By Kenzie Gamlin, HCCSC Communications Intern
The HCCSC school board of trustees welcomed elected member Kari Heim to serve as the representative for District 3 of Huntington County. Elected in the 2022 district election, Heim comes to the board with excitement.
Heim grew up in Warren and attended Salamonie School from early childhood until her eighth-grade year. She then continued her secondary school education at Huntington North graduating in 2003. Heim continued her education at Taylor University, receiving her bachelor’s in mathematics education and further continuing to receive her master’s in education at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Heim currently holds 16 years of teaching experience, now finding herself in her 12th year of teaching seventh-grade math for the online education service Indiana Connections Academy.
“One of the things that I am looking forward to is learning the inner workings of the school system,” Heim said. “Even though I have been a teacher for several years, I have not been on this side of education and I look forward to seeing what I can do to help students and teachers. My hope is that I will be able to provide a unique teacher’s perspective and also help keep the focus on what is best for students.”
Along with being a teacher, Heim owns Gebhart’s Greenhouse with her husband, Joshua Heim. Kari worked at the building as a teenager and lived close to the business while growing up. Once she left Warren to pursue her education and career, she believed she had left the local business behind her. When the family moved back to the Warren area with three daughters accompanying them, they noticed the greenhouse was up for sale. The two saw it as fate and found themselves buying the business.
“Huntington County, especially Warren, holds a dear place in my heart,” Heim said. “I have helped serve the community as a business for the past eight years and look forward to serving my community on the school board for the next several years.”
Heim replaced Brain Warpup in the District 3 position after Warpup left in pursuit of Huntington’s County Council. Heim took the Oath of Office on Jan. 9, officially starting her term as a School Board Trustee.