Voter pamphlet for Plains Board Trustees
The Plains School would like to introduce you to the candidates that are running for the School Board Trustee positions in the election on May 5, 2008.
Voters will have to vote for two candidates. Each candi responded to to five questions:
1. Why are you seeking a position on the school board?
2. What makes you an ideal candidate for this position? What experience do you have that is pertinent to this role?
3. Do you have children in public schools?
4. What do you plan to bring to the school board? What changes do you see are necessary?
5. Give a brief overview of your education, employment, family history, etc.
Polly Icenoggle
1) would like to become more involved with our young people and their futures.
2)Number one- I am a parent. Between my husband and I, we have sent five children through this school. I don’t have an agenda - I simply have a heart for our children and teachers in this community.
3) No
4)I would be coming in with an open mind. As far as any “necessary changes” to the board, I wouldn’t know until I was involved.
5)I was born in Hot Springs and attended 1st through 9th grade there. My family moved to Plains in 1971 where my 5 sisters and I went through Plains High School. I graduated in 1975.
I returned to Plains in 1993. For the past 10 years I have owned and operated a family hair salon
(Polly’s Place) here in Plains. Between my husband Bruce and I, we have 5 crazy kids and 5 “perfect” grandkids
Ron Olfert
I would like to see our public education system improved as much as possible so that our children will have the skills and thinking ability to help bring America back to the prominence it once had in innovation and values.
I have held many leadership roles in community affairs and have a demonstrated ability to motivate others to be active. I am not afraid of differences of opinion and welcome healthy debate. My experience in public involvement includes founding public interest groups plus membership, chairmanship, and directorship in committees
I have had children in public schools. At present my children are past school age.
I will bring a conservative element that will be needed in tough times ahead. Budget decisions will not be easy and I believe I have the analytical skills to objectively come to the best conclusions. I certainly know there will be give and take but will do my best to defend my positions with facts and logic, with respect for others.
MBA from Portland State University (less 3 credits)
BA degree in chemistry with math minor, Walla Walla, Washington
High school diploma from Alberta, Canada
Taught high school math and science for two years, was principal for one year
Worked in the field of chemistry for 10 years (chemist, manager, chemical engineering consultant)
Worked in the computer field for 20 years (programmer, system analyst, manager, network administrator)
Started my own business in Portland, which I eventually sold.
Bought an insulation business here in Plains.
I was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, to parents who placed a very high value on education. My siblings and I all completed college and had careers which made use of that education.
I am a citizen of the US, and moved to Montana from Portland, Oregon in 2001. If ever there is a place that feels like home, Plains, Montana is it.
Tony Banovich
Over the last year, I have been attending the majority of the Plains School Board meetings; and, have participated as a member of the High School Athletic Funding Committee.
Based on my observations from these meetings, it has become apparent to me that the Plains School District faces a number of challenges in the coming months and years. The State of Montana’s school funding formulas have certainly not been kind to our district. And, the recent economic downturn, which has hit Sanders County especially hard, creates a further challenge to adequately funding our school system.
With declining enrollments, changing community demographics, aging facilities, reduced scholastic opportunities, potential loss of extra-curricular activities, 4-day versus 5-day school weeks, rising operational costs, upcoming bargaining agreements and more – the School Board will be faced with many difficult choices.
As a result, I felt that it was important to try to do my part in finding solutions to these challenges. I simply would like to be a productive, active member of the community in which I live; and, I want to see that my daughter and the rest of the Plains area children (now and in the future) have the best possible educational opportunities when they attend our schools.
I don’t claim to have all the answers; and, I don’t claim to be an expert in education issues.
But, I do believe that I have the ability to make sound, reasoned judgments and to base my decisions on what will be in the best long term interests of our current and future students.
During my professional career I have had the opportunity to participate in numerous issues, projects and actions that impacted the communities in which I have lived and worked.
This includes being on “both sides of the table” at forums such as City Council, Neighborhood Task Force and Community User Group meetings.
Through those interactions I have learned the need to listen closely to the opinions of others, separate emotion from reason, and base decisions on achieving the most positive results.
Finally, my participation at School Board meetings over the last year has provided me with a strong insight into some of the challenges facing the Plains school system.
My daughter Zoe is a sophomore at Plains High School, where she also participates in Cross Country, Wrestling, Track, 4-H; and, most recently, was accepted into the National Honor Society.
I believe that I can bring to the School Board the ability to make decisions based on the principles of honesty, integrity, fairness, personal responsibility and positive community impact.
I believe that I can help the School Board to achieve the leadership role necessary in providing clear, positive direction to our school administration.
I support the concept of long distance learning opportunities for our students. This can be a great potential tool for our students to study subjects that we are unable to provide locally.
I support the effort to develop a strategic plan for the school in order to provide a set of short and long term goals and objectives.
Providing better transparency and clarity in the school budgets.
Stronger leadership from the Board in providing direction to the school’s administration.
I was raised in Butte and graduated from Butte Central High School (1980). I then went on to attend Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas and Montana Tech in Butte, earning my B.S. in Geological Engineering in 1986.
I married Erin McCarthy of Plains in the summer of 1985. Her parents are Peg McCarthy and the late Larry McCarthy. We have two children.
Our son Nicholas was born in 1987 while we lived in Plains during the early years of our marriage. He currently lives in Tempe, Arizona and attends Arizona State University.
Our daughter Zoe was born in 1993 while we lived in Billings. She is currently a sophomore at Plains High School. She will be the 3rd generation to graduate from PHS - following her grandmother Peg McCarthy (Stobie) and her mother and aunts (Erin, Colleen and Meghan McCarthy).
I began my professional career as a geologist and surveyor for Lawrence J. McCarthy & Associates here in Plains from the summer of 1985 until the spring of 1987.
Economic conditions dictated that we look for work elsewhere; and, in the spring of 1987 I took a job as a civil engineer with the City of Rancho Mirage, California.
We quickly realized that we wanted to return to Montana; but, it took until 1991 before we could make our way back.
In February of 1991 I began work as a civil engineer with the City of Billings; and, remained in that position until early 1998. I then took a position as a project manager overseeing construction activities for Billings Clinic.
Since the summer of 2007, I have been employed as the Quality Manager for Sanderson Stewart, a civil engineering and community development consulting firm that is based in Billings. My position allows me to work remotely from Plains, with some limited travel.
In 2004, Erin and I purchased a home west of Plains in the hopes of ultimately being able to return to Western Montana. In the summer of 2007, we were able to realize that goal and make the move back to Sanders County.
Lisa Read
1. Why are you seeking a position on the school board?
I have been attending school board meetings for several years and have since had the opportunity to sit on the Strategic Planning Committee for the school. I believe in the future of our students and am willing to provide the time and attention it would take to gather information to better be able to make the best decision possible.
2. What makes you an ideal candidate for this position? What experience do you have that is pertinent to this role?
Our family has been volunteers in this community since our arrival five years ago. We believe in contributing as a way of saying thank you for the opportunities our family have been able to participate in. We also believe that many programs would not run without the benefit of volunteers. Even though Plains is a small community, the opportunities are quite broad. My personal involvement has been to sit on boards of soccer, Backcountry Horseman, and Saddle Club. I have also coached soccer, volunteered for school trips, been a 4-H leader, been a member of the Wildhorse Drill team, and am a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Currently, I have been relinquishing my duties on some of the boards to better be prepared to commit the time it will take to do a thorough job, if elected, to the School Board.
3. Do you have children in public schools?
Yes, my husband, David, and I have two children attending Plains High School. Brandon, is a graduating senior and Jessica, is a sophomore.
4. What do you plan to bring to the school board? What changes do you see are necessary?
I believe my prior involvement in the community brings leadership and diversity to the school board team. I believe accountability and high standards should be the expectation for all - students, teachers, parents and administration staff. If you would like to discuss my position on issues important to you, please feel free to call me, or catch me around town. If elected, it would be my responsibility to represent the majority opinion of our community.
5. Give a brief over-view of your education, employment, family history, etc.
I graduated from high school from rural Montana, and attended MSU and U of M. I have a BS in Construction Engineering Technology, a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Construction Engineering Management. While my personal experience has pursued higher education, I believe each student should follow a career path that best suits their skills and desires. Therefore, I believe strongly that our school should prepare all students for their future, whether they are academically bound or not. Currently, I have two jobs. One, I am a civil engineer and perform site development and project review for municipalitites. Second, my husband and I own Quality Landscape Seeding. We provide erosion control and seeding services throughout four states. Thankfully, I have the opportunity to work from a home office and with a flexible schedule, believe I can better serve our community, if elected to this position. I have family in Plains and Florence, with my husband's family in the Seattle area. While our immediate family is relatively new to Plains, we have tried to be contributing citizens since our arrival, and hope for the opportunity to continue my service on the school board.
If I don't get elected, I still intend on staying involved with the school board; however, if you believe I could do a good job for our students, please vote (and tell your friends) for me at the May 5
election.