TOPPENISH —Mary Rose Gonzales has been named to the Board of Directors of the Toppenish School District.
Gonzales, 44, is a Juvenile Court Judge in the Yakama Nation Children’s Court, and served for 17 years as the Court Clerk in Yakama Nation Tribal Court.
In her application for the board position, Gonzales said her top issue is to “seek collaboration with entities located within the Toppenish School District area on issues that will form partnerships and bring opportunities to our district, families, and the students.”
She has served on a wide variety of local community groups, including Barrios Unidos and Toppenish Safe Haven.
Her involvement in Toppenish schools has included serving as chair and secretary of the Johnson O’Malley Parent Committee; Kirkwood Elementary PTO secretary; Family Friendly Schools Planning Committee; and the Kirkwood Elementary School Improvement Committee.
She was also appointed to the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee and Juvenile Justice Grants and Evaluation Sub-Committee.
She represented the Yakama Nation as a presenter on the Juvenile Court system at the Juvenile Delinquency Alternatives Initiative conference, and participated as a district parent at the annual conference for the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Gonzales is single, with three daughters, one a 2004 Toppinish graduate, one a sixth grader, and an eight-month-old infant.