STATE BOARD DISTRICT 6
Mrs. Deena Horst
920 S. 9th
Salina, KS 67401
(h) (785) 827-2540
Deena L. Horst was elected in November, 2012 to serve District 6 on the Kansas State Board of Education. District 6 is comprised of all or a portion of 24 counties which are located in the Northern half of the state. She is a retired educator having taught two years in the elementary classroom and thirty-nine years as a middle and high school art teacher who served on Site Councils and on the building’s school improvement teams in USD 305, Salina. Deena currently substitutes in classrooms at all levels and in most subjects. She is the recipient of the Master Teacher Award given yearly to six educators. Deena has previously served two terms on the Professional Practices Commission and on study committees developing standards for pre-service art educators. She is a member of, has held or holds leadership positions in numerous professional organizations.
Prior to her election to the Board, Deena served for 16 years in the Kansas House of Representatives, representing District #69 in Salina. During her tenure, she was a member of the House Education Committee, serving as the Vice-Chairperson from 2004 – 2010 and as a member of the Legislative Education Planning Joint Committee, serving alternatively as the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson from 2006 – 2010. In addition, she served as the Chairperson of the Coin Commission that had oversight over the design and selection of the Kansas Quarter. She also was selected to serve on the Workforce Development Task Force and the P-20 Council both of which were established by a Governor. Deena also served on national legislative organization task forces that studied Technology in the Classroom and Drop-out Prevention, as well as serving on the Education Committee. As a newly elected legislator she was selected as one of three BILLD Fellows from Kansas. Deena also was a member of the Eisenhower Public Service Series Class of 2011.
As a graduate of Clearwater High School, Deena continued her education at Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education. In addition, she holds a Master of Arts in Art Education from Emporia State University and an EdD in Education Administration and Leadership from Kansas State University. Deena currently serves as a member of the Emporia State University Alumni Board.
Deena has also been active in her community. She is a member of the Sunrise Presbyterian Church in Salina and is currently a Ruling Elder. Deena has served in leadership roles on the local, state and national level of the Jaycee Women, including the national presidency. She has served as the Saline County Republican Party Secretary and is serving Saline County Republican Women as President. She volunteers through several organizations including the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary International. Advisory Boards she has or currently serves on include Consumer Credit, the Kansas Learning Center for Health, and the Sunflower Adult Day Care Services.
Deena and her husband Gordon will celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary in January, 2013. They have two adult children, Randall and Rebecca and seven grandsons, most of who either have, are currently, or will be attending Kansas public schools.