Ed's Bio

My wife and I have been Mesa residents since 1988.  Our children attended MPS.  I graduated college with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Electrical Engineering.  After college, I worked for the U.S. Government installing, testing and maintaining communications and electronic systems for the military across the U.S. and Europe.  After my time with the government, I was employed by Motorola here in the valley where I worked in 3 different divisions: Aerospace where I was involved with the manufacture of satellite components, Military Electronics where I was involved with the manufacture of defense systems components and finally with the Semiconductor Products Sector where I worked as a technical writer of customer specifications for the production of custom semiconductors.  I was subsequently employed in the financial service industry for 4 years, after which I worked for 2 privately owned "mom and pop" manufacturing companies in the semiconductor industry.  My last employment was a very successful small manufacturing company that my wife and I owned and operated for 13 years.  So much of what I've accomplished in my life would not have been possible if I did not have a solid educational foundation.
In addition to my lifetime of experience, I am currently a retired empty nester which gives me additional advantages as I have lots of time and very few distractions so that I can focus significant time and effort to solving the district's most pressing problems.  Since my retirement in 2012 I have volunteered with 2 different non-profits. As a legislative liaison I've gained a working knowledge of the state's legislative process. I am also comfortable interacting with legislators on bills.  I think this will come in handy when our schools need the assistance of the legislature.  For the last 3 years I have been working for a men's mentoring program where I work with men teaching them life skills relating to becoming better men, husbands, and fathers.

Skills I Will Bring To The Job

With my engineering background, I will bring complex problem-solving skills, a methodical and analytical approach with data supported solutions achieving measurable results.

From my experience working for the government and with large government contractors, I will bring effective communications skills with people across multiple disciplines and functional responsibilities.  Also, I am well versed in adherence to and navigation through extensive policy, procedures and regulations.

From my experience in small privately owned companies I will bring the value of teamwork and the importance of interdisciplinary responsibilities.  

During my 13 years' experience owning and operating a small manufacturing business, I gained extensive experience in every aspect of business operations, from marketing and sales, customer relationships, purchasing/procurement including extensive experience with competitive bid process, production, scheduling, budgeting/accounting, payroll, fiscal responsibility and managing personnel issues.  All valuable skills to bring to overseeing, understanding, and managing the complex education system.  Within the first 2 years of owning my business it became apparent that we were operating in declining and increasingly competitive markets which necessitated our completely re-inventing the business model. All while maintaining an ongoing enterprise.  I believe this skill will be directly applicable to a failing education system.

As the Legislative Liaison for local non-profit, I learned about how to navigate the legislative process, interact with state legislators, and advocate for favorable legislation and against harmful legislation.

Knowing the value of mentoring the younger generation with the extensive knowledge and wisdom I've gained over my lifetime, I have been "practicing what I preach" through volunteering with the Men's Mentoring Program at a local non-profit.  In this role, I help young men become better men, better husbands and better fathers.