John Shaw: D95 School Board Candidate

 Name : John Shaw

Age: 51

Family: Moved to Lake Zurich in 1986 from Palatine.  My wife Mia and I have one daughter Emily who is 16 years old.  She attended Seth Paine elementary school and Middle School North.  She presently is a sophomore attending Lake Zurich High School.

Occupation: Facilities and Property Management Professional with over 25 years experience in the field.  I am employed with Metra and my current assignment has me managing property assets owned by Metra.

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices:

04/2009 to Present - Was elected to a 4 year term on the Ela Area Public Library District Board of Trustee's in the 2009 general election and was then selected by my peers on the board to serve as Board President starting in May of 2011.

05/1993 to Present - Appointed as a Commissioner to the Lake Zurich Zoning Board of Appeals in May of 1993 and presently still serve on the board.

Other community involvement:

Active member of the Lake Zurich Lions Club.

Past Girls Softball coach for the (LZYBSA).

01/1987 to 04/1993 - Served as a Volunteer Fire Fighter on the Lake Zurich Fire Department.

05/2008 to 12/2010 - Served on Advisory Committee for Ela Township looking at existing Facilities, Parks & Open Space.

2002/2003 & 2008/2009 - Served on the past two Re-Districting committee's for Lake Zurich Unit School District 95.

11/2007 to 06/2009 - Served on the Lake Zurich Unit School District 95 Facilities Advisory committee.

05/2005 to 07/2005 - Served on advisory committee to select the Principal at Lake Zurich Unit School District 95 Seth Paine Elementary School.

07/2003 to 01/2004 - Served on advisory committee to select the Superintendent of Lake Zurich Unit School District 95. 

Position sought: 

4 year term on the Lake Zurich Unit School District 95.


Why are you running?

I'm running because I believe in investing in the community.  I will bring a global perspective of the district at large to the board with my past and present work with the Ela Area Public Library District Board, Ela Township, Village of Lake Zurich and the Lake Zurich Fire Department along with School District 95.  


In what ways would the school district benefit from your service?

I bring a broad professional expertise in facilities and property management which I believe would enhance the board's decision making process regarding the district's aging buildings and infrastructure.  Also, my past involvement with the many district 95 advisory committee's I have served on would help me to be an educated and active board participant immediately upon joining the board.  Lastly, with my 28 years in the community along with the other community boards and associations I have been associated with all give me a deep community knowledge and will help me to be a steward in good standing with the 
community's trust.

What is the biggest challenge the school district faces and what should be done to address it?

Continue laying out the foundation for the future of the district.  This includes the Financial, Technological, Building & Operations aspects of the district along with earning, nurturing and keeping the trust of the community as a whole.


What do you think the district does well?

The District provides a great education to our children.  It also is providing a stable environment were the Board, Administration, Staff and the Community stake holders all have input in shaping and directing the district's future.


What should be some of the school district's priorities over the next four years?

If I am elected I would make it my mission to challenge the board and the administration to be even stronger advocates in the vocational training arena.  I do believe its the districts responsibility to prepare each student for higher learning after high school BUT in my definition of higher education I would also include Trade and Vocational training.  I have toured the Lake County Tech Campus of which District 95 is a participant.  I found it to be a very professional and nurturing program.  In talking to District 95 parents, who have a student attending the Lake County Tech Campus, they had nothing but positive statements about the campus and programs their children attend.  Additionally, the students I talked with we're all equally energized about being able to attend the programs they were enrolled in.  I would like to explore having the district promote the success of the students and the program to the community more broadly.  


What else would you like voters to know?

In the end I'm a District 95 tax payer like everyone else.  I am 100% committed to good schools along with the district's continuing to live within its means with a pay as you go philosophy.  Our community has afforded me and my family a great life in which to live.  For this reason I am 100% committed to give back to the community as well.