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Age
39
Town of residence
Downers Grove
Current occupation
President & COO of Intelligence, Inc. with a history of technical and executive consulting.
Education
BS in Computer Science/Engineering from Illinois State University
Immediate family
I have been married to Laura Hughes, a high school teacher at Hinsdale South, since 2006. I have 2 daughters: Lillian, 6 (kindergarten) and Audrey, 4 (preschool)
Civic involvement
None
Previous elected offices held
None
Why have you decided to run for this office?
I am running for school board because I want our community to feel they are being heard. I saw my wife’s district suffer as the result of a bad school board and I don’t want that to happen here. Between attending board meetings for the past two years and talking with people out in the community, I have learned that many people in Downers Grove feel that their voices are going unheard. I want to change that. I want to be a voice for the community and work to make the best decisions for students, teachers, and tax payers.
What experience and strengths would you bring to this office if elected?
I have been consulting 15 years and have worked with 60 different and diverse companies, associations, and government entities. I walk in as a stranger and lead a committee of stakeholders to learn the needs, processes, and philosophies of their organization. My ability to actively listen, manage strong personalities, and lift quite voices has allowed me to help strengthen and grow these businesses and organizations. This background, along with having a wife with 14 years of teaching experience, and two children at the beginning of their District 58 journey would all me to provide a unique perspective to the district.
How do you balance meeting student needs with being sensitive to taxpayers?
While it benefits all of Downers Grove to have a great school district, we owe it to our community to be fiscally responsible. As I have gone around door to door meeting members of the community, I have seen the diversity that makes up our village. From new couples buying their first home to families in the district to retirees living on a fixed income, property taxes can have a big impact on their personal budget. The board must make sure that the money we spend as a district is having a direct impact on our students and their learning.
What types of new technologies or styles of learning should the district explore or implement in the coming years?
While my background is in technology, I am not about pushing technology as a first step. Our district is currently involved in making major changes to our math and ELA curriculum. As these are implemented, we should be considering technology solutions that align with the new curriculum, understand the needs of our teachers in the classroom, review the success of technology rollouts in other districts, and then evaluate the cost of deploying these solutions in our district.
The current political climate across the United States seems more divided than ever. What will you do to foster cooperation and compromise on the board?
A school board is about the community and doing what is best for our children and their future. It is not a partisan position. As a school board, we should work to ensure that our students are receiving the best education possible while still maintaining fiscal responsibility. I have had the opportunity to speak with all of the sitting board members and all other candidates and I am prepared to work with all of them to improve our district. I also look forward to speaking with more members of the community and can be reached at www.HughesFor58.com