2017 Election Questionnaire: Heidi Fairgrieve​, D303 School Board Member

Name: Heidi Fairgrieve

Age: 48

Town of residence: St. Charles

Position sought: Member of D303 School Board

Family: I am married to my husband, David, for over 15 years. We have two daughters who are 13 and 11 years old. Our 13-year old daughter attends Haines Middle School while our youngest daughter attends Ferson Creek Elementary School. Our 11-year old will be attending Thompson Middle School next year as a 6th grader.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No one in my family currently works in politics or the government. However, my family holds a long record of military service across multiple generations.

Education: I have a passion for education. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, a Masters of Business Administration, and an International Business Management Certification.

Occupation: I am a working professional with 30 years of experience in the corporate environment; 25 of those in leadership roles with increasing responsibility. I have led organizations ranging in size from 12 to 110 employees. I have experience in varied work environments - industrial to financial banking. Through the course of my career, I have designed and delivered training curriculum for adult learners. Currently, I am an underwriting director for a bank.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: This is my first step into the political arena as a candidate for a civic position. Of course, I am a registered voter and actively participate in the election process.

I am active with the Ferson Creek PTO and member of multiple committees. I am a Big Brother/Big Sister mentor in partnership with a Chicago high school. Finally, I have served as a Junior Achievement teacher in elementary schools for several years.

During my school career, I was Secretary of State at Girls State and Secretary of my senior high school class.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it: The single most pressing issue facing our board is the middle school transition from three to two campuses. This initiative is a significant undertaking in terms of financial investment. Additionally, it impacts future education strategies and the opportunities for positive employee/student experiences. It is important to ensure that the education experience for current/future impacted students is not compromised while looking to the future capabilities that the two new campuses will offer.

If elected to the board, I would request regular project updates and work to ensure all elements are considered, i.e. student transitions, student class sizes, teacher impacts.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: My family and I moved to the St. Charles, Illinois community over five years ago from Arizona. I have a unique perspective with experiences in multiple educational environments and states.

Furthermore, my educational background and professional work experience center in accounting/finance. I have practical experience forecasting and managing budgets. My current position as an underwriting director requires me to review financial statements on a daily basis and to creatively meet customers’ financing needs while managing risk. In comparison, D303 has a real risk of funding reductions that the School Board must be prepared to address.

I am a communicator and a collaborator. I believe it is important that all key parties understand the “why” behind decisions. I think it is a board’s responsibility to not only educate its community’s students but also the parents. I also think listening to and then addressing parents, teachers, and support staff concerns is critical when solving D303 challenges.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?: The current board has not failed the district but there is an opportunity for growth and a new perspective. There is a need for more two-way communication and transparency with all partners in the community. There is a lack of understanding among certain constituent groups surrounding the “why” behind many board decisions. I would recommend that a grass-roots outreach plan be considered. For example, board members could attend PTO meetings or hold school town halls on an annual basis. Technology enhancements to support a “live stream” of the D303 board meetings could be established.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: I am running as a candidate for the D303 School Board because I feel it is important to bring a fresh perspective to the challenging and complex issues that face our education community – ultimately impacting the entire community of St. Charles. I stand for fiscal responsibility with all parties working together – teachers, administration/support, parents, business, and Community to ensure the coming generations are given all possible opportunities to succeed. Working together successfully includes consistent and varied communication to ensure that the “why” behind all decisions is shared.

If you gain this position, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?: When I leave office, I would hope to see an established, well-communicated educational strategy that is fiscally responsible and advocates for the students.

Please share with voters a story about wisdom gained from a mistake you made in your life or career: I don't view any decisions that I've made as mistakes but rather opportunities to learn. I strive to live my life, personally and professionally, with no regrets and to seize every opportunity possible.

Why should voters trust you?: One of my guiding principles is to always "add value" where ever I am present. I think my background and experiences that I have shared prove that I do have the skill set to do just that. To use the old adage: "I do what I say and I say what I do".

Share a quote that defines your philosophy: “When you know better…You do better” – Maya Angelou.

What questions should be asked of current government employees accountable to your board?: The only employee that is employed by the board and thus accountable to the board is the D303 Superintendent.

Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office (or board)?:

Generally speaking, I am in favor of maintaining and lowering school spending where the opportunity exists. I am not in favor of increasing school spending because of the consistent feedback I receive from community members. I have not spoken to one community member that is supportive of increasing school spending thereby raising taxes.

Our community could be entering a tumultuous time as state funding continues to be under question and discussions related to a 2-5 year property tax freeze gain traction. It is important to examine our current budget and identify impacts under the scenarios identified above. We will need to prioritize budget requirements to ensure we maintain alignment with the D303 educational strategy. Once impacts have been identified, fresh ideas and creativity will be important to ensure that there aren’t unintended adverse impacts to district programs.

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

• Financial acumen with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, 20 years in the banking industry, and leadership roles with budget, compensation, and staff management responsibilities.
• Analytical skills with demonstrated ability to solve problems with ranging complexity and quickly identify potential gaps in proposed solutions.
• New leadership perspective with exposure to a variety of school districts.
• Collaboration/Influencing/Communication skills with multiple levels within an organization
• Communication as demonstrated by successfully leading groups ranging from 12 to 110 employees to achieve business results and personal growth.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Don't be so focused on the next step or outcome that you aren't present in the journey to get there."

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?: I am running as a candidate for the D303 School Board because I feel it is important to bring a fresh perspective to the challenging and complex issues that face our education community – ultimately impacting the entire community of St. Charles. I stand for fiscal responsibility with all parties working together – teachers, administration/support, parents, business, and Community to ensure the coming generations are given all possible opportunities to succeed. Working together successfully includes consistent and varied communication to ensure that the “why” behind all decisions is shared.

My education, professional work experience, volunteer efforts across school districts, and multiple experiences as a current parent in D303 schools allow me to be a qualified individual with the ability to represent diverse views within our community. These experiences support fresh ideas and a fresh perspective – to old challenges and to new ones that may lie ahead.

More via Heidi Fairgrieve's campaign Facebook page

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