SCHOOL BOARD JNCISD ELECTION

EARLY VOTING BEGINS APRIL 24TH, ELECTION DAY MAY 6TH

On May 6th, 2023, Jim Ned residents will go head to the polls to vote on a set of new Jim Ned CISD board members. Seven residents have filed as candidates for two open seats on the JNCISD Board of Trustees. The two seats that are being vacated were held by longtime board members Marcus Denson and Kent Beck.

Both Marcus and Kent have been long-time proponents of the Jim Ned Valley and have committed countless hours and resources for the betterment of our kids, teachers, and administrators. Each of them has led our community and district through changes in Superintendents, facilities expansions, revenue challenges, curriculum expansions, and a pandemic with passion and a commitment to excellence.

Marcus, a Jim Ned Alumni, has been one of the strongest advocates for our administration and staff. He has had a deep understanding and appreciation for the sacrifices and devotion that our administration and staff hold. Marcus’ forward-thinking demeanor and his personable and compassionate leadership style has brought a lasting impact that will be missed.

Kent, whose love for kids and desire for success is as contagious as his “get it done” attitude, has served whole heartedly for six years on the board. Kent has passionately advocated for a focus on helping all students find success in a multitude of endeavors. He has been a strong proponent of CTE and trade component development opportunities that will have a lasting impact on the students of JNCISD for many years. As we say THANK YOU to Kent and Marcus, we take a look at the seven candidates that will be on the ballot for the May 6th Election. Early voting begins beings April 24th and ends May 2nd. Trustees serve a three-year term and are elected in an at-large election.

Kent Beck Marcus Denson

Do you have kids that attend JNCISD? If yes what grades? Yes, I have two daughters that attend Buffalo Gap Elementary. Haylee is in 5th grade and Hannah in 4th grade. How long have you lived in JNCISD? I have lived in the school district since 2017 but my wife is from here and has always wanted our kids to be a part of this school district.

Are you involved in any local organizations, non-profits, or committees? If yes, what are they? Yes, I am currently involved in several non-profits. I am currently serving a threeyear term on the Abilene Better Business Bureau Board of Directors. I have also served as the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Jim Ned Girls Softball Association for the past 3 years. I serve with the newly formed Jim Ned Watchmen. Over the past decade I have served on several other boards including the Big Country Chrysalis and the Big Country Home Builders Association.

Have you ever previously served on a school Board? No.

What is your occupation? I am licensed Residential Mortgage Loan Officer and Branch Manager for Mortgage Financial Services here in Abilene. I have been in mortgage lending for over 15 years.

What is your favorite thing about JNCISD? My favorite thing about Jim Ned is way we look out for others and treat everyone like family. The hometown feeling where everyone has your back. For example, during the Mesquite Heat fire when we had to evacuate quickly, we had many people show up to help us at the drop of a hat to make sure we were safe and out of harm’s way.

What do you believe makes you a good candidate for JNCISD? I believe I am a good candidate for school board because I will put the safety and education of our children first. As we face a growing decay of morality in this world, we must stand our ground for what is right. I will stand up for what is right, regardless of popular opinion. I have a very logical approach to finances and budgets. Being an entrepreneur with degrees in Accounting and Finance I know the ins and outs of building budgets and reading financial.

If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach and why? I would teach a class on the math of money and how to build and protect your credit score. Teaching the youth how to balance a checkbook, how to create and live off a budget, and how to utilize credit are topics that are often overlooked. If not taught in school or by their parents, how do they learn these things correctly?

Do you have kids that attend JNCISD? If yes what grades? Yes, I have two kiddos who are proud JNCISD students; Ryden who is in 6th grade and Rylee who is in kindergarten at the Buffalo Gap campus.

How long have you lived in JNCISD? Right at 10 years. My wife, Tiffany (Chmielewski) Davis and I returned to JNCISD in January of 2013 after spending several years in Canyon, Texas attending and working for West Texas A&M University.

Are you involved in any local organizations, non-profits, or committees? If yes, what are they? Currently, I serve as the co-chair for the West Texas Rural Youth Football League, Vice President and Coach for Jim Ned Youth Football and Cheer, as well as Coach and board member for Jim Ned Youth Baseball Association.

Have you ever previously served on a school Board? I do not have any previous experience serving on a school board, but I am excited for the opportunity. What is your occupation? Owner and operator at Sika Industrial Sales. What is your favorite thing about JNCISD? My absolute favorite thing about JNCISD is the youth in this community, the families that are building them and the community that surrounds them. Without a doubt JNCISD is exceptional because of the people that live here.

What do you believe makes you a good candidate for JNCISD? I believe that I would make a good candidate because my family and I care about the success of our youth and the school that is molding them.

If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach and why? Probably a modern philosophy class and it would be titled “Understanding the power of You”. I believe that the youth of today struggles with understanding their impact on others beyond what mom and dad tell them. In the class we would focus on the importance of day-to-day interactions and the effect that they have on their environment. The intent would be to help them understand that their interaction/s ultimately control their positive or negative environment and how one small action by them may be a huge impact for another.

Do you have kids that attend JNCISD? If yes what grades? Yes, I have two boys in the JNCISD. Cash attends middle school and is in the 8th grade. William attends Lawn Elementary and is in 5th grade. Both my boys have attended JNCISD since Pre-K.

How long have you lived in JNCISD? 16 years.

Are you involved in any local organizations, non-profits, or committees? If yes, what are they? No. God led me to this moment and I believe this is my opportunity to serve my Jim Ned community and our district.

Have you ever previously served on a school Board? No.

What is your occupation? I have served for over a decade in the Real Estate industry. I work for Texas Hunting Land, and have been privileged to sell some of the most iconic properties in Taylor county. I am also a proud rancher and I raise cattle with my husband Ren.

What is your favorite thing about JNCISD? Our tribe! We are so blessed to have such wonderful staff, parents, administration and our community that unselfishly dedicates their time and love to make our district truly remarkable. Our tribe has without a doubt contributed to our exemplary district. Roll Tribe 17:17.

Heather Dawn

What do you believe makes you a good candidate for JNCISD? My faith. I put all my trust in God, he who strengthens me beyond measure. I understand how to be programmatic, tough and most importantly to listen to others. I am not a yes ma’am kind of gal but I can assure you that I will fight to build on an already solid foundation with integrity and perspective.

If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach and why? Outdoor Education. We are fortunate to live in a rural community but with easy access to electronics the outdoors lifestyle is being lost on our children’s generation. I would teach how the outdoors lifestyle can bring so much joy, self sustainability and accomplishment. From growing your own food, fishing, enjoying nature, wildlife and plant life, hiking, camping skills, hunters education and more. I truly believe the outdoors is a great way to teach our children healthy and productive skills for life

Do you have kids that attend JNCISD? If yes what grades? Yes- Rhett- 9th, Reese7th, Rhyan -4th & Rixon 3rd I have two boys in the JNCISD.

How long have you lived in JNCISD? We first moved to the Jim Ned Valley from DFW in July of 2010. As West Texas natives and graduates from a local university, Sara and I knew the Jim Ned Valley was the place we would raise our family.

Are you involved in any local organizations, non-profits, or committees? If yes, what are they? I serve on the Jim Ned Youth football board. I currently volunteer with Jim Ned Young Life, I’ve been an active member of Lawn Baptist Church since 2011. In the past I’ve held board and volunteer roles with McWhiney foundation/Buffalo Gap Historic Village and On The Way Home Ministries in Lawn

Have you ever previously served on a school Board? No.

What is your occupation? Currently I am the VP of sales for Maxwell Telecare, a startup based out of the Midwest. Since 2000 I have been focused on Telemedicine and for 15 of those years I also specialized in the distance/virtual education marketplace. What is your favorite thing about JNCISD? The community & the culture. In my opinion, in the Jim Ned Valley that means we take care of one another and are accountable to one another. I believe that accountability and community involvement are key to our future. What do you believe makes you a good candidate for JNCISD? There are many great candidates in this ballot, so I think the community is in a win win scenario. To me, this role is about serving the students that attend Jim Ned CISD. If elected that fact will be my “north star” for all decisions made. I hope my actions over the years have shown me to be a dad who puts kids first. Secondly - I’ve was directly involved (funding, development, design and implementation) with some of the nations largest distance learning and Telehealth networks from 2000-2018. That experience combined with my desire to use technology to empower and educate kids (rather than entertain) will be top of mind at all times.

If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach and why? Servant leadership, based on Biblical principles and the teachings of Greenleaf. Why? To be truly free and meet your highest potential you must know & follow Gods plan for you life. These principles are critical for building integrity, self worth and strength in our youth as we train them up to be leaders of tomorrow.

Do you have kids that attend JNCISD? If yes what grades? Yes, our son, Tyler attends Buffalo Gap Elementary and is in the 4th grade.

How long have you lived in JNCISD? We are finishing up our 2nd year in the JNCISD school district.

Are you involved in any local organizations, non-profits, or committees? If yes, what are they? I currently serve on the Buffalo Gap Chamber of Commerce board as Secretary. I’m also on the Jim Ned Baseball Association board of directors.

Have you ever previously served on a school Board? No, I have not had the opportunity to serve on a school board.

What is your occupation? I am a Sr Wealth Advisor and partner at Cedar Gap Wealth Management.

What is your favorite thing about JNCISD? My favorite thing about JNCISD is its vision to be a superior educational institution. I admire the tireless work being done to fulfill that vision on behalf of its students, their families, and our community.

What do you believe makes you a good candidate for JNCISD? I believe it takes a special person who understands and respects a board member’s responsibility. Duties include setting policies, working with, not against, administration and making sure that we set financial goals that will keep JNCISD financially stable and thriving. Although, we have been in the community only 2 years, I have quickly come to love this community and school district. With my knowledge and experience I’ve gained in my career, and my passion for this community, I believe I would be a great asset to the school board.

If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach and why? Economics! A solid base in economic knowledge has many benefits in everyday life. I have the pleasure to work with individuals and organizations to help set and meet their financial goals. I would love to be able to foster a hunger for economic knowledge in others

Do you have kids that attend JNCISD? If yes what grades? Yes, Carson 1st grade at Lawn, and Claire 4 yrs old who will attend Lawn in 2 years.

How long have you lived in JNCISD? We moved our home and my chiropractic practice from Abilene 2 years ago so our children can attend school at Jim Ned.

Are you involved in any local organizations, non-profits, or committees? If yes, what are they? I was an active member of Junior League of Abilene 2010-2022 and served as League President 2020-2021. I currently volunteer with Junior Achievement teaching Career Success and Personal Finance classes at Jim Ned and Baird High School. I also help coach basketball through JNBL.

Have you ever previously served on a school Board? No.

What is your occupation? Chiropractor at Southall Chiropractic, PLLC.

What is your favorite thing about JNCISD? I am a small town girl, and I LOVE the community and small town feel of JN. I appreciate that our school district is rooted in Christ, tradition, and old school values.

What do you believe makes you a good candidate for JNCISD? I really appreciate the values of our current board and feel my daily communication with the JN community through my practice holds value in understanding the needs and concerns of our families, students, and teachers. Jim Ned is a very special place, and I want to keep it that way for our kids.

If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach and why? The Personal Finance class I teach through JA is my absolute favorite class! I wish every senior in high school went through the course. It is vital information to help our kids make good, sound financial decisions from a young age.

Do you have kids that attend JNCISD? If yes what grades? Yes I have a son in 4th grade and a daughter in 2nd grade

How long have you lived in JNCISD? 13 years

Are you involved in any local organizations, non-profits, or committees? If yes, what are they? I recently served with Project Destiny Abilene

Have you ever previously served on a school Board? No.

What is your occupation? Business Owner Rest Wellness Center.

What is your favorite thing about JNCISD? Smaller school setting, conservative values, teachers and administration fostering into our children and not just “teaching” them a subject.

What do you believe makes you a good candidate for JNCISD? ? I do not take the decision to run for school board lightly. I began this process over a year ago by attending the school board meetings to gain insight into the position. I have listened to the challenges we face as a district with rapid growth, teacher/ student ratios, salaries, building needs, and the financial implications of those decisions. I have spoken to parents and their children about their concerns of a rapidly changing society and I believe that by being good stewards of our financial resources, engaging in meaningful discussions, and maintaining a strong community bond we can all navigate through these things with positive outcomes. If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach and why? I would teach History with a focus on the constitution. I feel that it is important to understand what our forefathers intended for our country and to teach our children the good, bad, and ugly of our history through honesty and not through the lens of historical revisionism.

Shawn Sullivan