Each January, the Oklahoma State School Boards Association celebrates School Board Appreciation Month. Comanche is fortunate to have strong community leaders who are willing to serve and for their commitment to ensuring all children have access to a high-quality education.
Charlie Gay - President
Charlie was born in Duncan in 1952. He grew up on his family's farm off of Terry Road where he still resides. He attended grade school at Liberty and is a Comanche graduate class of 1970 where he was active in basketball and track. After High School, Charlie attended Cameron University where he continued his basketball career and received an Agri-Business degree. He then went to work the family business started by his grandfather - Gay Drilling Contractors. He worked in the family business for 31 years and finished his career at Albright Steel and Wire where he worked for another 13 years. One of the things Charlie is proud of is how close his classmates continue to be today.
Mr. Gay stated, "Comanche is special. I have been on the school board for 34 years and I am grateful to the folks at Comanche for allowing me to continue to serve our district. Thank you."
Thomas Winton - Vice President
Thomas Winton attended school at Comanche schools for grades k-10 and attended Duncan his Junior and Senior years and graduated in 1993. He then attended Cameron University and obtained a degree in Criminal Justice. Thomas went to work as a Police Officer for the City of Duncan in 1997. In 2000, was accepted to the 52nd Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy where he served as a State Trooper in the Troop G area, then transferred to Troop S (Commercial Vehicle Enforcement). He still currently serves as a State Trooper and a Federal DOT Investigator. Mr. Winton served with the Comanche Fire Department as a Volunteer Firefighter and retired in 2021.
Thomas is married to Joy and they have two children, a daughter Emma (CHS), and a son-Rhett (CMS), and live in the rural Comanche Area. Mr. Winton has served on the School Board since 2015.
Amy Shelby - Clerk
I have been a Comanche Indian fan for 20 years. My husband, Joey, is a Comanche graduate. She has 3 children, all of which are proud Comanche alumni- Hunter, Jordan, and Landyn. Amy has one granddaughter, Parker McCauley. Amy has served as a member of the board of education for 15 years and has had the honor of being the first woman to hold that title.
Amy said, "Serving on the board has been a huge learning experience. The changes I have seen over the years have been both exciting and challenging. The support of the patrons in our district has made the job rewarding. We have passed bond issues that have transformed our campuses, allowed us to have one-to-one technology, built a top-notch fitness facility, acquired a new fleet of busses, and that list goes on. Even with the challenges faced in the past 2 years, I know that we have leaders and staff in place to continue our mission of providing the best education to our students. I am excited about the future of Comanche."
Cheryl Pannell
Cheryl has been a long-time resident of Comanche. She is a Comanche HS graduate.
"4 1/2 years ago I never dreamed I would be stepping in to replace Dow Pannell, my husband, as a Comanche School Board Member. At first, I thought there is no way, but in a short amount of time, I realized, it was an honor to serve the school I attended all of my life and then own a business here in our wonderful town and community There is nothing more important than our children and their futures. We have a great group of teachers, principals, support help, and our superintendent. It is an honor to serve and I Pray we always make the decisions that better our school. Thank you so much for the opportunity to give back to the community." Cheryl Pannell
JP Peacock
JP is a longtime member of the Comanche community. He attended Comanche Schools from elementary through high school graduating in 2002. He was in the Oklahoma National Guard from 2001 to 2010. Mr. Peacock is a business owner in the Duncan area. He has 3 children who all attend Comanche Schools. JP Peacock has been a CPS board member since 2018.