Candidate for
Recorder; County of Hamilton

Understanding the mechanics and intricacies Of state government has enabled me to develop a "big picture" focus on improving the efficiency of a government office. In this era of ever increasing technological advances, the Recorder's office can become more efficient while increasing accessibility for the customer with significant savings to the county taxpayers.

Public Office: Member of the State Board of Education 1995 - current Elected two terms representing Hamilton and Warren Counties

Personal: Married with three children ages 17, 15, and 12

Education: Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio 1971-1975 Bachelor or Science degree in Communication Arts Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio 1979-1981 Completed classes in Accounting, Finance, Marketing and Management in Masters of Business Administration program

Recognition: Leading Women of Greater Cincinnati 1999 Honoree selected in the Consultant/Trainer/Education category

BEST (Building Excellent Schools for Today and Tomorrow) Board of Directors 1998-current

S.A.Y. East Soccer Association 1988-current immediate past president and current Board member of youth soccer organization that serves nearly 3000 recreational players in the area

Cincianatians Active to Support Education Advisory Committee and Parents for Public Schools 1996-present

Xavier University Board of Governors 1981-1983

Melanie Bates grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, in a working class neighborhood. Her parents, Ed and Emelia, were from close-knit Polish families, and Melanie and her brother Ken were raised surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Melanie attended St. Ann's. School until her father accepted a transfer with his employer, General Motors. to Sandusky, Ohio. There she completed high school at St, Mary's Central Catholic. Melanie was accepted to Xavior University in. Cincinnati where she, was the first woman in her family to attend college as a dormitory student, After earning a B.S. degree in Communication Arts, Melanie was hired by a small startup company that is currently known as Convergys. She worked there for nine years, during which she was accepted into the Masters of Business Administration program at Xavier University, completing courses in Accounting, Finance, Marketing, and Management. " I benefited the Jesuits' life devotion to education, and I wanted to give back," says Melanie, and from 1981-1983 she served as the first female graduate of Xavier University on the Alumni Board of Governors.

In 1979 Melanie and Phil Bates were married. Cincinnati became the place where they ,wanted to raise their three children, Emma, Jonathan, and Griffin, Shortly after Jonathan's birth, Melanie and Phil made the decision to have Melanie stay at home with the children. After enrolling Emma in North Avondale Montessori, an elementary school in the Cincinnati Public School District, she began developing her passion for education by regularly volunteering first in the classroom, then eventually in positions of school and district leadership.

In 1993 Melanie. ran for the Cincinnati School Board, and finished out of the running. The following year she came back and ran successfully for the State Board of Education, here she is in her sixth year of public service as the elected representative for Hamilton and Warren Counties. Melanie firmly believes that "an educated electorate is the foundation of our democracy, and I will continue to fight for opportunities for all children to reach their full potential." Melanie's strongest areas of advocacy have been for the education of impoverished. youth and for the growth and availability of vocational. And technical training for high school students.

The State Board of Education oversees the Department of Education, an agency with over 500 employees and a budget that exceeds one-third of the State of Ohio's general operating fund. Among the responsibilities of Melanie and her colleagues on the board are the education standards for students in grades pre-kindergarten through high school and the licenses of the education professionals who work in the public, community, and chartered private and parochial schools in this state,

Melanie has demonstrated nonpartisan leadership on a board that is composed of a combination of eleven elected members and eight appointed by the governor. She has served as the chair of the Legislative and Budget Committee of the State Board of Education and has been an active participant in the National Association of State Boards of Education, Education Commission of the States, and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Melanie has a keen knowledge and interest in school finance and has served as a supporter and advisor for her home district, Cincinnati Public Schools. For many years she attended meetings of the Cincinnati Board of Education at the Courter Center on Ninth and Sycamore in downtown Cincinnati. The building was in dire need of basic repair, and the maintenance costs were astronomical. The district was forced to sell the building for one that was more fiscally manageable, and now Cincinnati Public Schools has its modest headquarters in a former middle school in Corryville The former Courter Center was purchased by Hamilton County, and Melanie learned that millions of county dollars were used to renovate, update, and upgrade a facility that the schools could no longer afford.

I don't believe, that taxpayers care one bit from which pot of money is spent - they simply want their money spent carefully and frugally." The spending spree to lavishly renovate a facility that was determined to be not affordable by another public entity outraged Melanie and caused her to begin following Hamilton County government and its officials more closely.

Melanie has "had enough," and believes that taxpayers agree with her, In this election she has decided to run for an office where she could use her experience as a state policymaker to improve local county government. With her professional background and passion for service Melanie is uniquely qualified for the position of Hamilton County Recorder. It is essential that she be elected so she may continue to work for the families of our community.

Born into a close-knit Polish Catholic family, Melanie Bates has long been committed to the betterment of our Community. A resident all her adult life, Melanie attended Xavier University eventually admitted to their MBA program where she studied finance, accounting and management. She was then selected as the first female graduate to serve on the, Alumni Board of Governors.

Currently Melanie represents Southwest Ohio in Columbus while serving her second elected term on the State Board of Education.

Melanie has been married to her husband Phil, a chemist, for 22 years, They have three children, Emma a freshman at University of Dayton, while sons Jon and Griffin attend Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati.

Goals of the Candidate-

As your County Recorder I will endeavor to restore a system of "checks and balance, serve as a fiscal watchdog, while dramatically increasing a sense of "accountability" to the Hamilton County taxpayers..

I will bring my Professional training and "big picture" governmental experience to the task, thereby restoring the credibility and accessibility I feel arc essential for true public Service.

As your Recorder I vow to not spend anymore of your dollars for office furnishings or the needless refurbishment of antiquated technologies. I will invest in citizen friendly, assessable, modem record keeping, and return responsive and frugal practices to this vital governmental once.