Let me begin by sharing a little about myself.  My wife Kim and I have three children.  Zachary who is in 4^th grade, Andrew who is in 2^nd grade, and our daughter, Emily, who began pre-school just a few weeks ago.  As I am sure you can imagine, our lives revolve around our children’s education and their activities. 

It is because of the importance my wife and I believe education has on our children’s lives that I decided seven years ago to run for a position on the Seaman Board of Education.  It was because of the strong school system that we decided to return to the Seaman District to raise our children.  And while we were extremely proud that our children would be 4^th generation Seaman students, we knew the changes on the horizon in our district would determine whether the district remained a great place for learning.

My decision to run for President-Elect of KASB was made for some of the very same reasons I chose to run for my local board.  From my perspective, I truly believe that KASB is doing a good job of meeting the needs of its member school districts.  However, like when I decided to run for my local board, potential changes are on the horizon that will determine whether KASB remains an organization we can rely upon to meet our needs.

Over the past few years, KASB has commissioned outside studies to look to see where changes may be necessary to better meet member needs.  In addition, a detailed review has taken place regarding KASB governing policies.  Along with these internal reviews and potential changes, member districts are continuing to face issues ranging from school funding and budget cuts to matters such as No Child Left Behind, decreasing enrollment, and educating students who do not have English as their first language. While the term of every KASB president is important, the next three years are likely to have a defining impact on the future of our association. 

For the schools across our state to be successful, we need a strong organization which provides legislative guidance, professional development training, and other services local districts cannot efficiently provide themselves.  KASB has been and I am confident will continue to be the organization relied upon by local districts to meet these needs. 

I have a sincere desire to see all the children in our state have high quality schools that provide them the opportunities they need to be successful in life beyond high school.  Coupled with my business and legal background, I am confident I have the attributes necessary to lead our association.  With that, I ask for your support of my candidacy for President-Elect of the Kansas Association of School Boards.