Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Culver City Unified School District

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The upcoming election on November 6th is of vital importance to our children and our community. After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to run for election as a Member of the School Board. My goal is to bring leadership, reason, responsibility and thought to the decision-making processes addressed by our School Board.

Having been born and raised in Culver City, I attended Culver City Schools, and continue to make my home here with my wife Patty (a teacher at Farragut School), and my sons Adam and Brian. As a local businessman I know our community well, but I also benefit from the perspective I receive as a parent, as the spouse of a teacher, as a former board member and as a pro-active resident.

My commitment to quality in Culver City life has led me to many leadership roles and volunteer opportunities. I have served as Moderator of the Education Committee, President of the Lions Club, President of the Board of Education, member of the Education Foundation, the P.T.A., the Y.M.C.A., and the Chamber of Commerce. Currently I am Treasurer of the Culver City High School Boosters Club. I have participated in scholarship committees, special needs projects, career days, district strategic planning committees, and interview panels. I have twice been honored by the Culver City Education Foundation as Business Partner of the year, both from Farragut Elementary School and Culver City High School.

As a student in Culver City, I was proud of the reputation of our schools, which at the time were recognized for their high quality. I want all of our children to enjoy the same kind of comprehensive education I received while growing up here.

I support the broad scope and variety of programs our school district has to offer. In my prior service on the Culver City Board of Education (for eight years), I promoted many positive changes in our school district. I was a leader in pushing for back-to-basics programs, and because of that, new reading, writing, and spelling programs were implemented. In the following three years our student's test scores have risen each year.

As a former Member of the School Board, I know the time demands and the commitment that it takes to serve effectively. I am proud that I was the first Culver City Board Member to be honored with a Masters of Boardmanship from the California School Boards Association. In my eight years of service I did not miss one single School Board meeting. I am committed to maintaining that record of involvement and leadership. I am concerned that many parents, students, and staff have shared their feelings with me that the School Board and Administration are not listening to their needs. With your support, I promise to use my skills and experience to listen, to be responsive to their concerns, to hold a hard line on discipline, to promote safe, secure, and clean campuses, and to ensure a well-rounded education for every student. I am ready and willing to meet the challenges of improving the educational programs for all of our students. I respectfully ask for your support and your vote on November 6th.