Top teachers in the county recognized

Yuma County's top teachers will be revealed at the Teacher of the Year banquet, which will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Yuma Civic Center, 1440 W. Desert Hills Drive.

The winners in five categories as well as the top teacher of 2010 contest will be announced. The annual contest is held by the Yuma Education Foundation and the Rotary Clubs of Yuma County.

This year "marks 24 years of an annual tradition of honoring and acknowledging the best of the best of Yuma County's teachers," said Michelle Umbower, chairwoman of the Teacher of the Year Committee.

After being nominated by their principals, the nominees were whittled down to three in each category by the committee. Each of the top 15 teachers submitted a video and essay explaining their passion for the profession. The top three in each category also had a final interview with the selection committee on March 25.

The Teacher of the Year will receive three free credit hours for continuing education from Northern Arizona University-Yuma, a Paul Harris Fellow donated by the Yuma Rotary Club, a seven-day trip for two to Hawaii donated by Yuma Investment Group Wealth Management and a commemorative trophy.

Tickets for the banquet are $20 and can be purchased at the Yuma County School Superintendent's Office, 210 S. 1st Ave. For more information, call Umbower at 217-9939.

Three winners have already been announced at the college/university level. Arizona Western College selected two teachers of the year in two categories:

• Full time — Ellen K. Riek, Ed.D., a professor of English

• Part time — Fae Kauk, associate faculty professor of English as a Second Language

• NAU selected Timothy S. Whittier, Ph.D., as its teacher of the year. Whittier teaches biology at NAU-Yuma. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1986 at Idaho State University, a master's degree in 1989 in entomology at the University of Hawaii and a doctoral degree in 1992 in behavioral ecology at the University of Hawaii. He has been teaching for 10 years.

The remaining top three finalists in their respective categories are:

Primary (K-3)

• Kei Foppe — She teaches second grade at Gary A. Knox Elementary in the Crane School District in Yuma. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2002 at Quincy University in Quincy, Ill., and a master's degree in 2006 at NAU. She has taught for seven years.

• Kaathie Jirak — She teaches first grade at Roosevelt Elementary in Yuma Elementary School District 1. She earned a bachelor's degree in 1980 and a master's degree in 1982, both at the University of Arizona. She has taught for 27 years.

• Kristy Lee McLaughlin — She teaches second grade at AmeriSchools Academy of the IdeaBanc School District in Yuma. She earned a bachelor's degree in 1998 at Central Washington University and a master's degree in 2005 at NAU. She has taught for seven years.

K-6 Special Area

• Jahan Gentry-Thrower — She teaches physical education at Carver/Alice Byrne School in Yuma Elementary School District 1. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2003 from NAU. She has taught for seven years.

• Elaine Reichelt — She is a reading interventionist and teaches English language development at Mesquite Elementary in the Crane School District. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1971 at Northwest Nazarene College and her ELD endorsement in 2001 at NAU-Yuma. She has taught for 31 years.

• Cassandra M. Streb — She teaches art at Sunrise Elementary in the Yuma Elementary School District 1. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2004 from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She has taught for five years.

Intermediate (4-6)

• Mario Ray Cade Jr. — He teaches fourth-grade English Language Development at Desert Mesa Elementary in the Yuma Elementary School District. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1994, a master's degree in 1995 and another master's degree in 1997, all at Norfolk State University in Virginia. He has taught for six years.

• Jennifer C. Cuen — She teaches fifth grade at Tierra Del Sol Elementary in the Somerton School District. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2007 at NAU. She is currently working on a master's degree, also at NAU.

• Mark De Young — He teaches fifth grade at Carver Elementary in the Yuma Elementary School District 1. He earned a bachelor's degree in 2004 at the University of Arizona. He has taught for five years.

Junior High/Middle School (6-8)

• Maurice Carlson — He teaches sixth- and seventh-grade language arts and social studies Gila Vista Junior High in Yuma Elementary School District 1. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1988 at Southern Oregon University and two master's degrees, one in 2001 at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, Calif., and another in 2005 at NAU. He has taught for four years.

• Lynnette Humphrey — She teaches seventh- and eighth-grade social studies at Crane Middle School in the Crane Elementary School District. She earned a bachelor's degree in 1999 at NAU. She has been teaching for 10 years.

• Sarai Robles — She teaches seventh- and eighth-grade extended resource at San Luis High School in the Gadsden Elementary School District. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2008 at NAU and a master's degree in 2010 at Arizona State University. She has taught for five years.

High School

• Jacob Anderson — He teaches self-contained education at Gila Ridge High School in the Yuma Union High School District. He earned a bachelor's degree in 2005 at Northern Michigan University. He has taught for four years.

• Tammy James — She teaches special education at Cibola High School in the Yuma Union High School District. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2004 at Central Washington University and a studies in deafness certificate in 2008 at AWC. She has taught for six years.

• Charles E. Lamont — He teaches 10th-grade algebra at Kofa High School in the Yuma Union High School District. He earned two bachelor's degrees, one in 2001 at Northeastern University in Massachusetts and another at Oakland University in Michigan. He has taught for nine years.

Outstanding First-Year Teacher

• Emily Berg — She teaches intermediate II grammar at Southwest Junior High School in the Gadsden Elementary School District in San Luis. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2009 at St. Mary's University of Minnesota.

• Jessica K. Casey — She teaches reading, English language arts and academic English reading at Somerton Middle School in the Somerton School District. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2007 at NAU. She is currently working on a master's degree, also at NAU.

• Deborah Wiles — She teaches elementary education at Valle Del Encanto Learning Center in the Somerton School District. She earned a bachelor's degree in 2009 at NAU.