spare time, she enjoys working with her children at their family cattle ranch, mountain biking, and outdoor activities during all of Idaho's seasons.
Dr. Paul Bennion
Term Expires 2030
Dr. Paul Bennion currently serves as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM). Prior to joining ICOM, Dr. Bennion served as Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students at The College of Idaho.
Dr. Bennion earned his doctorate degree from the University of Idaho, his master’s degree from Boston University, and his bachelor’s degree from Willamette University. Dr. Bennion taught English in the Japan public schools system as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, and he is a former participant in the German Fulbright Seminar for U.S. Administrators in International Education, as well as a graduate of the American Academic Leadership Institute.
Dr. Bennion was raised in Boise and educated in the local public school system. He has three children, two of which graduated from Capital High School and one who graduated from Boise High School. Dr. Bennion is married to Christina Bruce-Bennion, who serves as the Executive Director of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights in Boise.
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Krista Hasler
Term Expires 2032
Krista E. Hasler was elected to the board in September 2024. She received her Master’s Degree in Social Work, is a Licensed Clinical Social worker, and Certified Anxiety Treatment Professional. She has two small businesses, Anxiety Pathways LLC, a private therapy practice specializing in anxiety-based disorders, and DoubleTap Dance Company LLC, a competitive dance studio. As a social worker she has experience working as a therapist in residential treatment with teens, in addiction recovery, in the mental hospital, and as a foster care caseworker with teenagers.
She has 10 years of classroom volunteer experience in K-6 classrooms. Krista actively volunteers in schools, assisting teachers and students, teaching art lessons, and in the PTA. She is deeply committed to student’s success, teacher support, and parent involvement. She is passionate about the power of public education and the incredible opportunities available to all students.
Krista volunteers weekly in the community with teen girls, training them to be leaders. She hosts Influential Women of Boise Events to increase connection and overcome division throughout the community. She and her husband Will have four children attending in the Boise School District at Borah, West Jr High, and Amity elementary.
Dr. Alejandro Necochea
Term Expires 2026/2032
Dr. Alejandro Necochea was selected by the Boise School Board on October 8, 2025, to fill a board vacancy following a public selection process. Born in Lima, Peru, Dr. Necochea earned his medical degree from the Yale School of Medicine, completed Internal Medicine training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and pursued training in Preventive Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, where he also earned a Master of Public Health. He currently serves as a Medical Director with St. Luke’s Health Partners and the St. Luke’s Community Health and Engagement Department, focusing on improving patient care, reducing unnecessary healthcare costs, and fostering partnerships that address social determinants of health. He also practices Internal Medicine in the Treasure Valley.
Dr. Necochea’s commitment to serving as a Trustee is grounded in a deeply held belief that public education can open doors for students, just as it has in his own family’s experience. He has expressed gratitude for the high-quality education provided in the Boise School District and a desire to help ensure that every student has access to the opportunities and supports they need to thrive. He is particularly interested in reducing gaps in student achievement, expanding early intervention supports, and promoting a supportive environment for teachers and staff.
In addition to his professional experience, Dr. Necochea brings a strong record of community involvement. He has volunteered in school settings, supported community school programs, participated in youth career and health education efforts, and worked with organizations addressing food insecurity and behavioral health. Fluent in Spanish and experienced in working across diverse communities, he is committed to listening to students, families, and educators and helping strengthen connections between the district and the broader community. As a Trustee, he is dedicated to collaboration, equity, and ensuring that Boise’s public schools continue to be a foundation for student success and community well-being.
Andy Hawes
Term Expires 2030
Andy Hawes was elected to a four-year term on the Boise School District Board of Trustees on September 1, 2026. This marks his second period of service on the Board.
Hawes previously joined the Board by appointment in April 2021 and was elected by Boise voters in 2022. During his earlier service, he attended every Board meeting, visited every school in the District and served on the Facilities, Governance and Communications committees. He also helped establish the Board’s Student Advisory Committee. Hawes resigned from the Board in 2023 following a professional relocation and returned to Boise before seeking election again in 2026.
A fifth-generation Boisean, Hawes attended Hawthorne Elementary School, East Junior High School and Boise High School. He is especially proud that his fourth-grade teacher, retired Boise School District educator Carolyn Salomonsen-Gaddis, nominated him for his original appointment to the Board. Hawes earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in political science from the University of Denver and a Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law.
Hawes has maintained a lifelong connection to the Boise School District. His service has included supporting fundraising efforts benefiting students and schools, coaching the Boise High boys soccer team, helping organize community support for a major renovation of Boise High School in the 1990s and volunteering extensively while his daughters attended District schools.
An attorney with more than 25 years of experience, Hawes is Director of Land, Water and Asset Recovery for the J.R. Simplot Company. His professional experience includes governance, strategic planning, negotiations, budgeting and asset management. In 2008, he served as one of the youngest presidents in the history of the Idaho State Bar. He also has been active in several community nonprofit organizations.
Hawes is married to Gretchen Christie, a native of Troy, Idaho. They have two daughters, both of whom graduated from Boise High School.