Sean L. Conley Runs For Manatee County School Board District 4 Seat

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Manatee County voters will decide on the winner of the Manatee County School Board District 4 seat in the Aug. 23 primary election.

The following candidates are vying for the position:

• Chad Choate
• Sean L. Conley

Patch has asked all candidates to complete a questionnaire about their campaign and their priorities.

Conley responded to our survey and his responses are posted below.

Campaign website

http://candidateseanconley.blogspot.com/

City or town of residence

Bradenton

Office sought

Manatee County School Board District 4

Education

BA in history with minor in anthropology

Occupation

Intelligence analyst for 25 years

Family

My family is from Bradenton/Sarasota and my kids and grandkids live in Bradenton.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My brother is a police officer and was a U.S. Marine. My sister is a schoolteacher. My father was a police officer. My cousin was in the US Navy. My Uncles were in the U.S. Air Force and my grandfather was in the U.S. Army.

Age

55

Previous public office, appointive or elective

No

Why are you seeking this office?
The reason that I decided to run for Manatee County School Board, District 4 was to make the schools hard targets against school shootings, to ensure that the policies and oversight of the county schools are fiscally sound, and that teachers, administrators and support staff that excel at their job are properly compensated.
What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have an extensive background in security and intelligence analysis. This gives me the skill sets to review large data sets, find important aspects in the data, create reports on the data and come up with the best course of action (COA) based on what they data is providing. Also, as an individual that has maintained a security clearance for over 25 years, I have earned public trust and I will always do the right thing to maintain this trust.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

My challenger was appointed by the governor and his main focus has been to support the governor. I believe that he would follow the governor’s lead even at the expense of Manatee County. I also believe that he has failed to understand that this is a nonpartisan position and to focus on supporting his normally affiliated party that he is disenfranchising everyone else.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Fiscal oversight. Teacher retention and compensation. Student success in reading and STEM programs. Policy oversight to include curriculum, parental rights, and correctional behavior techniques. Innovation to inspire students to strive for personal success and well-being.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My past experience as a Naval officer has given me the leadership skills to inspire the ones around me while conducting oversight of the mission. My extensive background as a civilian military analyst has provided me with unique skills in reviewing vast amounts of data and finding the parts that are unique to a problem, then coming up with sound courses of action. My time spent as a security manager in the military after 911 has taught me how to conduct focused security assessments and improve security on a fiscally maintainable construct.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Believe that something is possible is the first step in making it possible, believing something is impossible is the first step in giving up. So never give up on yourself and always believe that anything is possible if you apply yourself.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I know that I will make Manatee County schools safer, and I know that my competitor doesn't comprehend what is missing from our security program and will naively accept the judgements of others. I know that I have accomplished more in my life than my competitor and that these variety of life experience will greatly assist me in making the right choices and not the convenient choices that help a political career. I am in this to make a difference and I have no interest in ingratiating myself to other politicians or political party leaders. I am the nonpartisan mind individual that is truly best suited to this environment.