School Board Candidate Bio:
Please provide some insight to who you are, your family, and the work you do. (A response in narrative format is fine).
My name is Tom Martinez and I live east of Dimock, SD, on our family’s farm and have done so for the last 17 years with my wife, Jennifer. We have four children, Mikalena (27), Blayne (23), Cash (14), and Magda (8). My wife is a schoolteacher for the Bridgewater-Emery School District. I am currently the owner/operator of Three Point Livestock Marketing, which I started 8 years ago after having worked in the ranching and feedlot industry for over 30 years. When not on the road marketing cattle, I am at home helping my wife’s family with farming and raising livestock.
Questions of Interest:
- Why are you running for the Parkston Board of Education?
- If elected, what will be your priorities for the district?
- Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
- What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
- In what Parkton School District or community activities/organizations have you been involved with?
- I am a parent, and a resident of the district, and I see some things happening in our country that other young people are dealing with that concern me, and I want to make sure the students in our district only need to worry about young people stuff, (School work, friends, sports, their future.) I want to help be a part of the support group that helps ensure our district students can traverse, and complete the work necessary to graduate, working alongside their parents to help them also plot a future career path, and just make sure that all the added luggage that life seems to want to add to their carts daily is kept to a minimum.
2. #1 Well being of the students
#2 Strong well kept communication with the parents.
#3 Strong support structure for district staff, ensuring that good teachers, doing the difficult work necessary in the world of education know that we have their backs.
#4 Financial stability of the district.
3. There is no one specific issue, but rather the challenge of being a part of the group directly taking on the problems, and addressing the issues that the district, the students, and staff face. Helping plot the course of navigation for the future well being of all concerned, is the driving force for my decision to run.
4. I am a small business owner of over eight years here in South Dakota, having owned other businesses in other states. I am the spouse of a South Dakota public school teacher with over sixteen years’ experience. Our son Blayne is a 2017 graduate of the district.
5. Maybe, possibly, some people might think that someone more personally immersed in the activities of the district would be a better choice, but I believe it would be easier for a person like myself to be more subjective, and easier to act in an unbiased fashion on district matters simply due to the lack of peer pressure. Those of you that know me, know that I am not your “yes man.” Or someone that is easily swayed by popular opinion, but I am a man with no pronouns added that cares about my community, and it’s young people.