Occupation: Owner of Insurance Agency - Don Ryan & Associates

Spouse’s name: Julie Ryan - married 14 years

Names of children: Wesley (10, 4th grade at B.F. Adam), Allison (7, 1st at B.F. Adam, Tanner (2)

Subdivision: I grew up in Enchanted Valley and now reside in Wortham Villages.

How long have you lived within District boundaries? 28 years

Community organizations you are or have been involved in: I have served on the school board of a local preschool, and I have taught a 4- and 5-year-old Sunday school class for the last 10 years. I have served on several leadership committees in our church. I currently serve as chairman of our neighborhood Architectural Committee and have served in this capacity for the past 5 years. I coach youth baseball and basketball in the Cy-Fair Sports Association and YMCA.

Degrees and school attended: My family moved into Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in 1971. I attended Lamkin Elementary, Arnold Jr. High, and graduated from Cy-Fair High School in 1981. After graduating with a BBA from the University of North Texas in 1985, I returned to the community in which I grew up.

Describe your involvement in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (i.e., PTO’s, district-level committees, etc.): Julie and I are members of the PTO at Adam Elementary. As parents, taxpayers, and business owners, we are committed to serving the community. I have been a volunteer/guest speaker of various student organizations in the local high schools, and Julie and I have done volunteer work in the classroom and on a take-home basis.

Why did you choose to live in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD? My decision to live in our district is based on the experiences that I had as a student in the District. I had teachers who were challenging, caring, and community oriented. I want my children to experience the highest quality education, and our district provides that with teachers who are encouraging and schools that have nurturing environments.

Why are you running for the school board? As a graduate of the District and now a parent in the District, I want to give back to the community. I will volunteer my time, business experience, and work ethics to be a part of an educational team that has experienced great success and placed the interests of our children first.

What skills do you possess that uniquely qualify you to assist in setting policy and making decisions regarding a multi-million budget? As a business owner, I recognize the importance of setting goals and promoting sound fiscal policy as critical steps in the path of success. Previous board and community-oriented service has taught me the importance of being a team player and helped in developing organizational and analytical skills. My experience in the insurance profession has enabled me to become an effective listener.

What will your goals be as a member of the school board, and how will you accomplish them as one of the seven trustees? I see my role as a board member to be a facilitator who establishes goals and works as a team with the educators to provide the highest quality education for the children of our community. I am an independent insurance broker and as such have the opportunity to sell a diverse set of products to clients. I take the time to understand the needs, research all possible opportunities, and then recommend the best set of solutions that tailor to my clients’ needs. I will use these analytical and problem-solving skills to work with the other board members and the school district to achieve successful results for the issues that we face throughout the next three years. I oppose a philosophy of micro-management. The current board has done an excellent job of providing the tools that enable the administration to administrate and the educators to educate. I am committed to continuing that vision of educational excellence that has made our district strong and financially sound.

If elected, what do you plan to change or improve about the District, and how do you plan to bring about this change? I don’t adhere to the belief that because you are in a campaign, a candidate has to promote change. The state of our district is strong, and we will continue to face challenges. Part of being successful is continuing to look for ways to improve and progress toward providing a high-quality education for all the children in our district.

What challenges face Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in the near future, and how will you personally address them? Our district will face many challenges as we begin the new millennium. First, our district will continue to experience tremendous growth with projections of 10,000 new students over the next 5 years. This type of growth will naturally lead to a need for additional teachers, paraprofessionals, and volunteers. Fortunately for our children, our district has award-winning teachers, and we also have teachers we recruit from outside our district who want to have the opportunity to grow professionally and be a part of our team. Safety of our children and the individuals who work with them will continue to be a challenge. Technological increases in the workforce will require our district to equip our children with the necessary tools to be marketable in the working environment. To face each of these challenges, I will look at three primary factors. First, is it in the best interests of all the children in the District? Second, is it efficient and fiscally conservative? Finally, is it a long-term solution?

What do you feel are the major issues facing school districts in Texas today? Efficiency along with being fiscally conservative will continue to be an issue facing school districts in Texas. A major concern that many districts will face is a shortage of teachers entering the workforce. More specifically is a shortage of qualified teachers to teach many of the student sub-groups. Because of the reputation and success that Cypress-Fairbanks ISD has experienced, other districts will look to see how we meet these challenges. Our district vision is one that states we will meet the challenges and provide the highest quality education for every child in our district. I welcome the opportunity to be a part of a team that embraces those challenges.