Candidate for
Board Member; Goleta Union School District

My name is Chris Messner. For those of you who don't know me, I am a father of 3, a landscape contractor, and a fine art photographer. I grew up here. I went through all the Goleta K-12 schools (Fairview, Goleta Valley Junior High, Dos Pueblos High School).

I am dyslexic. My dyslexia was not diagnosed until late in high school. I was held back in first grade and put in a special education class. After that, I seemed to float along from one grade to the next. At that time, there was not the awareness of dyslexia that we have today.

To make up for my deficiencies in the classroom, I got involved in sports. I excelled in sports. I was varsity cross country and varsity track and field (pole vaulting). I was the league champion and held many league records. I was 5th in CIF.

I attended Santa Barbara City College and had many college athletic scholarship offers. Unfortunately, I suffered a knee injury while training at SBCC which left me paralyzed. All my scholarship offers were withdrawn. Thankfully, over time, I was able to walk again.

After my scholarship offers were withdrawn, what did I have to fall back on? Because of my undiagnosed dyslexia, my education was lacking in certain areas. The only thing I had to fall back on was the sweat and strength of my back. I have been a landscape contractor for 25 years and have not had to advertise or even be in the yellow pages. My business is all referrals.

I have 25 years experience running my own business and as a school board trustee, I will bring good common business sense to the table. By not being previously involved with the education establishment, I feel that I can bring a new perspective to the board. I would challenge the board not to just rubber stamp but to think outside of the box.

I am running for school board not for myself but for my children. We have another 12 years of elementary school. I am not here to self promote, boost my resume, nonprofit network, or move into some bigger political spotlight.

When I told my friends that I was running for the school board, they thought I was nuts. But having struggled through my own school years with dyslexia, I want to ensure my children get an even better education with even more opportunities than I had. If I can make a difference for my own children, how much more will your children benefit?

I believe that serving as a board trustee should be non-partisan and non-political. It is about making decisions which will most benefit the children. Board trustees have different talents and ideas and should work together to make the best decisions for the schools. As a trustee, I realize I would be only one vote + 3 votes carry a majority. If I ever happen to be unsure about an issue, I will always err on the side of the kids.