Monday's Internet Edition, October 06, 2008.
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News editor - Place 2 of the Copperas Cove Independent School District has had five candidates file for the May 3 election. The Leader-Press will help its readers learn more about the candidates by, this week, printing each candidate’s biography, based on information supplied by each candidate.
In each following week, candidates’ answers to questions supplied by the Leader-Press will also be printed. Information on candidates for place one of the school board and place two of the city council will run next week.
In place one on the school board, Mary Ann Glass and William Waltz have file, while Ray Don Clayton and Roger O’Dwyer have filed for place two on the city council.
Candidates’ biographies appear alphabetically.
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n Cathy Camp
Cathy Camp was born in Fort Hood and has been a lifelong resident of Copperas Cove, only leaving Cove for a few months at a time due to employment.
Camp started school in Cove and graduated from the Copperas Cove Independent School District.
Employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Gatesville, she holds the position of correctional officer. She has worked there for 14 years.
She is married to Shawn Camp, who is a local business owner, and they have four children.
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n Debra Hardison
Debra Hardison was born September 18, 1958, at Fort Benning, Ga. She has one older brother and two younger sisters. Her dad was a career Army Non-Commissioned Officer so the family moved several times in a few years.
Hardison lived in Georgia, Germany, Missouri and Texas. Her dad retired from active duty in 1966 and the family settled in east Texas where Hardison started the second grade. She lived in east Texas until 1983 when she moved to El Paso.
She married a career Army Warrant Officer, on July 7, 1984. Their daughter was born on August 19, 1985. In October of the same year, Hardison and her husband moved to California in order for him to attend language school.
They moved to Belgium in June 1986 where her husband was assigned. Their son was born on March 9, 1988. In June 1989, the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where they lived for almost five years. Hardison began her involvement in her children’s school activities through volunteering at her daughter’s school.
Shortly afterward, the family moved to Fort Belvoir, Va. Hardison continued her involvement in school activities through the PTA, where she served as president, chaperoning school field trips and working in the classroom. She was also the village mayor of their housing area.
In June 1989, the family returned to Texas and chose Copperas Cove as their home. They based their decision to live in Copperas Cove primarily on the superior rankings and achievements of the Copperas Cove Independent School District as listed by the Texas Education Agency.
Shortly after arriving in Copperas Cove, Hardison began volunteering at her son’s school, which led to a job as a kindergarten aide. She had worked as a substitute teacher in almost every school within the CCISD.
When her daughter started junior high school, she became involved with the band boosters’ and she also served as a band booster officer for the last three years. Hardison’s daughter will be graduating this year and her son will be stepping into high school. Last year, her husband retired from the Army after 27 years on active duty and took a civilian job on Fort Hood. Hardison has chosen Copperas Cove as her permanent home.
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n Jerry Keys
Jerry Keys is a senior training developer for digital systems at Fort Hood. He received a Bachelor of Science degree (dual majors of mathematics and business) from Mary Hardin Baylor, where he won the Business Education Award. He is a member of Kappa Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society.
Keys is a graduate of Mexia High School and attended Texas A & M University before being drafted into the Army in 1970. A distinguished graduate of the Warrant Officer Aviation School, he received his aviator wings in 1971.
During his 23 years in the Army, he spent 10 years at Fort Hood. Fort Hood remained his home base and Copperas Cove his home. Jerry and Molly Keys have been homeowners in Copperas Cove for over 20 years.
After retiring from the Army, Jerry returned to college and completed his degree and earned a Texas Teacher Certification (Secondary Grades 6 through 12) for Business and Mathematics. Jerry Keys taught Algebra at Copperas Cove High School.
He is married to his high school sweetheart of 34 years, Molly. They have two adult daughters, Laura Keys-David of Chicago and Suzi Keys of Copperas Cove. Laura is a 1987 graduate of Copperas Cove High School and a 1991 graduate of Texas A & M. She is employed with the University of Chicago. Suzi is a 1994 graduate of Copperas Cove High School and a 1999 graduate of Stephen F. Austin University. She is employed as a special education teacher.
Keys is a Deacon at First Baptist Church and a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans.
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n D. Lloyd Thomas
D. Lloyd Thomas was born in Arlington, the second of three sons to Richard and Fern Thomas. He graduated from Sam Houston High School in Arlington and served in Germany in the Army during the Vietnam era.
While in Germany, he married Betty (Welliver) from Adrian, Mo. They will celebrate their 31st anniversary in July of this summer. They raised five children, three sons and two daughters, all of whom graduated from Copperas Cove High School as honor students. One of his sons is a Captain in the Army, and a daughter is in her second year as a veterinary student. Two sons are college graduates and the third has two years left. Thomas has four grandchildren and one due at the end of the year.
He worked as a manager at various grocery stores and fast food restaurants. Thomas served three years in the Army at Fort Hood as chaplain in the First Cavalry Division. He worked as a Sport Official in the Copperas Cove City League, public schools in the Copperas Cove area, semi pro leagues in California for soccer, baseball, football, basketball, softball and volleyball.
He graduated from Dallas Christian College, Abilene Christian University, American Technological University, Central Texas College, Tarleton State University Central Campus, completing degree at Emmanuel School of Religion. He holds thirteen completed academic degrees.
Thomas is also a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, licensed master social worker and licensed chemical dependency counselor. He owned and operated a cleaning company for four years. He served as regent for Dallas Christian College for 24 years and worked four and a half years as associate clinical psychologist with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. In addition, he worked as a substance abuse counselor for the federal government.
He also volunteered with abused children at Youth Services Bureau and worked as a sexual assault volunteer escort with Families in Crisis and as a Secretary/Treasurer for Fort Hood Area Ministry of Christian Concern for three years.
Thomas also taught social science courses at Central Texas College for four and a half years. He is a past member of Member Exchange Club. He is a trainer of wild Mustang horses and has lived in Copperas Cove for the past 21 years.
Thomas is also a member of the National Junior Honor Society as well as the National Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa. He is also well known as a mentor and has married couples and children of single parents through a local church.
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n Bob Weiss
Bob Weiss, 64, has been a resident of Copperas Cove since 1963. He is married to Shirley Weiss who is an Elementary Special Services Coordinator with Copperas Cove ISD. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren.
Mr. Weiss is a retired principal. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Southwest Texas State University with a major in art and a minor in English. He also has a Master of Education from Southwest Texas State University as well as nine post graduate hours for certification in mid-management and six additional post graduate hours from Southwest Texas State University.
Weiss was employed in the Copperas Cove Independent School District for 36 years, 26 of which he served as a principal. He also taught English at the junior level and taught art in grades one through six, taught mechanical drawing, art and crafts at high school level.
He was principal at Avenue E Elementary, which had 950 students in grades five and six. He was also principal at Lovett Ledger Intermediate (grades five and six). Weiss also assisted in the planning, overseeing construction, and opening of Lovett Ledger.
He is a former member of Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association and held local and district level offices, including district president of TEPSA, and also served on the state executive committee of TEPSA for two years.
In addition, Weiss is a former member of the National Elementary Principals Association and a current member of the Copperas Cove Lions Club and a member of the Copperas Cove Retired Teachers Association.
Upon retirement, he established a small pottery business and volunteered at some of the Cove schools to demonstrate and/or teach pottery. He also served on the high school Site-Based Committee as the community representative.
Weiss served on a Sunset Review Committee regarding block scheduling for the high school. He is also a substitute driver for Meals-on-Wheels.
Weiss attends Grace United Methodist Church of Copperas Cove and is a member of the Administrative Board as well as member of the Stewardship Committee.
He also served as a member of the 49th Armor Division Texas National Guard for six years. He was called to active duty for one year in 1961.
His hobbies consist of making pottery, fishing, golfing, reading, going to movies and eating out.