1. Why do you want to be a member of the Governing Board of the Clovis Unified School District? Being a product of Clovis Unified, I have a true commitment to seeing the tradition of excellence continue and am interested in serving on the Governing Board to represent the community?s interest in maintaining the high quality and outstanding academic and fiscal reputation of our local schools . One of my in life is serving others. As a result of supporting my four children through their education in Clovis Unified, I feel the call to serve the students in this community. My wife has been a teacher for 27 years, and my mother was a kindergarten teacher at Fort Washington Elementary for many years. I have seen the life-changing impact of education first-hand, and care deeply about Clovis Unified. This is the reason I have served on the board of the Foundation for Clovis Schools for the last 13 years. By serving on the Governing Board I can continue to support the district and our community at more involved level. 2. Do you have children who previously attended or are currently attending schools within the Clovis Unified School District? I have a son, Hugh IV and three daughters, Staton, Sara and Abbey who have all attended Clovis Unified for their entire K-12 educational career. Three have graduated from Clovis High, and the youngest is a senior at Clovis High. 3. Do you have experience serving on a school district governing board or school committees or participating in any school activities in Fresno County, California? Please list such prior experience, including the name of each organization, your role and functions, and the period in which you served or participated in such board, committees or school activities. I have extensive experience serving in volunteer roles serving Clovis Unified School District. These experiences include: The Foundation for Clovis Schools I Board of Directors 2006 - Present I Executive Board 2009 - Present I Chairperson 2010 2013 and 2017 Present 0 Citizens Steering Committee for the 2012 Bond I Committee Member 2011 0 Citizens Oversight Committee for 2012 Bond I Committee Member 2017 - Present 0 Clovis Unified Athletic Hall of Fame Steering Committee I Committee Member 2016 Clovis High Football Boosters I Board of Directors 2011 Clovis High Baseball Hall of Fame Dinner I Chairperson 2012 4. Describe any other community or business activities in which you have participated recently within Fresno County. Describe your role and functions, the period in which you served or participated in such activities. Please also indicate whether your work was volunteer or employment- related. I am currently serving as a Deacon at my church, First Presbyterian Church of Fresno. This is a volunteer position. I am a Deacon in charge of our food distribution to the needy. We distribute food year-round but do a large distribution during the holidays. We supply over 180 needy families with food to help them through the holiday season. As Deacons, we all help serve and visit the elderly and the disabled who are unable to attend services or need transportation. We also help families with meals during crises. Additionally, I am involved in outreach to new church members. I am currently serving as Youth Director for the Rotary Club of Clovis. This is a volunteer position. In this position I oversee the Interact Clubs at six of the high schools in Clovis Unified. I supervise the scholarship distribution to Clovis Unified seniors at the six high schools. I also oversee the selection of Clovis Unified juniors for attendance at the Rotary Camp Royal Leadership Camp. I am currently the president of a non-profit duck club. This is a volunteer position. As president I oversee management of the habitat and the maintenance of 640 acres of wetlands. My responsibilities include budgeting, assessing members and setting club use policies. Lastly, I have been employed in the insurance industry for over 35 years, all of that time as an independent insurance broker. I specialize in large commercial businesses with an emphasis on agriculture. My work keeps me engaged with the business community in the greater Fresno/Clovis area. 5. What do you see as the basic purposes of the public schools of Clovis Unified School District? Public schools exist to improve the quality of life of an entire community through the development of well-educated, productive citizens. The basic purposes of the public schools in Clovis Unified are to provide high quality education to all students, in a caring and safe environment, where all students have equal opportunity to succeed. Additionally, the district should provide students with exposure to extra curricular activities, which allows them to explore their unique interests and talents to the fullest potential. 6. What is the role of the Clovis Unified School District Governing Board in the fulfillment of the purposes that you have stated in response to the previous question? To fulfill these purposes a board member needs to be knowledgeable, in touch with the needs of the community, and a careful steward of the limited resources available to the Clovis Unified School District to meet the needs of its stakeholders. A successful board member must always be actively engaged with the community and the district?s administration in order to be prepared to act thoughtfully and with the best interest of the students of the district in mind. A board member should be prepared to ask hard questions of the administration to gain an understanding of issues and proposed solutions and weigh all sides of an issue before casting a vote. A board member should seek out best practices for school boards and remain well-educated on issues and legislation impacting public education and Clovis Unified in particular. The board needs to hold the superintendent and administration accountable to established standards, policies and goals. The board must also be in touch with the community and have an appreciation for what the community wants and expects from their schools. Another important role of the school board is its relations with the employees of Clovis Unified. The well known Clovis Unified saying, "It?s people, not programs, who make the positive difference,? is absolutely true, and the Board must work to maintain positive employee morale and a strong working relationship with the employee groups representing the district?s more than 6,000 employees. The Clovis Unified employees are the reason the district has a longstanding tradition of excellence and it is important that the Board and administration continue to respect and value its educational team. 7. Describe what your role would be as a Board member on the Clovis Unified School District Governing Board. I feel my most important part of being a Board member is to be as knowledgeable as possible on all items brought before the Board and to remain in touch with the needs of the district?s stakeholders. I do not feel decisions can be made without being educated on the facts. Having knowledge would allow me to be fiscally responsible to the tax paying citizens of the district by knowing that I have examined all options, asked good questions, and that my votes are cast from a position of thoughtfulness, knowledge, and fiscal responsibility. I want the decisions I make to have the students? interest first and to be fair and equitable to all. 8. Do you have any relatives who are currently employed with Clovis Unified School District? If yes, please explain. My oldest daughter, Staton, is currently an aide in preschool at Clovis Elementary. She has been involved with the preschool program for three years. 9. Since turning 18 years of age, have you ever been convicted or pled guilty or no contest to a felony? If yes, please explain. No. 10.Would you agree to voluntarily submit to a criminal background check, including fingerprinting? Yes. 11.lf you were appointed to the Governing Board, would you uphold the laws of the state of California? Yes.