Dan Coakley: Candidate, Merrimack School Budget Committee

Dan Coakley

Age (as of Election Day)

71

Position Sought

School Budget Committee

Party Affiliation

None, though I believe I am registered as a Democrat

Family

Wife Susan

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BS, St Anselm, MBA, SO NH University

Occupation

Retired, 30+ years Educational Publishing

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

None

Why are you seeking elective office?

Looking to give back in a volunteer position to the community. With a background in Education, this seemed to be match between community needs and my background.
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

It will be the financial ramifications of the current situation we find ourselves in and how we are able to deal with it. I expect we are going to have to contend for State, Federal and private funds to make ourselves whole again.
I believe we will need some creative solutions to some challenges we have not ever faced before. I believe my background prepares me to meet those challenges.

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

My background: includes budget building of upwards of $250 million and personal responsibility of $3-$60 million. I have also worked in and with large Districts across the country including: New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Washington DC, Broward County, San Antonio, DOD's and many others
I have experience in all areas of curriculum including: Language Arts, Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Health, Manipulatives Early Childhood, Paperbacks, Digital Media (Software, Ebooks, and Audio) and the Library Market, so I have a broad and vast understanding of curriculum and associated issues.
The last years of my career I became a turnaround specialist, coming in to help failing Educational Publishing Companies recover, so I have developed skills to identify where the challenges are and how to rectify them.

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

I have no preexisting Agenda.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Students First,
Does this benefit our student population?
Wants Vs Needs,
Needs need to be met
Can Wants be met within the budget?
If not, how might they be met by thinking outside the box?
Teachers
Teachers are the most valuable asset in our classrooms
How do we keep the Best?
How do we attract the Best?
Stakeholders
How do we meet the conflicting needs of all stakeholders?
Student, Teachers, Parents, Administration, Taxpayers, Retirees, Local Businesses
Special Ed Students
All Students deserve the best education we can give them
Fiduciary Duties
To solve rather than deflect
Grant Monies, State, Federal & Private funds
Communication
Transparency
Two way amongst all stakeholders, Positive
Listening
Long Term Planning
Rainy Day Planning
Other
'Can't", should be removed from the vocabulary
"We've always done it this way"
Does not necessarily mean it is the best way
Think outside the box
Problems are Challenges and Challenges are opportunities.

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

In a major US City there was a contract for a product my company could provide. Unfortunately it was a compilation product meaning it would combine products from many different companies. Our company did not sell to third parties and we had a contract with this City for said product.
I attended a meeting on this bid in the City offices and heard numerous chastising of our company because we would not sell to third parties. I waited until the end when asked for any questions when I stood introduced myself, and told them that we could not sell to them because we had an exclusive contract with the city for that product. We seemed to be at a standstill.
As I left the meeting I called the President of our company and proposed a possible solution. Since the product was preselected, I suggested we put together packages for the jobbers which was noted as a "One time Only" grouping of all our listed products for this contract only, at a wholesale price which gave the jobbers a profit margin but also did not violate our exclusive contract with the city.
Many other publishers refused to sell to the jobbers and were left out of the contract. We experienced a multi million dollar sale by coming up with a solution to the challenge presented to us.
I believe this illustrates my ability to take a challenge that is seemingly insurmountable and come to a solution where all stakeholders have their needs and interests met. In this case: My company, The city, the jobbers, and ultimately the students and teachers of the district.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

"Never say Never...."

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

Merrimack resident since 1977. Three daughters educated in the Merrimack School District who are all now Masters prepared. Currently have four grandchildren in the District attending three different schools. I have coached and umpired in the MYA in the past.
Since 1982 I have worked in Educational Publishing in various Regional, National, and World positions. I am currently Retired.