Bill Pilkington[/caption]
WILLIAM “BILL” PILKINGTON
CPA for Bentley, Bratcher & Associates 832-859-2023 [email protected]
Top Priorities
• Hiring the right superintendent • Keeping the tax rate as low as possible • Monitoring the budget to eliminate wasteful spending
Why are you running for the school board?
We’re still a growing district. There’s still a lot to do. I’ve been on it for three years and [am] coming up on my second term. Finding the right superintendent and going through all those processes is going to be very important. I really want this district to succeed. My kids are here, but even after my kids graduate, I feel like I’ve got a vested interest [in KISD].
What makes you qualified to serve on the board of trustees?
I’m a volunteer and active in the community. I’m a volunteer fireman with the Ponderosa Fire Department [and] chairman for the chamber of commerce. My kids are here. I’m active in the Boy Scouts. I bring a lot from being a CPA, being an entrepreneur and being a taxpayer myself. I believe in fiscal responsibility.
With Superintendent Jim Cain retiring in 2016, what should the district be looking for in a new superintendent?
Someone with a long-term vision. We want someone [who] is going to take care of the district [and] look at the district as a whole. [We want] someone who can communicate the vision to the board as well. We’re on the board and we’re elected, but really the superintendent is more visible to the people and is leading the management charge.
Chester Arthur Hicks[/caption]
CHESTER ARTHUR HICKS
Retired, Campbell Soup Co. 832-444-1719 [email protected]
Top Priorities
• Equipping KISD students with tools to compete in a global economy, including those who choose not to attend an institution of higher learning • Maintaining the safest environment for all students and staff • Empowering KISD students with the confidence to compete on the world stage
Why are you running for the school board?
One of the reasons why is I’m indebted to the people of Klein for educating my three daughters who went through the Klein system. Secondly, [I want to run] because the Klein area will be going through a transformation in the next 20 years, and I feel that I can be a vital part of helping [the district] move forward in the education field for the next generations.
What makes you qualified to serve on the board of trustees?
I want to be considered a neighbor who watches out for the betterment of the district. When it comes to the taxpayers and the way their tax money is allocated, I feel [I can] help spread the money where it needs to be. Second of all, I have worked in this community in various capacities. I worked for the clergy [and] was part of the AAYF football and cheer league.
With Superintendent Jim Cain retiring in 2016, what should the district be looking for in a new superintendent?
I think the board should look for [a superintendent] who is all-inclusive with diversity as well as one that has already gone through the transformation of suburban areas that had to adapt to a changing demographic.
Lannie Milon Jr.[/caption]
LANNIE MILON JR.
Performance and continuous improvement manager, Houston ISD 713-724-9118 [email protected]
Top Priorities
• Budgeting • Expanding food choice options • Being more culturally diverse districtwide in terms of race, age, ethnicity and background
Why are you running for the school board?
I ran last year against a different candidate. I live in this diverse community, and I look at the number of students with different types of ethnicities and the cultural backgrounds these students come from. Our board does not currently reflect those demographics. I would bring about one element of that change, embracing that diversity.
What makes you qualified to serve on the board of trustees?
One [reason] is obviously my educational background. I am thoroughly familiar with all facets of school-based operations. That gives me a background of how schools ought to run. In addition to that, I hold a Ph.D. in educational leadership [and] serve on policy teams for the state; I have an understanding of governing boards and policies.
With Superintendent Jim Cain retiring in 2016, what should the district be looking for in a new superintendent?
We have to make sure that candidate is ready to walk into the position prepared to do all the things Dr. Cain accomplished. There has to be more in-depth research to identify what criteria [to] put in place to identify that type of superintendent. [We need] a person who has been proven, can take an adequate district to the next echelon [and] is a community-builder.
Jamie Fuselier[/caption]
JAMIE W. FUSELIER
Senior manager of credit and finance, Targa Resources 713-634-9381 [email protected]
Top Priorities
• Promoting an agenda of fiscal discipline for an aging, growing school district • Ensuring the safety of students and teachers from internal and external threats • Reviewing the professional development opportunities for KISD educators
Why are you running for the school board?
I’ve always been interested in politics, but even more so because I am the only candidate that both grew up here [and] the only candidate whose wife is currently teaching in the district. I think I’m uniquely positioned to understand the nuances [of] the district. I volunteer with coaching and with church, but this is the next step to give back to the community I grew up in.
What makes you qualified to serve on the board of trustees?
Being the senior manager of credit and finance for an oil company, my background [is] in budgets, bond placements, [and] credit and finance markets. Many of the things the board [deals with] are things I deal with daily in my corporate life. Both my family life— with how tied to the district my wife, my son and I are —and my corporate life make me the ideal candidate.
With Superintendent Jim Cain retiring in 2016, what should the district be looking for in a new superintendent?
I believe we need someone who is seasoned [and] experienced but also someone who is looking for the future. Much like myself, I would be looking for someone who grew up here and understands having served and gone to school here. [I] would like to see one of our associate superintendents considered for the position assuming that they’re interested.
