Mr. David Sandoval is the current President of the Governing Board and has served the district since 2017. With vast experience in marketing and business, Mr. Sandoval is President of his marketing firm, The Blender Marketing Group. He has specialized training in business development, optimizing research techniques, and philanthropy and fund development from the ASU Lodestar Center.

Mr. Sandoval brings his strength as a results-oriented leader to the Board where he is skilled at identifying problems and implementing new processes and procedures. Mr. Sandoval also serves as vice president of the Phoenix Union Foundation for Education and a Board Member for Arizona Latino School Board Association. Mr. Sandoval studied Psychology at Arizona State University. He and his wife reside in Peoria and are proud Peoria Unified parents.

Mrs. Heather Rooks joined the Peoria Unified Governing Board on January 1, 2023 and currently serves as the Board Clerk. Mrs. Rooks grew up in the Peoria Unified School District and is a proud graduate of Sunrise Mountain High School. Before becoming a wife and mother, she spent three years at Glendale Community College studying for an education degree. Mrs. Rooks spends her time actively engaging with her community, founding local parent advocacy groups and advocating for children’s education, along with parental rights.

As a board member, she focuses on supporting pro-American curriculum, special needs students and special education employees, school safety and bus driver support. She is also passionate about ensuring academic support for Peoria Unified students and staff while advocating for transparency. She and her husband have four children who attend school in the Peoria Unified School District.

Mrs. Melissa Ewing has been a resident of Peoria, Ariz. since 2006 and joined the Peoria Unified Governing Board in January of 2023. She most recently served as a substitute teacher for various grade levels in schools across the district. Her passion for supporting local community schools stems from the many years she spent volunteering in various roles at her children’s schools. She continues to promote best practices for student academic success, employee excellence, and encourages positive collaborative parent and community relationships.

On the board, her focus is on making decisions based on what would be in the best academic interest of all 37,000 students, building and strengthening positive relationships with staff, parents, and community and making sure schools have the resources they need to succeed. Mrs. Ewing holds a master’s degrees in both education and counseling and has also served as a counselor at community mental health providers in the valley. She and her husband have been married for more than 20 years, and have two children who have attended schools in the Peoria Unified District.

Mrs. Hill joined the Peoria Unified Governing Board on January 1, 2021. She has been a home school parent and teacher for the past six years, a resident of Peoria for the past 20 years, and has been happily married for the last 25 years. She volunteers at two senior group homes in the area, and prior to home schooling full-time, she served as Marketing Director for Assisted Living Communities in the Phoenix-area. Mrs. Hill and her family attend Dream City Church and she also dedicates a portion of her time as a worship leader for a bible study group at The Church at Arrowhead.  

Mrs. Hill has made the ultimate commitment to the education of her child by electing to home school for the past six years. She hopes to use her hands-on schooling experience, including researching and utilizing various curriculums, to help the district fulfill its mission to serve every child. She looks forward to focusing on curriculum and providing transparency between the Governing Board, parents, teachers and the community. Mrs. Hill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from Northern Arizona University. 

Dr. William Sorensen or “Bill” was born and raised in Arizona and began his service on the Governing Board on January 1, 2021. He currently serves as an assistant principal in the Tolleson Union High School District. He previously had the honor of serving as the grateful principal of Centennial High School and prior to that role, served as an assistant principal at Mountain Ridge High School in the Deer Valley Unified School District. Dr. Sorensen also previously served at Cactus High School, in Peoria Unified, as a teacher and a coach where he learned from many hall of fame coaches. He began his career in education as a science teacher and coach at Desert Ridge High School in Gilbert Public Schools. 

Dr. Sorensen’s mother was an educational leader, and from a young age, he was drawn towards youth and mentorship. Bill obtained his teaching degree from Arizona State University, a master’s degree from Northern Arizona University and finished his doctorate in organizational leadership with an emphasis on K-12 Leadership in 2016.