Candidate for
Governing Board Member; San Luis Coastal Unified School District; Trustee Area 2

For the past 15 years I have been employed as a Speech and Language Pathologist for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. On the job, I have taught communication skills to severely disabled students, collaborated with teachers, helped parents help their own children. I have taught hundreds of children and visited dozens of schools.

In July, I began a new chapter in my career as an educator. I am now the North County Special Education Area Administrator for the County Office of Education. In this new job I am able to share my experience and passion for teaching with other professionals, children, and families.

For the past four years I have served on the San Luis Coastal Board of Trustees. In 2003-2004 I was President of the Board. I am a member of the Delegate Assembly of the California School Board Association. In this role I am able to advocate for children through the development of statewide educational policy. I am a director of the Tri- Counties Education Coalition. This is a group of parents, teachers, school staff, administrators, and school board members dedicated to fighting for the students of the Central Coast. I have lobbied long and hard in Sacramento for our students. I have served on the Monarch Grove Elementary School Site Council, and I am Past President and Vice President of the San Luis Obispo County Education Association. I am trained in Interest Based Bargaining, and Alternative Dispute Resolution for Special Education.

My wife of 26 years is a teacher at Del Mar School in Morro Bay, and my son attends Morro Bay High School.

My experience as a school trustee, trained special educator, and mediator mean that I understand the power of listening and the importance of consensus. I also recognize that positive relationships are critical for bringing people together. My education has prepared me to understand the California Educational System, and my longtime involvement in local schools has given me a valuable and unique perspective on Central Coast Schools.