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Interview with Fred Wucherpfennig
Last but not least I was able to secure another interview with a candidate for this upcoming Douglas County School Board election. Fred Wucherpfennig was kind enough to reply to my interview request and has send me the following answers:
1) What are your plans and goals if elected to join the Douglas County School Board?
I plan to continue the work I have been doing - working together with others to help kids. The Board has 4 main tasks: to define the mission of the District (to provide a high-quality liberal arts education to all students), to define the goals or "Ends" that are to be accomplished (that students become responsible citizens who contribute to society, etc.), to define the limits or constraints on how that can be accomplished (don't spend more money than we have, treat people with respect, obey the laws, etc.) and then hand that to the CEO (superintendent) and say "make it so", and then to actively monitor the performance against those goals and constraints. The District is having excellent success, having the highest test scores in the state. However, there are plenty of opportunities for improvement, especially for students who struggle, and those who don't do well in the traditional education setting. I will work to continue the emphasis on ideas like on-line education to help students like those I just mentioned, and which also have tremendous potential to positively impact education for all students.
2) You have been involved in local politics since 1997. Do you have any bigger plans looking into the future?
While I have been involved in the District since '97, I do not consider myself a "politician". I currently have no plans for any other office.
3) What would be your “30 Second Elevator Speech” to convince a possible voter to vote for you?
I am the incumbent, and have a tremendous amount of relevant experience in our school district. I have demonstrated over the years that I work together with others to have a positive impact on students. My experience with accountability and facility planning puts me far ahead of any of my challengers in understanding what is really happening in our District, and what the strengths, challenges, and opportunities really are. (Unfortunately, my challengers have made statements that demonstrate they are uninformed about the District situation.)
4) If you could change something immediately after being elected – what would that be?
I would love for all voters in the District (not just parents) to be aware of how strategic and intentional DCSD has been in planning for and dealing with growth. That strategy has saved taxpayers around $150 million dollars compared to how other school districts typically function, and at the same time we have been highly successful - the highest test scores in the state! I think many people are simply unaware of the excellent job that DCSD has been doing for many years at being fiscally responsible and truly committed to providing a high quality education to students.
5) You seem to live in Highlands Ranch. What do you like best about Highlands Ranch?
I do live in HR, with my wife of 20 years and our 3 children. Its hard to pick one "best" thing about HR. I really like the neighborhood we live in - the people are great! I like the access to recreation - rec centers, parks, trails, etc. that are right in the community, as well as easy access to the mountains and DC open space. One of the big reasons we moved to Douglas County was the quality of the school system, and I'm proud to have been part of that success for the past 10 years.
Fred also included the following bio/profile information to complete the interview and to allow voters to get a better impression of who he is.
Married for 20 years to Kathy. Fred and Kathy have 3 children. Their oldest is a 2007 graduate of ThunderRidge HS, and is attending Colorado School of Mines. Their second attends ThunderRidge and their youngest attends Eldorado Elementary. They are involved in numerous activities including church, 4-H, music, piano, orchestra, tennis, and skiing. The children have attended Douglas County schools since the family moved to Douglas County in 1996. In selecting Douglas County for their residence, the quality of public schools was a significant factor.
Fred currently owns and operates Carpet Castle Design Center in Castle Rock, the only full service flooring design center in Douglas County. Fred also currently owns and operates Ruby Distributing Ltd, a web-based reseller of goods and services.
Fred has held various management positions in design, manufacturing, and operations with both small and Fortune 500 manufacturing / marketing companies, both privately held and public. Fred holds more than a dozen US Patents for unique devices, including a mobility vehicle allowing persons with physical disabilities to play golf, conveyors, mowing equipment and exercise equipment. Fred grew up on a farm where they raised livestock and small grains, and learned a good work ethic at an early age.
I'd like to thank Fred for taking time out of his busy schedule to reply to my interview request. All the best for this year's election from Abouthighlandsranch.com. Fred's homepage can be found here.
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