Dale Ponder

Dale Ponder serves as Chief of Finance & Operations for Crane Elementary School District in Yuma. In this role, he provides strategic leadership and oversight for the district’s core operational areas, including financial services, pupil transportation, school nutrition, procurement and materials management, facilities maintenance and grounds, risk management, school safety, and information technology services. Since joining the district in 2006, Mr. Ponder has held several key leadership positions, including Executive Director of Management Services, Director of Finance, and Director of Procurement.

An active leader in the school business community, Mr. Ponder served on the executive board of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) from 2018 to 2024, including service as President in 2023. In 2024, Dale was honored with AASBO’s William Lovett Memorial Award, the association’s most prestigious recognition of individual leadership and service. He further contributes to the profession through his service as chair of the board of directors for both the Yuma Area Benefit Consortium (YABC) and the Education Technology Consortium (ETC). In addition, Dale serves on the executive committee of the Education Finance Reform Group (EFRG), where he is actively engaged in statewide legislative issues that impact Arizona’s public schools. Representing his district as a plaintiff, Mr. Ponder provided impactful deposition and trial testimony in the landmark capital funding case, Glendale Elementary School District, et al. v. State of Arizona, et al.

Mr. Ponder earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Berea College (KY) in 2002, and he resides in Yuma with his wife and their two children.