VOTE411 Voter Guide

Background: 20+ year Troy resident and proud parent of two TSD graduates(K-12). M.S. in Biomechanics from Purdue University and B.E. in Mechanical Engineering.

Leadership: 6 years on the Troy School Board, currently Board President. Experienced in governance, strategic decisions, collaboration, and community engagement.

Professional Experience: 30+ years in engineering and IT, spanning design, safety, quality, program management, and product strategy. Skilled in strategic planning, problem-solving, risk management, data-driven decisions, & leading complex initiatives.

Volunteering: Extensive involvement through PTO, athletics, orchestra, STEM coaching, mentoring, and volunteering, providing firsthand understanding of students, families, and community partnerships.

Why: Running for re-election to use my leadership, expertise, and community experience to maintain Troy’s exceptional schools, strengthen long-term planning, and help every student thrive and reach their full potential.

Fiscal Responsibility: Financial stewardship is a key School Board responsibility. For 26–27, we reduced spending by $12 million and plan further reductions to balance the budget, while minimizing impact on students, teachers, and classrooms.

Excellence for Every Student: Troy is a high-performing district, with students performing two years above the national average. I will strive to maintain excellent academic standards while ensuring underserved and special needs students receive the support needed to succeed.

Technology & Student Well-Being: Technology continues to shape how students learn, grow, and develop. I will strive to understand benefits and drawbacks and support policies that promote effective technology use while protecting student growth and well-being. I will strive to ensure every student feels valued, included, and that they belong.

Open Communication: Foster open communication with families and local businesses to build partnerships and support student success.

I am the father of a 2nd grader in the district and a husband of 21 years. Professionally, I am an education policy researcher and economist with over 16 years of experience. Currently a program evaluation officer at a local private foundation, I previously served as Director of Research for Detroit Public Schools. I hold both an MA in Economics and an Executive MBA, plus additional doctoral training in education policy at MSU.

As a Troy resident, district parent, and education professional, I am running to strengthen our students’ academic outcomes through strategy, data, and accountability. I believe deeply in the promise of public education. Because our resources are limited, every investment must be backed by solid research, aligned with our strategic goals, and managed with disciplined fiscal stewardship. Having attended nearly every board meeting for the past 2.5 years, I have the district insight needed to hit the ground running on January 1st.

www.walt4tsd.com/about-walt

Academics: Troy is an exceptional district, but we must continue closing achievement gaps by raising floors, not lowering ceilings. We need to elevate educator expertise in curriculum planning, maintain robust community input, and fully fund special education, including gifted programming.

Culture: Every student must feel safe, valued, and ready to learn. We should use regular climate data to guide improvements and invest in social-emotional learning that fosters resilience and empathy. We must ensure all students and staff feel safe and respected.

Finance: Because state funding depends on enrollment, we must prioritize student retention and improve strategic fiscal planning to maximize the impact of scarce resources. In addition, robust community engagement, open budget transparency, and a board committed to asking tough, essential questions are vital to restoring trust, protecting classroom priorities, and ensuring long-term fiscal health.

I am a graduate of Madonna University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and have spent more than 40 years as a Registered Nurse and healthcare professional, including leadership, management, and supervisory responsibilities with Beaumont/Corewell Health. I have also served as a college instructor, teaching and mentoring students, and have participated on multiple professional committees throughout my career.

I am running for the Troy School Board because I believe strong schools are essential to the future of our children and our community. Troy has a tradition of academic excellence, and I want to help ensure that our schools remain focused on providing every student with the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

I believe students must always come first. Parents should be respected as partners in their children's education, teachers should have the support and resources they need to maintain strong classrooms, and taxpayers deserve transparency, & accountability,

Academic Excellence and Student Achievement. If elected, I would focus on measurable student outcomes in reading, math, science, writing, and civics; support programs that help struggling students; and ensure that advanced learners continue to have opportunities to grow. I would also listen closely to teachers about what they need in the classroom 2. Safe, Orderly, and Supportive Schools School safety must include strong building security and emergency preparedness, but it also means maintaining orderly classrooms, addressing bullying and disruptive behavior, and making sure students who are struggling can access appropriate support. As a Board member, I would work with administrators, teachers, parents, and public-safety professionals to continually review safety procedures and make sure policies are consistently enforced. 3. Transparency, Parent Partnership, and Fiscal Responsibility Parents should be treated as partners in their children's education, and taxpayers deserve to know

After careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to suspend all campaign activities for the Troy School District Board of Education.

I entered this race because I believe our school board should remain focused on students, families, educators, and the needs of our entire community and not partisan politics. I believe strongly in nonpartisan school board governance and in ensuring that every candidate and every member of our community is treated fairly, regardless of political affiliation.

With other candidates in this race now receiving partisan endorsements, I am no longer able to continue my campaign under these circumstances. Participating in a race where partisan organizations are formally endorsing candidates conflicts with the principles of nonpartisan local school board governance.

Therefore, I am suspending all campaign activities and removing myself as a candidate for the Troy School District Board of Education.

My commitment to Troy students and families does not end with my campaign. I will continue to advocate for transparency, accountability, strong literacy instruction, appropriate support for students with learning differences, and an educational system that puts students first. I have suspended my campaign and will not be participating in any campaign activities.

Two years ago, I moved to Troy because my son wasn't getting what he needed at our previous district, and Troy could give him that. I've been genuinely impressed with how well this district runs. But as the executive who took Detroit's streetlights from 40% out to 99% on, I've learned that in any strong organization, the hardest work is the last mile: the individual kids still falling through the cracks after everything else is acceptably working. I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was 47; for decades I thought something was wrong with me. I don't want any Troy student to wait that long to be seen. I bring 20+ years of executive leadership, an MBA from NYU Stern, and a decade running my own agency on a flat budget, no revenue increase, while still delivering real results. My parents were career public educators. Every child, every school, every opportunity isn't a slogan. It's how I think.

(1) Finding the last 1%: averages hide the kids who need us most. Literacy is one area where we, and the rest of the state, must focus: Michigan's evidence-based reading law takes full effect in 2027, and I'd push Troy not just to enact it, but to embrace it, with individualized paths for kids who learn differently. It also means partnering with organizations that can augment extracurricular activities, allow us to potentially invest in programs like cricket and robotics. (2) Finances: structural gaps lie ahead. I built a decade of balanced budgets without revenue increases. I partnered with Labor, including IBEW Local 17 to extend opportunity. I'd bring the same approach to Troy: long-term restructuring using our Labor partners as resources; and not simply relying on cuts and adversarial bargaining to balance the budget. (3) Staying ahead: I want our district to be on the forefront of innovation, from advanced classes to individualized learning paths for those that need it.