Jim Ambroses
No response
Mark J. Martin
No response
Lynn Quillen
No response
Toby K. Henderson
Education: I am a veteran of the United States Air Force. I obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law; Bachelor’s of science degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Ball State University; and Associate’s of science degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Vincennes University.
Current Employment: Sebaly, Shillito + Dyer, a legal professional association
Community Involvement: Current vice president and member of Kettering School Board; current trustee, Dayton Children’s Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees; former trustee, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Miami Valley Board of Trustees; former member of Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Associate Board; former member of Dayton Art Institute Associate Board; served on the city of Kettering Board of Zoning Appeals; served as a sports coach at the Kettering Recreation Center for many years; member of the Dor-Wood Optimist Club; received many recognitions for my work and community involvement over the years, including being honored in 2007 by the Dayton Business Journal as a “Superachiever Under 40,” which recognizes area leaders for professional success and community involvement; and, member of the Leadership Dayton Class of 2008.
Why are you seeking elected office? I have three daughters attending school in the district. Preserving and growing the excellence of Kettering’s schools is a top priority for me. I understand the challenges the district and its stakeholders face because of the challenges caused by the state of Ohio failing to fairly fund public education. As reflected in our district’s strategic plan and recognized in our mission statement, the Kettering community rightfully expects our district to deliver a superior educational experience for all students by providing a positive and innovative learning environment, while responsibly utilizing our resources. For the last four years, I have worked alongside talented administrators, teachers, staff and community members to provide our students with the education they deserve and I am seeking reelection to the board so I can continue my part in this important work.
Why should voters elect you? I am relentless in ensuring the district makes the best decisions possible. When it comes to matters for the school board, I am guided by the principle that every decision must be in the best interests of our more than 7,700 students, more than 1,100 teachers and staff, and countless other community stakeholders. This guiding principle has no exception for me. I pride himself on listening to other points of view and building consensus. One of the most important attributes of a good board member is understanding you are part of a team – you are one among five elected board members and you must respect other’s views, especially when they are different than yours. We are living in a politically charged time and politics creeping into our schools is a very real threat – a threat I believe we must guard against. I will continue to work hard to ensure our district is not influenced by the partisan politics of the day and that our students do not become political pawns.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? Short-term, my top priority is continuing to keep our students, teachers, staff and administrators safe and in person in our schools so long as the pandemic continues. Long-term, my top priorities include keeping and hiring first-class teachers and staff; delivering the exceptional education experience our community expects and the district has committed through our strategic plan to deliver; ensuring our teachers have the resources necessary to deliver an exceptional education for all our students; and, delivering all that we have committed to deliver while remaining a good steward of our limited resources.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? With respect to the challenges presented by COVID, I will continue to support the commonsense precautions we have in place districtwide. These measures are our best chance for keeping our students and employees in school and safe. As for ensuring the long-term success of the district, I will continue to support the execution and implementation of the district’s “2018-2024 Strategic Plan - A Blueprint for Student Success,” which includes developing students as engaged collaborators, lifelong learners, critical thinkers, thoughtful communicators and global citizens. Our Strategic Plan also includes attracting, supporting, developing and retaining the best staff we can; ensuring our students and staff are all in a safe environment where they feel comfortable collaborating; developing strategic partnerships to leverage our limited resources; and, attending to the needs of our students and staff above and beyond educational requirements to remove roadblocks to student and staff success.
Anything else? My two brothers and I were raised by our single mother who instilled in us the value of education, a strong work ethic, and the importance of always showing respect and compassion to others. I have served on the Kettering City School Board of Education for the last four years, and in my role I have worked hard to support our district, students, employees and community stakeholders. If I am reelected, I pledge to continue to work hard to ensure we deliver the exceptional education our students deserve and our community expects while being judicious with taxpayers money. And, I will not be intimidated by those who have a political agenda and have chosen to direct their partisan efforts at our schools.