In my 15 years of service to Van Alstyne ISD as your Trustee - Place 1, I spent three years as board president during a key time of transforming VA ISD into the high-performing district you see today. I’ve been the lead for numerous committees and groups in the church, the VA community and in my work career. I've led and served in many work and volunteer projects, big and small. Most recently, I’ve started and managed successful small businesses while serving on the school board, in church, and other great groups like FCA and Coaches Outreach. Let’s keep VA ISD growing stronger together.

Your Van Alstyne ISD teachers, administrators, and staff deserve all the credit and gratitude for our great schools. I’m personally grateful for the impact they had on my family. But the school board plays a key role in setting the long-term vision, goals and performance expectations for the district. And it’s not just words. Elected trustees, by definition, are entrusted with the well-being of the district. That includes unity in decision making and accountability in meeting district goals in everything from finances to the all-important individual needs and safety of each student.

The Van Alstyne ISD MISSION is to “be a premier school district providing a well-rounded, safe school experience that prepares our graduates to discover and attain their life goals”.  We created that back in 2012.  It is still what I think of at every school board meeting as we consider the business of the district.

Likewise, when I ran for Trustee - Place 1 back in 2010, I felt that there were four expectations that the community entrusted to me as a board member for the school district.

1. COMMUNITY PRIDE:  Van Alstyne ISD should be a source of pride in all areas - academics, extracurricular, facilities, etc.

2. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY:  We must be good stewards of our funding and resources.

3. OPENNESS & COMMUNICATION:  We must have trust and unity in the school board, and a culture of the same throughout the district

4. “YOUR KID” (individual students/parents):  As a parent of kids that went through our schools, I know the passion Moms and Dads feel.  I’ve been through the ups and downs and never forget the responsibility and love our people have for your kids….as well as the necessity to listen to each parent and keep them informed.

The MISSION and EXPECTATIONS haven’t changed.  It is how we became an attractive district and how we will remain so.

It’s your choice. In an election, it’s good to research the differences between the candidates.  You should, and your vote should go to the candidate you trust to keep Van Alstyne ISD on the right track.

However, there is often a tendency to vote against the incumbent because people want “change”.  Different is not the same as “change”.  For most of my 15 years on the school board, “change” has been a constant topic in one form or another.  Change arising from new neighborhoods, new schools, new staff, new state laws, new technology, even a pandemic.  We have been constantly changing….constantly adjusting…..constantly improving.  Different is easy.  However, true, positive change requires discernment, vision, expertise and resolve.  We have built a culture over the last decade to embrace such change.  Growth, and our fast-paced world, require we stay diligent in maintaining the ability and expectation to adapt and improve, yet maintain the small-town values that make Van Alstyne proud of our schools, our staff, and our students.

Education has been an important part of my life. My Mom was a beloved teacher in Garland ISD for 30+ years. My Dad grew up dirt-poor but became an Air Force pilot and then became the first and only person in his family to go to college; graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I went on from high school to earn three college degrees (a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M, a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Master’s in Systems Engineering from Texas Tech University).

All three of our kids went K-12 in VA ISD!  We clearly saw how important the teachers and coaches of VA ISD were in their lives during school. But we also have the benefit that comes from seeing how their experiences and lessons from VA ISD do not stop when they walk across the stage at graduation. That “hindsight” perspective of parenting is of truly great benefit to my role on the school board as we nurture a culture aimed at preparing our students to discover and attain their life goals.

I’ve served in Place 1 on the school board for 15 years - Three Years as Board President and One Year as Secretary. I would not know where to start listing all the relationships and experience gained during that time. I’ll let the Results (below) speak for themselves.

The VA ISD School Board has worked through many significant challenges during my 15 years of service. Again, I need to emphasize that the credit for our district’s current state goes to the pros - the teachers and administrators that serve our kids so well. But the school board also plays a role.

In my very first term on the board, we were faced with extreme budget cuts from the state and an “Unacceptable” rating from standardized testing at the high school. It was a hard time for our staff and we had many challenging board meetings that extended way too close to midnight. It was a difficult period. We had to make changes both in personnel and in culture. I give then-President Jeff Burge (now your VA ISD Police chief) a lot of the credit for changing the culture and perception of our school board. We unified and were able to attract a strong Superintendent in Dr. John Spies (now the chair of Grayson County College Trustees) and a strong High School principal (now our Superintendent) in Dr. David Brown. Their team was able to set us on a path to where we are now. I was honored to be the school board president for the next three years, really focusing on maintaining the vision and unity in the school board and throughout the district and the community. We simplified and clarified our goals, primarily…to be a premier school district. And that’s what happened, as we went from “unacceptable” to “exemplary” and “A” grade in our district ratings while maintaining a strong and unified board culture during my three years as president and getting even stronger under now-President Randall Morgan, who has tirelessly served in that role for all the years since I was president.

Van Alstyne ISD remains strong academically. It’s amazing to see what happens on our campuses every day. Our schools are a source of pride to the Van Alstyne community.

We have also stayed fiscally sound throughout these 15 years, maintaining a AAA bond rating. Many districts are operating with deficit budgets this year, but our administration has always managed to navigate financial challenges with a balanced budget while allocating every dollar possible to the classrooms for the direct benefit of our students.

We’ve had 100% success in bond elections during my time on the board, allowing construction of Sanford Elementary and the new high school…land purchase for a junior high….and the start of construction on the 3rd elementary in Mantua.

We have made great strides regarding student safety - growing from a single SRO in the district, to now having our own ISD Police Department, with an officer assigned to each campus. We’ve modified campus entrances to prevent threat access. Our people continuously improve safety processes and communications, even down to individual students who can now report bullying and other threats to their wellness through a simple app.

We have successfully dealt with growth while maintaining our small-town values and goals. We will will continue to do so. We have wonderful people taking care of students, our finances, our curriculum, our facilities and transportation. We have a record number of students and the number will keep going up. With 15 years of dedicated service, along with 30 years raising my family in this community, I have the perspective and experience needed to continue the excellence with the other school board members for 3 more years. Let’s keep going and growing together!

Thank you for taking the time to research the importance of this election. Thank a teacher, a coach, and the other wonderful people in our schools that work so hard and so well for our students. Teach your kids to do the same. (and vote!)