Meet Patrick

My background:

I've lived in the Plymouth Canton community for most of the last 45 years. I am a product of P-CCS schools, and have two kids in P-CCS, a freshman, and a senior. I first became involved in the school district in 2013 and started to attend board meetings. I often spoke during citizen comments, and joined the board in 2015 by filling a vacancy, then ran unopposed for election in 2016. I've been the Board Treasurer and chair of the Finance and Operations Committee since January of 2017. Professionally, I've been in software and technology for 35 years. I'm currently EVP of product management for a customer communications software company. I have a deep background in finance, marketing, and management that help me in my role as a board member as well as treasurer.

Why I’m running

I’m running for re-election because I believe that I can provide a unique voice on the School Board advocating for our kids, while supporting and holding the administration accountable. Being a board member is a delicate balance of attention to detail and asking probing questions, while recognizing that our role is to guide the district, not to directly manage the school district.

My goals:

  1. To continue to see the district manage their finances in a responsible way while supporting our teachers, staff, and administration. Making sure that all stakeholders have a voice and input in the budget and prioritization process.

  2. During Covid, make certain that we can educate our students while keeping students and staff safe.

  3. Closing the equity gap that PCCS has with our sub-groups, notably our Black/African American students. In addition, during recent Black Lives Matters protests, I was disheartened to hear of subtle as well as overt racism in our district. While the district has made great strides in our restorative practices and suspension / expulsion policies and processes, we clearly have more work to do.

  4. To make certain that all students can achieve their full potential. This includes those who need additional support, as well as those who need additional challenges.

  5. To improve the district communications and provide more transparency and context in messaging to our students, parents, and community.

My ask:

I, along with Anupam Chugh Sidhu, Lauren Christenson, and Shawn Wilson have created a slate of four candidates for this upcoming election cycle. While there are many good candidates running, we believe that this slate provides the optimal balance of leadership, experience, innovation, and diversity, as well as being parents of PCCS kids at all levels. There are many challenges facing PCCS over the coming years, and we believe that this slate is best positioned to meet those head-on and guide the district to greater heights. Campaigning is always difficult and resource-intensive, and with Covid, this is even harder. Having a coordinated slate will allow us to pool resources and networks to run the best possible campaign while simultaneously advocating for the renewal of Wayne RESA Regional Enhancement Millage.