Editor’s Note: Earlier this month, The Citizen e-mailed questions to candidates in Atlas, Brandon and Groveland townships. The election is Nov. 8. Candidates were limited to 30-word responses. Key (D) Democrat, (R) Republican, (I) incumbent

Goodrich School Board, vote for two; 6 year term

Name & years in the district: Allison Bohlen, 30 years.
Occupation, government experience: Realtor
What is your vision for the future of the Goodrich School District? What changes would you advocate and why?
As a Goodrich School District resident and parent, I have high expectations for the district. I expect the schools to promote good morals and positive family values in students, consistent with making them productive citizens.
My top priority is to ensure the safety and security of all students and staff through improved safety measures across the district.

Name & years in the district: Matt Bohlen. (I)
I have been in the district for a total of 35 years, which includes my PreK-12 education. My parents and paternal grandparents also graduated from Goodrich Area Schools, as well as about two dozen other relatives.
Occupation, government experience: I work in higher education, having nearly 20 years of experience in the college setting. Currently, I am employed by Carnegie Higher Education in a consulting role to help universities with their enrollment and marketing goals.
What is your vision for the future of the Goodrich School District ? What changes would you advocate and why?
Our school district is home. Whether families are first-generation attendees or following in their parent’s footsteps, we attend Goodrich Area Schools because of the excellent education, hometown atmosphere, and dedicated teachers and staff.

Name & years in the district: Lori J. Schaffer. I have lived 3 years in the district after retiring and moving from Oxford and OHS district.
Occupation, government experience: General Motors retiree, wife, mother, grandmother and concerned citizen. I have BS degrees in Industrial Technology & Psychology, and AS in Drafting & Design Tech.
What is your vision for the future of the Goodrich School District? What changes would you advocate and why?
I hope to maintain the current high academic performance with an inclusive education, teacher support, parental involvement, trade training opportunities, and support for arts and music. School safety must be a priority.
The changes I would advocate include would be more support for teachers and addressing the shortages. I would guarantee safety is insured. This, to address nationwide teacher shortages and shootings.

Name & Years in the district: Scott VanSumeren
29 years
Occupation, government experience: Retired, technical sales/service manager. None.
Vision for the future of the Goodrich School District: Goodrich Schools remain a safe and secure place where students can excel in academics, arts, and athletics thereby becoming prepared for life.
What changes would you advocate and why?: Continue to grow our STEM program while also including vocational programs such as skilled trades, HVAC, mechanics, construction, etc. As the developments in STEM focused careers progress, many fulfilling opportunities can be found by building, supporting and maintaining these advancements.

Name & years in the district: Lindsay J. Young
20 years in the district. Goodrich Graduate Class of 2002
Occupation, government experience: Finance Manager for Oxford Fire Department with 17 years municipal government experience.
What is your vision for the future of the Goodrich School District? What changes would you advocate and why?
My vision for the future of Goodrich Schools is one that is fiscally responsible and transparent, with a focus on mental health and the arts.
I would advocate for competitive pay for the teachers and support staff to ensure we are getting the best candidates possible. I support hiring a full-time mental health professional to be utilized by every school in the district. I would also focus on securing adequate funding for the arts programs, as studies have proven that participation in the arts increases academic performance and promotes positive mental health.

Brandon School Board, vote for three; 4 year term

Name & years in district: Vinny Bills, 21 years in Brandon School District
Occupation, government experience:
Senior in Actuarial Sciences at Oakland University, Groveland Township cable manager 2.5 years, Owner/Operator Odds N Ends 6 years, SOS Softwashing 4 years, YouTube content creator 4 years.
What is your vision for the future of the Brandon School District? What changes would you advocate and why?
Transparency, clean and safe facilities, academic excellence, parental involvement, and preservation of the character of the district. BSD is a gem and I want to keep it that way.
I’ll work with other board members to improve teacher retention. We’re losing great teachers and consequently, the programs they run. That can’t happen. I’ll promote career readiness for college, trade school, the workforce or military service.

Name & years in district: Melodie Lange. I have lived in Ortonville for nine years. My son just started Kindergarten at Oakwood Elementary.
Occupation, government experience: Database administrator. I do not have government experience.
What is your vision for the future of the Brandon School District? What changes would you advocate and why?
I want to see the Brandon School District grow. I want to be a school district that not only residents want to come to, but the school of choice folks want to as well. I hope to see the small-town community feel continue to grow. I want our students to get a top-notch education that will prepare them for life after their school years are done.
I want to involve the parents more, to be their voice. I think all parents should have a say in what happens in their students’ education. I would advocate for getting back to real education, leaving politics and opinions at the door. We need to teach kids to problem solve and think for themselves again.

Name & years in district: Herb Robinson I moved back to the district about 4 years ago, I am an alum of Brandon class of 2003.
Occupation, government experience: I am currently a finance manager in the auto industry.
This is my first time running for an elected position, but I believe my life experience and desire for the success of our school district make me a great fit for the position.
What is your vision for the future of the Brandon School District? What changes would you advocate and why? My vision would be to concentrate on working with the community, school community, and board members to continue to grow the district, and make purposeful changes to provide the students all the opportunities that are available and educate others that might not know about those opportunities.
I don’t have a desire to make drastic changes, I want to continue with the transparency and effective communication to support the administrators and the school staff.

Name & years in the district: Kimberly Smith-Kulaga (I). 14 Years in the district. Proud Brandon graduate!
Occupation, government experience: Corporate Learning & Development Director. Appointed to Brandon School District Board of Education in 2020. Served in the following roles: Treasurer, Secretary, and currently Vice President.
What is your vision for the future of the Brandon School District? What changes would you advocate and why? Grow Brandon School district by improving programs for all students, supporting teachers, increasing parent involvement, and listening to what parents and the community want from the district. We have an added responsibility now, more than ever, to ensure transparency in spending to ensure a positive future for the district.

Editor’s Note: While Melissa Clark will appear on the ballot for the Brandon School Board, she has withdrawn her campaign and is asking voters to not vote for her. See her letter to the Editor in the Oct. 8 edition of The Citizen.

Oakland County Commissioner 7th District, vote for 1; 2 year term

Name & years in the district: Kristin Watt (D), 7 years in the district
Occupation, government experience: Small business owner, Thoughtful Threads in Holly, MI. Democratic precinct delegate, Holly precinct 2 since 2020. Trustee on the Holly Township Library Board since 2020.
What is your vision for the future of the 7th District? What changes would you advocate and why?
Our district deserves the same attention as the rest of the county. I want to see resources for working families, veterans, and seniors closer to home and easier access to financial resources for our many family-owned businesses.

Name & years in the district: Bob Hoffman (R) (I), elected in 2010.
Occupation, government experience: Farmer, small business owner. Waterford Twp. Supervisor 1984-1988. County commissioner 2010-present. Holly DDA chairman. Member of the Highland ZBA for over 25 years.
What is your vision for the future of the 7th District? What changes would you advocate and why?
I will continue to represent my district first and Oakland County second. I will stand up to prevent Oakland County from trying to micro-mange my district. I will continue to defend property rights and to allow residents to enjoy their property without over regulation and taxation.
One size does not fit all in Oakland County. The needs of northern county are not the needs of the southern county. We need to work together to do what is best for the entire county.

Goodrich Village Council, vote for three; 4 year term

Name & years in village: Chris Caverly, I have lived in the village for 26 years.
Occupation, government experience: Car hauler. None, I watch village meetings online and also attend meetings in person.
What is your vision for the future of Goodrich? What changes would you advocate and why?
Have a small town feel with modern amenities. I would like to see Goodrich realize it’s full potential by getting more business and things to do in town for all ages.
Preventative maintenance on DPW equipment results in better spending of tax dollars, improved infrastructure, better roads and sidewalks, and a more appealing downtown to draw in new business.

Name & years in village: Shannon McCafferty, I have lived in the Village of Goodrich for 23 years.
Occupation, government experience: I am a program analyst for the Department of Defense. I served on the village council for 5 years and 2 years of that I was village president.
What is your vision for the future of Goodrich? What changes would you advocate and why?
To be more welcoming/aesthetically pleasing. Have things for all ages, movies/music/exercise equipment in the park, farmers markets. Let’s be a ‘Go-To’ not a ‘pass-thru’ community.
Infrastructure improvements (use the road study). Improve sidewalks. Less frivolous spending, utilize non-profits. Good Times in Goodrich and GEAR, these organizations have proven they can make Goodrich better.

Name & years in village: Susan Simion (I). I’ve lived in the village since 2018.
Occupation, government experience: Retired from the automotive industry in 1985. Librarian at the Metamora Library 1987-1990. Retired from Lapeer Community Schools in 2021.
What is your vision for the future of Goodrich? What changes would you advocate and why?
I would like to open up communication with residents on what they would like to see happen in regards to growth in the village. I would like to improve upon current infrastructure, and continued growth in the community. Growth will help us maintain all that we have and for the future.

Name & years in village: Orland Smith. I’ve been a resident of Goodrich for 14 years.
Occupation, government experience: I’m an aerospace machinist and have been in the machining profession for over 30 years. I have attended one village meeting and made the decision to run for a seat.
What is your vision for the future of Goodrich? What changes would you advocate and why?
I think I would be able to provide a voice of reason and maybe slow down the spending. My vision for the village is to work towards having a cash surplus and to keep from raising taxes.

Name & years in village: Sherry Ann Moore (I). 28 years.
Occupation, government experience: Small business owner. Zoning board member, current council member and appointed street administrator.
What is your vision for the future of Goodrich? What changes would you advocate and why?
Continuing joint ventures with Atlas Township in cost savings and continuing to support the local business environment while keeping our small town appeal.
Continue improving village of Goodrich codes and ordinances to bring them all up to date.