8A | SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw News
OTER
ER
GUIDE
May 18, 2021, Special Election in Lane County
T
his Siuslaw News Voter Guide in-
cludes information on each of the
races in the May 18 Special Election.
Th is guide provides a description of
the boards and the names of those
running for positions on western Lane
County’s boards and commissions.
While many of the candidates are
running unopposed, three districts
have contested races. Th e Siuslaw News
invited the candidates from these three
— Lane Community College Board of
Education, Lane Education Service
District Board of Directors and the
Siuslaw School District Board of Di-
rectors — to answer questions and give
more information. Th is is an opportu-
nity for voters to read about the back-
grounds and beliefs of people who will
shape the community for the next four
years.
Voters in Lane County will begin to
receive their ballots this week. Com-
pleted ballots can then be mailed to
Lane County Elections, 275 W 10th
Ave., Eugene OR 97401, or dropped
off at the Lane County Elections of-
fi cial ballot drop box at the Florence
Municipal Court, 900 Greenwood St.
in Florence, by 8 p.m. on Election Day,
Tuesday, May 18.
Information included in this guide
came from lanecounty.org/elections
and the candidates and their cam-
paigns. Our thanks to the candidates
who provided this information to
readers in the Siuslaw region.
Th is guide will be available to view
at Th eSiuslawNews.com.
Disclaimer: Siuslaw News is not endorsing any candidate or measure included in its election coverage. Any views or opinions stated are exclusively
those of the individuals themselves. Siuslaw News is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of information submitted by the candidates.
DIRECTOR POSITION 6 AT-LARGE
Two candidates
— Lane Education Service District —
Business Admin-
istration. He has
also done a course
study at Lane
Community Col-
lege.
Cunningham
has previous gov-
ernmental expe-
rience. This in-
cludes:
Rich Cunningham
Rose Wilde
• Bethel School
Board: 2011 to
present (elected)
ane ESD, an educational ser-
• EWEB Commissioner: 2008-
vice agency in Eugene, Ore., 12 (elected)
provides services to Lane County’s
• Bethel School District Budget
16 school districts. Services are Committee: 2007 to present (ap-
outlined in Lane ESD’s Local Ser- pointed)
vice Plan, which is developed in
• Lane ESD Budget Committee:
collaboration with school districts 2015 to present (appointed)
and approved annually by every
• Lane County Fair Board: 2019
Lane County school board.
to present (appointed)
Lane ESD is governed by a cit-
In his candidate statement, Cun-
izen-elected board of directors ningham wrote, “Working togeth-
and an appointed advisor. Five of er, I believe Measure 98 (Career
the board positions represent geo- and Technical Education) can be
graphical zones and two are desig- better achieved if we can make the
nated at-large. All members serve Lane ESD a more central figure
four-year terms.
in the delivery of services for kids
Find out more at www.lesd.k12. that choose this path. Most of our
or.us.
larger high schools have many of
In this special election, Position the Career and Technical vocations
6, At-Large, is contested, with Rich available. However, our smaller
Cunningham running against in- high schools in Lane County need
cumbent Rose Wilde.
help achieving compliance. Why
The Siuslaw News reached out to not take all of these programs and
both candidates, but only received make them available to all of the
answers to our questions from county’s schools? Working togeth-
Wilde.
er, we could achieve a delivery of
these programs that would be a
— CUNNINGHAM —
model for all of Oregon.”
Rich Cunningham is a retired
Cunningham is endorsed by
insurance broker and agency Lane County Commissioner Pat
manager, with a background as a Farr and Oregon State Sen. James
manager in sales, finance and in- Manning.
surance. He has also been a high
school and youth softball coach
— WILDE —
and a high school baseball coach.
Rose Wilde, MPH, has served
He graduated from Roger Wil- on the board of directors of Lane
liams University with a BS in ESD since 2013, and has served
L
as vice chair and chair. Her peers
on local school boards elected
her twice to serve as the regional
representative to the Legislative
Committee of the Oregon School
Boards’ Association, helping to
make and pass education policies
to improve the experiences of stu-
dents in our schools.
Wilde is currently the chair of
the Oregon Association of Edu-
cation Service Districts. She led
efforts to adopt a new equity and
racial justice position statement
statewide, and is working with
Lane ESD to create a local state-
ment that reflects our regional di-
versity and values.
Wilde has a master’s degree in
Public Health from Oregon State
University and current serves as a
volunteer and community organiz-
er to promote equity and justice in
her community. Prior to the pan-
demic, she volunteered in her local
elementary schools and in Bethel
and South Lane School Districts.
Her professional work includes
social services, public health and
community education, and she
has worked in local government,
educational, and non-profit orga-
nizations for 20 years serving the
Lane County community.
(Note: The following questions
were given to both candidates.
Only Wilde responded to our re-
quest)
1. What would you identify as
the opportunities and limita-
tions of this position?
There is an immense opportu-
nity to support all the students in
Lane County to successful gradu-
ation and preparation for college
and careers.
An area of emphasis is expand-
ing career and technical education
so that students from all parts
PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
Elect
M aureen
MILTENBERGER
Siuslaw School Board Position 4
Maureen believes in a well-rounded Science
based education for every student.
EDUCATOR - ADVOCATE
Approved and paid for by friends of Maureen Miltenberger.
of the county can access hands-
on learning in career connected
courses that encourage practical
application of academic learning.
Students can prepare to enter
a career right after graduation,
or pursue further education and
certifications, through CTE pro-
grams.
Lane ESD is also deeply engaged
in recruiting and retaining the
most diverse and qualified edu-
cators, and as a board member I
will be working to assure that our
employees have a welcoming and
supportive work environment that
honors and celebrates all of our
cultures and histories. Educator
diversity is a challenge because Or-
egon schools have not been able to
recruit and retain educators with
cultural and linguistic diversity to
match the diversity of the students
we serve — so we must invest in
new strategies to welcome and
support all our educators.
2. If elected, what do you see as
your most important objectives
for the upcoming term?
My three objectives include:
1) Expanding career and tech-
nical opportunities and courses to
all 16 school districts
2) Promote educator diversity
through Lane ESD’s “Grow Your
Own” educator pathway for high
school students and by adopting a
new equity policy and initiative in
Lane ESD
3) Close opportunity gaps for
our students by continuing to in-
vest in culturally sustaining cur-
riculum and teaching practices,
empowering students through our
student success efforts, and con-
tinuing to expand opportunities
for college courses for high school
students
the biggest challenges?
The pandemic remains the big-
gest challenge for all of us, and the
impact of the pandemic has not
been equally shared. Poor, work-
ing families, families of color and
families with essential workers
and multi-generational homes
have suffered enormous losses in
family members, income and ed-
ucation. Supporting the recovery
of lost learning opportunities and
addressing the trauma and loss
among our students will be priori-
ties for some years to come.
4. What do you identify as
unique concerns to your district
and how would you address
those issues?
Lane ESD is a regional school
district that serves all 16 school
districts, so our scope is very
broad and vast. Our challenge is to
continue to offer support to each
school district in a way that honors
their local culture and traditions,
while cobbling together regional
programs that provide greater op-
portunities for all students.
Tailoring our services to fit each
school district, while leveraging
the benefits of collaboration and
the economies of scale, is a balanc-
ing act that requires constant com-
munication between our boards,
staff and community partners.
As a board member, I will work
with Lane ESD to provide oppor-
tunities for regional conversations
between school districts to identi-
fy our common goals and issues,
and share strategies for addressing
common concerns, such as engage
students with diverse backgrounds
in college coursework or CTE op-
portunities, as well as building a
welcoming and inclusive school
climate for students, staff and
community members.
3. What do you anticipate being
PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
Holli Johnson for LCC Board of Education for Zone 1
Holli makes history as the fi rst African Ameri-
can woman on the board and hopes to grow
conversations about equity and inclusion.
Johnson brings in the most extensive back-
ground working in college education, having
worked in fi nancial aid and scholarships at a
number of colleges in California, Arizona, and
Oregon before taking a position at the Uni-
versity of Oregon’s Offi ce of Student Financial
Aid and Scholarships. Since 2019, Johnson
has coordinated the Lane Education Service District’s African Ameri-
can/Black Student Success Program. She is also the current chair for
the Eugene-Springfi eld NAACP’s Education Committee, as well as
the education director at St. Mark CME Church in Eugene. Holli John-
son remains committed to education because she recognizes a need
in marginalized communities where support systems may be lacking
at home or school. She wants to contribute to a much past due con-
versation about working toward inclusivity in the community. Hol-
li also has goals to focus on sustainability of adult and continuing
education programs, access to education, and the recruitment and
retainment of staff of color with working wages.
PAID FOR BY FRIENDS HOLLI JOHNSON (541) 595-8956