Wayzata School Board Candidate: Chris McCullough of Plymouth

There are nine candidates for three open seats on the Wayzata School Board this year. Below you will find the candidate biography for Chris McCullough. (All candidates were contacted by Patch via email and given the chance to answer the same questions.)

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What previous political experience do you have (including other governmental positions you’ve held, whether elected, appointed or volunteer)?

From the time my daughters were very young, I have served the Wayzata School District in a variety of important appointed and volunteer roles including School District, Birchview Elementary and Wayzata Family Learning Center committees. This includes my current four-year involvement on the Wayzata Citizens Financial Advisory Council (an advisory committee to the School Board) and, most recently, on the Citizens Task Force on Facilities (which made a recommendation to the School Board on how to address the growth in the District). I am familiar with the priority issues the District is facing. Here is a list of my Wayzata School District experience:

• Wayzata Citizens Financial Advisory Council

• Wayzata Community Task Force on Facilities 

What other relevant experience do you have?

As you can see on my website, www.vote4McCullough.com, and from the list below, I am very active and engaged– whether it’s with schools, sports, family time, church, or my profession. Here is a list of relevant experience:

What is your occupation?

I am the Vice President and General Counsel for Honeywell’s Sensing and Control business headquartered in Golden Valley.

Where did you go to school? What city do you live in now?

I received my J.D. (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Minnesota Law School. I have a Masters Degree in Political Science from Indiana University. My undergraduate degree is in Economics and Political Science (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Iowa. After I graduated from law school, we stayed in Minnesota and have lived in Plymouth for about 11½ years.    

How old are you?

44

Do you have a spouse, children or any other family members you’d like to tell voters about?

I have been married to my wife, Pam, for 18 years. We have two daughters at Wayzata East Middle School. Lauren is in seventh grade and Caroline is in sixth grade.

What are your campaign goals?

Other than to win a seat on the Wayzata School Board, my goal is simple: to learn as much as I can as a parent, husband, neighbor, district resident, committee member, and school board candidate so I will be in the best position possible to be an effective voice on the School Board.

The three issues I am most focused on are:

• Responsibly managing the rapid enrollment growth in our District

• Maintaining the focus on the students

• Protecting Wayzata School’s strong financial position and AAA bond rating

Our biggest challenge in the Wayzata School District is the responsible management of our enrollment growth. Rapid growth is a reality but it’s important to remember that this is a “good problem” to have. We should feel proud that so many families want to send their children to Wayzata schools. To manage this growth responsibly, I believe the district is already taking the right steps. It has studied, analyzed, and confirmed the growth, has obtained input from several different sources (including demographers, architects, and a Citizens Task Force on Facilities that I served on), and has recommended that the high school be expanded and an elementary school added, with the ultimate decision belonging to the voters through a referendum. To further manage this growth, it is critical that we do everything we can to maintain Wayzata School’s “close community” feel. This means making sure average class sizes do not increase, improving the safety and security of our students, expanding the available opportunities (such as clubs and intramural activities) for all students, looking at ways to improve Wayzata’s academic offerings, and enhancing existing support programs designed to provide one-on-one or small group learning, activities, or experiences.

Another priority is maintaining our focus on the students – in everything we do as a district. We must not lose site of the reason we are here. I’ll keep this focus by remaining active in district activities, school volunteering, and discussions with students, parents, teachers, and faculty.

It’s also critical that we maintain our district’s stellar financial position and AAA bond rating. As I have done for the past four years as a member of the district’s Citizens Financial Advisory Council, I will continue to draw upon my business experience as an attorney to help make sure we make smart, responsible decisions with our taxpayers’ money and keep the District in the best financial shape possible.

Why should voters choose you?

The voters I have talked with want School Board Members who bring a parent’s perspective, who have experience serving the School District and understand the issues the district faces, and who also bring some external perspective to the Board. I genuinely believe that I can offer voters all three.

1) My parent’s perspective reminds me every day what truly matters as a School District – the students. I talk to my daughters, their friends, and a lot of parents so I know and hear about what’s going on in the schools and in the district. I will always focus on doing what is best for the students.

2) Through my service to the district, I have been able to work with the people, processes, and have been involved in working with the issues that I would see as a member of the School Board – especially those involving finance and facilities. I have a passion for and dedication to serving this district and doing everything I can to continue Wayzata’s tradition of excellence.

3) As a corporate attorney for Honeywell, I am thorough, detail-oriented, and analytical, but am also driven to seek solutions through collaboration and with a sense of fairness and respect for the process. I believe that I will be able to apply these skills to a position on the School Board if I am elected.

I feel that my parent’s perspective, hands-on School District experience, and open, fair-minded, and collaborative approach to issues will allow me to effectively serve the Wayzata School District as a member of the School Board. And I would be honored to have that opportunity. I hope you will vote for me, Chris McCullough, on Nov. 5.