School Board Candidate Bio: Jon Simmons

     Jon Simmons is uniquely qualified for the District 2 School Board seat, offering a combination of community leadership, construction project manager skills, and years of hands-on parental involvement.  Jon and his wife Kristy have volunteered for over 20 years in the Central public schools, serving many ways including committees, PTOs, improvement teams, and hands-on work crews.  Kristy helped start the PTOs at both Central Middle and Central High, formed the Future Nurse Club, led scholarship seminars for parents, and founded the Future Nurse Club at CMS. Jon was a leader in the efforts to protect and promote Central’s schools during the 1990’s, and was part of the original group whose vision and hard work led to the establishment of our own schools.  Since then, Jon has continued to serve our schools on several committees, including co-founding the Academic Excellence Advisory Committee. 

    Jon and Kristy are Central High graduates along with three of their four children; their youngest is a Central ninth grader. Jon has a degree in construction management from LSU and 25 years of experience managing multi-million-dollar projects.  Jon’s perspectives and experiences as an involved parent, community leader, and professional construction project manager will provide vital diversity, working together with the educators on the Board and within the system. 

    When comparing qualifications, experience, and motivation, Jon’s past service record, current involvement, and plans for the future demonstrate a unique level of commitment extending far beyond this election. Jon says “We have an opportunity to create one of the most outstanding school systems in the nation. To reach this goal, we need leaders who will challenge our students and ourselves, think beyond the status quo, and prepare our students to excel in a changing world.”

For more information, go to www.JonSimmonsCentral.com.