A fresh voice and new perspectives, that’s what Frank Schmidt said he hopes to bring to Powell River Board of Education.
Schmidt, an employee at Catalyst Paper Corporation, is one of 11 candidates running for five trustee positions in the upcoming November 15 civic elections.
“I have witnessed, many times, boards getting stale and becoming unproductive,” said Schmidt. “We need a new voice with fresh ideas and the passion to be better.”
Schmidt has four-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, about to enter public school and he is concerned about the challenges of less funding and declining enrolment facing the system.
Schmidt said he has over 20 years’ volunteer experience on four different boards, including Powell River Minor Hockey Association, Otago Rugby Club, Vancouver Island Rugby Union and Powell River Lodge of Moose International. He has served multiple terms on these boards in various capacities, including as president, vice-president and chair of discipline committees. He added that he also has “extensive experience in auditing financial reports and working on applications for government grants.”
“My strong points are bringing different people with different ideas to the table and making constructive decisions that are good for everyone, not just a select few,” he said. “We need to preserve our public schools, so every child has access to quality education.”
