My name is Don Pydo, and I would like to introduce myself as a write-in candidate seeking election to the Glenbard Township H.S. District 87 Board of Education.

My wife, Candy, and I have lived in Glen Ellyn for 25 years with our two sons, Don and Dan -- Glenbard West grads, classes of 2001 and 2002.

As often happens in life, my decision to run for the school board has been a circuitous one that originated last fall when I began attending D87 meetings in an attempt to better educate myself on artificial turf. The material that was being discussed at the board table, and disseminated to the public, was being controlled primarily from a particular product manufacturer via a private citizen initiative.

Given the manufacturer’s vested interest in the outcome of the board decision, I felt compelled to research a broader spectrum of objective opinion on the topic. The more I read, the more uneasy I became about genuine health, safety and environmental issues that I felt were not receiving comprehensive or serious review by D87. As the father of two athletes who share my passion for sports, these unanswered questions continue to be the focus of my concern regarding the installation of artificial turf at any of the four Glenbard high schools.

And just for the record, I am not opposed to the idea of “gaining ground” for our students. I would choose to do so, however, within a wider spectrum of options (high quality natural turf, for example) which I do not feel have been adequately explored by the board. Above all, I would also elect to do so at an economic time that is more stable than the present one.

It is certainly not news that this past October, the bottom fell out of the financial world--and with that meltdown came a new set of challenges for our schools. Spending many hours in the audience at D87 board meetings reinforced that fact loud and clear. As I listened and learned, it also became apparent that D87 has recent knowledge and experience as to the pain that can occur when it does not exercise careful financial judgment or adhere to sound management principles--or when it spends money it doesn’t have! It was frankly a desire to make certain that Glenbard avoids those pitfalls in the immediate future that ultimately drove my decision to run for the board.

At these uncertain economic times, it is more critical than ever that the board attracts candidates with the ability to take a proactive approach to problem solving, and craft a series of strategic initiatives that will ensure the continuation of quality program, with no disruptions, for our students. The board cannot drag its feet on this front—or rely on the old stand-by “We didn’t see this coming.” We know full well what is coming at us, and must start to prepare now!

I believe that my educational background in business and finance, with a B.S. in Commerce from DePaul University, and subsequently an MBA from the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management--combined with 30 years of hands-on business administration, most recently as Vice President of Business Operations for the Wirtz Beverage Group in Chicago--place me in solid position to be part of the team that helps D87 navigate through the rough waters that are on the horizon.

Having been a close observer of D87 over the past few months, I also believe that there is plenty of room for improvement in the areas of accountability and transparency—both of which I would make a top priority of my term. It is time for candidates to pay more than lip service to campaign promises that are all too often--and conveniently—forgotten.

I would welcome the opportunity to serve the district, its students and the vast 87 community at large--and in the time leading up to the election, would encourage you to ask any questions regarding my platform and position on the issues facing D87.

Most of all--I would welcome your write-in vote on April 7.

Don Pydo

One more thing --

The campaign has not really started yet, and already I have fielded a number of questions about why I did not file before the deadline, necessitating that I run a write-in campaign. Knowing that folks are curious, let me hit that one head on!

The easy answer is -- I sure wish I had. In retrospect, it would have been far less of an uphill struggle than running a write-in campaign in a wide field of 9 candidates!

But you can’t unfry that egg.

The honest answer is -- like most things in life -- timing is everything, and unfortunately, prior to the end of the filing period, I was still wrestling with whether or not I would be able to make the commitment that school board membership deserves. As I continued to attend meetings, however, and gained greater familiarity with school finance and how much it will be impacted by the implosion of the US economy, it became clear to me that I could not afford NOT to make a commitment.

When I realized that only two candidates had officially filed in January, leaving two openings on the board, I declared my intent to run. A day late maybe--but better late than never!

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quote:

Originally posted by Don Pydo:
most recently as Vice President of Business Operations for the Wirtz Beverage Group in Chicago--

So will we finally get to see School Board meetings on TV now?

Any word on the tabulation of the write-in votes yet? Will we know the results of the D87 election soon?

I heard it was the 2 guys from East

Checked the dupage county site and it still doesn't have anything. My info was from a friend so it may not be accurate

quote:

Originally posted by M:
I heard it was the 2 guys from East

I suspect Jombl wouldn't be happy with who I heard (in other words: hearsay evidence) was supporting those guys.

A good time to be a teacher/adminstrator in D87!

I thought Don Pydo was an impressive candidate. I hope these guys do as good a job as I expected Don to.