Summit Cove resident Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Zheleznyak is running a seat on the Summit School District Board of Education.

Zheleznyak moved to Dillon in 2023 with her family after spending more than 20 years in Denver. She said her background as a public affairs leader for more than a decade gives her a unique perspective on challenges that Summit School District faces. Her professional experience includes public policy, health care and education. She also has experience with working on complex budgets amid continuously evolving dynamics.

She said she’s running for an open seat due to concerns with “the sustainability of our schools.”

“I believe the current financial challenges our district needs to address will only become more serve with the realities of the close to $800 million dollar Colorado state budget deficit,” she stated in a press release. “I believe our schools have the potential to be the highest achieving schools in the state, and top-down pressures have made the achievable goal of fostering an environment focused on education more complex than (necessary).”

She said by focusing on improving academic achievement, providing supportive services and ensuring Summit School District is the most desired employer in the county, “we can fulfill the trust the community places in our schools.”