Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:31:40 -0400
From: Gerald Totten
Subject: BOARD OF ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS
Endorsement of Board of Education Candidates
By Gerald Totten, a Current Board of Education Member
As a sitting member of the Chatham County Board of Education I’ve been asked by many people who I endorsed and felt would be the most significant newly elected members of the Chatham County Board of Education for the next four years. The question should more properly have been worded “why” about my choices.
I initially did not feel a sitting member should endorse any candidate but since three other sitting members have come out in support of candidates, I am joining the chorus herein. Holly Duncan and Norman Clark have endorsed Mia Munn for District 1. I also endorse her without reservation. Gene Galin is the better candidate for District two in my opinion and I throw my unqualified endorsement behind his candidacy.
Mia has a grasp of education matters with nationwide recognition for that knowledge. She has had her children in Pittsboro Elementary, Horton Middle School and Northwood High School and has observed first hand the actions of Chatham County Schools. As a responsible parent seeking the best education for her children, she later enrolled two of them in another public school, Woods Charter School. She has an in depth knowledge of how business should operate and, make no mistake, Chatham County Schools is a business with operating matters arising daily. She is a former high school teacher in Chapel Hill and Wake County. She left those positions only to raise her young children at the time and to help her husband in his small business contracting firm. She gave of her time to help manage phases of construction on two large projects, one of which was a school and the other a church. She has earned the prestigious title of Certified Project Manager, an added tool she can bring to the Board since we will be building schools again once the credit crunch eases.
Gene Galin is an outstanding example of selfless contributions to Chatham County! During his life here, he has been a contributing member to the Chatham County Water Board and to the Land Use Committee where he has quoted its education component elsewhere. Perhaps more importantly is the fact he brought the county closer together with his decade long design and maintenance of the Chatham Journal Newspaper, The Chatham County Bulletin Board which he maintains without favor to any comment unless it is abusive or vile and his chatlist which lets anyone vent about important things to whatever concerns the poster. He allows anyone to advertise things for sale and to post items of interest to others whether it be a complaint about governance or good news about happenings in the state. Many citizens have enjoyed his photographs of sports and other school events for years. As an information technology expert, Gene has shared that talent with all Chatham County citizens and will bring that to the table as a member of the Board of Education. His talents do not stop there, however. He is a Graduate of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at Chapel Hill where he earned a Master’s degree in finance, a component which is needed on the Board too.
I have known Gene for some 20 years and find him to be a man of integrity with a deep concern for his fellow citizens. His three children have all gone to public schools in Chatham and two now are in Perry Harrison School. One is a sophomore at Woods Charter public school. Gene has received a number of accolades for his service to Chatham County citizens. One of which was the Independent Weekly Newspaper’s Citizen of the Year recognition and another, the local United Way’s Volunteer Award, both of which involve stiff competition.
Neither Mia nor Gene is beholden to any group except the children of Chatham County. Neither is myopically rooted in one area of the county but both have the interests of all citizens, old and young alike, at heart.
If anyone who reads this posting has any questions about Mia or Gene and their core beliefs for our county, please let me know either by posting here or my email at . I may also be reached at (919) 742-2496.
Gerald Totten
Member, Chatham County Board of Education
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