[New post] Three face off for 4-year-term seat on Fleming School Board
Callie Jones posted: " When Fleming voters get their election ballots in the mail they will have three candidates to choose from to fill one open four-year-term seat on the Frenchman RE-3 School Board. Those candidates include incumbent Carmen Vandenbark, Jeff Brekel and Le" Sterling Journal-Advocate
When Fleming voters get their election ballots in the mail they will have three candidates to choose from to fill one open four-year-term seat on the Frenchman RE-3 School Board. Those candidates include incumbent Carmen Vandenbark, Jeff Brekel and Leo Mekelburg.
Jeff Brekel
Brekel has lived in Fleming most of his life. He currently works for the Colorado Department of Transportation and has a farming and cow/calf operation south of Fleming. He is also a volunteer firefighter/EMT for Fleming Fire Department.
"I am hoping to bring a new or different perspective to the board," Brekel said when asked why he decided to run for the school board.
Asked what key issues he would focus on if elected, he said would attempt to help get an updated or new school building for Fleming's outdated building. He would also try and help get technology updated for the changing world.
Leo Mekelburg
Mekelburg and his wife came to Fleming in 1973 when they were hired to teach at the school. He taught at the school for 29 years and was a coach for 32 years.
"I think I have a lot of experience, having taught there that for many years and coached, I was also the athletic director for several years and I had two daughters that went to Fleming Schools," Mekelburg said when asked why he decided to run for the school board.
Since he retired from teaching, he says he has been just "an average citizen," but this year he decided he wanted to do something more to give back.
"I just think I have some expertise that would be valuable for the school, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience in those years (teaching and coaching)," Mekelburg said.
He doesn't have any specific issues he plans to focus on if elected.
"I just want to try to make Fleming the best school that I can help to make it," Mekelburg said.
Carmen Vandenbark
Except for living a short time overseas and during college, Vandenbark has lived in the Fleming area all her life. She grew up in Haxtun and graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in environmental health. After completing an internship at Cargill, Fort Morgan, she moved back to the Fleming community and has lived there for the last 33 years.
Vandenbark retired from the Northeast Colorado Health Department after almost 23 years, starting as a health inspector and retiring as the environmental health division manager.
She is married to Michael Vandenbark, and they have two children who graduated from Fleming School. Their son is involved in agriculture and recently moved back to the area with his wife and daughter. Their daughter is currently in college studying pre-nursing.
The Vandenbarks operate a trucking business, a cow-calf herd, and a dryland farming operation. Carmen has volunteered as a class sponsor and in the booster club for several years and is currently a substitute teacher and substitute bus driver.
She enjoys biking, golfing, gardening, baking, and watching anything her children and grandchild are involved in.
"Over the past four years that I have been a member of the school board, there have been several projects that have been completed. A new concessions stand with outside bathrooms, upgrading the buses and vehicle fleet, updating the classrooms and the kitchen, and a bus barn; just to name a few. With the continued growth our district has seen, there are several more that need to be completed," Vandenbark said when asked why she is running for re-election.
She is on the Master Planning Committee which is looking into several ways to renovate the school to better meet the needs of Fleming's growing student and community population. Vandenbark would like to serve another term to help complete these projects.
"Any school in a small community is vital to that community thriving. Our family is vested in this community, and I want to see Fleming Schools continue with its high rate of academic excellence and progress; offering the full range of athletics and extracurricular activities that it currently has, while exploring other areas of interest," Vandenbark said.
She pointed out that over the past few years, activities have been added to offer new opportunities for students. Vandenbark would like to help to continue to expand what they offer as the school evolves.
"Fleming continues to be a school that students want to attend and sets the standard that other districts want to achieve, while it continues to be financially sound. All schools, especially small ones, face increasing financial challenges with declined funding. I would like to help secure outside funding to renovate the physical facilities of our school, increase our technology capabilities and update our aging mechanical systems," she said when asked what key issues she would focus on if re-elected.
She also will continue to work at retaining high-quality teachers for a stable learning environment for Fleming's students, as that is one of a school's most valuable resources.
"We should ensure that we are attracting the best candidate for the open positions because passionate teachers promote motivated students," Vandenbark said.
She would also work to create an atmosphere that fosters input from staff, parents, and the community so that they can all work toward common goals. Vandenbark is available to listen to the concerns and ideas of the community and parents, serving as a liaison between the community and the district. She believes the board must be open and accountable to the public while maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information.
"I would continue to vote for options that are best for the greatest number of students and that also contribute to the long-term successes and stability of the district," Vandenbark said.
Having previously served on several boards, committees, and task forces, she believes active participation is the most direct way to make a positive difference. She is a detail-orientated person who has experience with budgets to utilize resources efficiently.
"I believe in the value of a quality education that allows all students to be successful. Maintaining a high standard of excellence requires long-range planning and multiple stakeholders at the table. After more than two decades working with and for the public, I believe I have the experience and skills to be an effective member of that team," Vandenbark said.
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