Bryan Powell has filed for the Frisco ISD Place 5 seat.[/caption] Bryan Powell, an executive, has filed for the Place 5 seat on the Frisco ISD school board for the May 6 general election. Debbie Gillespie, who is running for another term, currently holds Place 5. Gillespie has held that position since 2011. This is Powell’s second time running for the school board. He first ran two years ago. He said he is running again for the same reasons—he wants to help FISD with the challenges it currently faces in regard to fast growth and budget shortfalls. “I ran two years ago because I was concerned about the direction we were headed financially, and those concerns are more real now,” Powell said. Powell serves as vice president of the land division at Westwood Professional Services, a multi-disciplined land surveying and engineering services firm for residential and commercial development projects. Powell said as an executive he helps lead a firm of more than 350 employees through similar challenges FISD faces. “Whether it's challenges with growth, acquisitions, budgeting or strategic planning...[I’m] equipped to handle a lot of the [issues] the district is dealing with right now,” Powell said. “We need a more diverse skill set amongst our board members that can bring new and fresh ideas to help us navigate these challenges.” If elected, Powell said he wants to focus on balancing budgets without increasing the tax rate and making sure teachers and students are not impacted negatively by any changes. “We have to figure out a creative way to balance our budget and our revenue shortfalls while [protecting] our students and teachers, and being good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Powell said. “We have to constantly be revisiting the strategic plan and see if it aligns with our goals and vision for the district.” Powell said if the district were to be ahead of these issues, the future for FISD is bright. “We have good families that move here to Frisco [and] we have good teachers that work here," Powell said. "I think it’s a bright future and I wouldn’t have my kids in the school district if I didn’t think so." Powell has served on the Sparks Elementary School PTA board and led the Watchdog program for two years. Powell coaches a youth girls and boys soccer team. He and his wife also foster children. Powell has lived in Frisco for five years and has three children in the district. Grace Wang has also filed to run for Place 5. For more information on Powell, go to www.bryanpowell4fisd.com.