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Wednesday's Internet Edition, October 08, 2008.
Meet the candidates
Say hello to your Galt High School Board candidates
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Clarification: In last week’s issue of The Galt Herald, the Kelly Keagy city council candidate profile stated Keagy had never been convicted of a crime. It should have said, “Keagy has no criminal history.”
Voters will be asked to cast votes in two separate Galt Joint Union High School District Board races on Nov. 4. Voters will have to decide which of four candidates will fill two full-term seats, and they will be asked to decide between two candidates for one short-term seat in 2008.
One decision will be based on the regular four-year cycle of elections, and the winners of those two seats will serve four-year terms. The other decision will be to fill a two-year seat to complete the final two years of the unexpired term of Board Member Pat Maple who was elected in 2006 and resigned in 2007.
Maple’s seat was filled by appointment of the board until the general election of 2008.
The following is an introduction of each candidate in the Galt Joint Union High School District race. Each candidate has provided the information for this feature in an effort to allow the citizens of Galt to get to know them better. Profiles will appear in the ballot order randomly selected by the Secretary of State’s office.
Candidates seeking four-year seats:
Kathleen Amos
Kathleen Amos, 57, is not married. She has been a resident of Galt for 23 years. She has one son, and has no criminal record.
Amos is self-employed as a family law attorney. She has been a member of the California Bar for 25 years and has been in private practice for 18 years. Amos, who became a family law specialist in 1997, works primarily as a litigator, but also handles divorce mediation.
Amos said her greatest achievement, thus far, has been raising her son, a GHS graduate. Professionally, Amos said she has achieved a goal she has had since graduating law school, and that is to serve as a judge. Amos volunteers her time as a pro tem judge (judge for the day) in the family court. She also served as a pro tem referee in juvenile court for five years in the 1990s. Amos attended the McGeorge School of Law, UOP, in Sacramento.
The oldest of 14 children, Amos was the first grandchild, from both families, to attend college. Prior to law school, Amos served as an educational coordinator for a social service agency in Iowa where she worked with high school dropouts from foster and group homes, as well as with an area drug prevention program.
Amos said her platform could be summed up in one line: equitable distribution of resources and a smooth transition to the new Liberty Ranch High School. Most importantly, Amos said she wants to see the district prepare our youth for employment and life in the 21st century, by teaching them how to learn and by expanding programs to ensure each child has a positive high school experience. Amos also said she supports the hiring of a school resource officer to ensure a safe campus.
“It also means protecting those important extracurricular activities that motivate youth to remain in school and set goals for themselves,” said Amos. “I also want to see the GHS campus continue to be modernized, especially the football stadium, and coordination of youth services with the city and the elementary district is also a very high priority so that we can get the youth of this town involved and “plugged in” to life in a way that will help carry them into adulthood.”
Connie Goethel
Connie Goethel, 53, is married and has one daughter. She has lived in Galt for five years. She has no criminal record.
Goethel is currently on cancer-related disability/retirement from General Mills where she was the safety, health and workers compensation manager for a 500+-employee plant. Her duties included safety training for employees, investigation of plant accidents, analysis of loss trends and development of corrective action plans, working with attorneys on questionable claims, and managing the Workers Compensation budget. She also managed and monitored the Return to Work program, developed and updated safety program, and completed required federal and state reporting documents.
Goethel has her Bachelor of Chemistry degree from Technological University in Tennessee, and has numerous hours of postgraduate classes in safety, health, workers compensation, education, and insurance regulations. She is also certified to substitute teach in California.
Goethel has been a staff instructor at Purdue University, IN., has served on her church council, and served as a Sunday school teacher, serves as treasurer of the Galt Community of Character Coalition and has worked with the GHS Health Academy.
If elected, Goethel said she would work for equitable disbursement of available resources, based on department by department analysis of needs and resources. She would like to see district test scores continue to rise and to provide the best education possible for all GHS students.
“The district needs to be fiscally responsible, but keep any needed cuts away from the classroom,” said Goethel. “We also need to keep exploring job preparation programs for gifted and talented students, and to help motivate our children to reach their educational goals. Parent involvement needs to be encouraged and improved by expecting our students to include their parents in what goes on at school, and in their future goals.”
Diann Kitamura
Diann Kitamura, 49, is married and has two teenage children. She has been a resident of Galt for the past 11 years and she has no criminal record.
Kitamura is currently the Executive Director of Systems Management for EDEquity Educational Consultants. EDEquity, Inc. provides professional development services to schools throughout California. In addition to conducting professional development services, Kitamura is also responsible for the level of quality of all services provided by the company.
Kitamura has served in the education field in many capacities. She has been a teacher, school counselor, vice principal, principal, Director of Student Services and an Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. She has a Bachelors Degree in Crop Science from Cal Ploy, her teaching credential in Agriculture from CSU Chico, a Pupil and Personnel Services Credential, and a Masters Degree in School Counseling from CSU, Sacramento, and an Administrative Credential from CSU, Stanislaus.
Her current goal is to obtain her Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice.
Kitamura said she is “amazed” by the opportunities she has been afforded through her on-going education and said being sought after by EDEquity as an executive director and consultant is an indicator of her achievement in the educational leadership community.
As a director and assistant superintendent, Kitamura has developed and maintained budgets in excess of $8 million, and has developed a good working knowledge of funding sources for schools. As former educator and administrator for GHS, Kitamura said she has the ability to effectively lead the district as a board member.
Kitamura said her goal as a board member will be to make informed decisions to insure fiscal responsibility of the district while adhering to the laws, regulations and policies set forth.
“Educating students in today’s complex and challenging world takes courageous, ethical and student-centered leadership,” said Kitamura. “The opportunities for all students to learn and achieve have never been greater, but opportunities can easily be turned into obstacles without a governing body that is committed to working together to achieve a common goal: all students learning to their fullest potential.”
Norman Pearson
Norman Pearson, 42, is not married. He has been a resident of the area since 1979.
Pearson is a Certified Public Accountant. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Accountancy) from CSU, Sacramento. He also has his Master of Science in taxation from Golden Gate University.
He has served as a member of the Board of Trustees Galt Joint Union High School District for the past four years.
Candidates seeking two-year seats
Dennis Richardson
Dennis Richardson, 59, is married and has 10 children. He has been a resident of Galt for 11 years and has no criminal record.
Richardson is a retired Sacramento County criminal investigator of 26 years. He has his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration, and a second bachelor’s degree in child development. He also has his Masters of Governance from the California School Board Association.
Richardson served on the Galt High School Board for four years, serving one year as clerk, and one year as board president. He also served on the Sacramento County School Boards Committee, on the GHS School Site Council, and on the City of Galt Youth Committee.
Richardson said he would be a voice for all students while setting the direction of the district. He said he would bring integrity and honesty to a board that is currently guided by special interest money and an agenda that does not value the needs of all student programs.
“I will inform the public about district issues, eliminate backroom deals and board member misconduct,” said Richardson. “I will spend your tax dollars wisely and avoid long-term debt for projects that only benefit a small portion of our students. Together we will improve test scores, provide quality teachers, and modernize Galt High School, while providing quality education for your children.”
Gus Prouty
Robert “Gus” Prouty, 43, is married and has three children. He has lived in the Galt area since 1974. He has no criminal record.
Prouty is a sales manager for CCT Telecommunications in Lodi, and is also the vice president of Cornerstone Products Group, also in Lodi. He is charge of start-up divisions within the CCT that develops, markets, and distributes novel and unique building products to the contractor markets, via Home Depot in California, Nevada and Florida.
Prouty attend Oak View Elementary School in Acampo and is a 1983 GHS graduate. He graduated from CSU Chico with a BA in sociology, and earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix. He has attended numerous corporate/professional sales, operations, and staff development seminars throughout his career.
Prouty said he believes that all community achievements are the result of key people working together to create powerful results. In his short tenure on the board, Prouty said he has worked with all involved parties in a positive fashion, respecting differing opinions in a professional manner. Prouty notes working on balancing the Liberty Ranch High School construction expenses, staff negotiations, and program offerings, creating the best opportunities for students. Prouty has also been active with the Junior Warrior and Cheer program, and played a role in the reorganization of the high school booster club.
Prouty said his primary concern for the district is to maintain the balance and caliber of leadership to move students beyond proficient, saying in order to move students to advanced the district must energize the staff at both high school facilities.
“The district must also expand the offerings and quality of programs and extra curricular activities, which demonstrate in relevant, world time, the power character and critical thinking play in their lives,” said Prouty. “Finally, I will work to keep the community focused and engaged on the need for top rate facilities. Advanced learning required advanced facilities. We must work in cooperation with state and local entities to advance facilities within our community, especially the GHS campus, for the long term benefit of all.”
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