Michael McCormick, Bedford School Board Candidate

Michael R. McCormick

Age (as of Election Day)

36

Position Sought

School Board Member

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

Wife, Kelly
Daughter, Ava (7)
Son, Parker (6)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

B.S. Political Science, Classics - University of New Hampshire, Durham

Occupation

Sales Operations Leader, Anthem's Diversified Business Group: 12 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Board Member, Families in Transition / New Horizons - Manchester, NH

Campaign website

michaelrmccormick.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

The decision to run for school board was simple after considering the benefits that I will provide our community; some of these include budget maintenance, relationship building and effective communication. Broadly speaking, this is a chance to support something that is integral to making sure Bedford remains a family-friendly town with appealing incentives for its taxpayers.

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 the school board is the exchange of information between school administrators and residents. The communication strategy is critical to ensure that the community feels connected to what’s happening in schools. It’s incumbent on the school board and administrators to communicate freely and often to preserve the trusted relationship with Bedford families. Conversely, parents have an obligation to the school board and administrators to share feedback, ask questions and be the squeaky wheel. Let's talk to get things done!

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The town is a business and the school's budget is nearly $80M. I've managed teams of 25+ associates and budgets ranging in size from $5 to $175M. I've had great success in the consulting and analytics space at Fortune 100 companies. This illustrates the fact that I can handle these tasks and leverage a sensible technique to solve complex problems.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Aside from not sharing information more effectively with town residents to educate and inform, the current (and previous) boards should have adopted a forward-thinking approach. They should have projected the cost for known, future expenses, like infrastructure improvements. Bedford residents deserve to know which lever they should pull in order to keep the tax rate stable and avoid spikes.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Local officials have responded to the Coronavirus very well. They were flexible and made adjustments very quickly and I believe an organization's agility is what defines its success in trying situations. Hindsight being 20-20 there are some enhancements that I'd propose; these improvements are related to communication and the presentation of results driving the decisions the board and administration made.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

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

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My parents told me to strive to make your children's life better than yours.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I'm running for this position to improve the quality of our children's experience in Bedford schools. As a result of COVID and virtual learning, I've observed how much my children rely on their experience in school to learn, interact and grow. As a parent and Bedford resident, I feel that it's my obligation to play a larger role supporting that.