A Message From 2020 Board Candidate Steve Theobald

On Tuesday, June 9th the Jamesville-DeWitt community will elect three new school board members, with seven candidates running for these positions. These candidates are Kerry Coleman-Herrick, Michael Gilbert, George Gross, Michelle Kielbasinski, David Leach, Steve Theobald and Christine Woodcock Dettor. The school budget vote and Board of Education election, typically held on the third Tuesday in May, was postponed and then ordered to be held via mail in ballot. RamPage has invited all seven candidates to use our publication as a platform to directly address our readership and share their qualifications as well as what they hope to accomplish if elected.

I am a business owner living in the Town of Dewitt. I worked in the Live Entertainment Industry for 35 years. As owner of a for profit production company I provided production management, coordination, equipment and personnel to concert promoters and show producers nationally for 25 years. I had 1200 employees and we serviced 40 events a week. In addition I have not-for-profit experience working as the Executive Director of In Concert With Nature an environmental group set up to raise public awareness about environmental issues through the arts. I presently operate a restaurant as a retirement project, and I am pursuing acquisition of commercial rental real estate. I work part time about 60 hours a week.

At Stephen C. Theobald productions our motto and modus was The Show Comes First. That’s what we believed was important. Not us, not our needs, not our opinions, not our money. The end product or show was more important than us. This is how we built our reputation. In an industry full of greed and self-serving manipulation, we put the end product first. This was the secret to our success. As a member of the board I will carry that same spirit into my service. 

The Children Come First!

I believe that’s what a school board should do, represent the children, not the politicians, not the teachers union, not the administrators, they should represent the children. They are after all what this is all about.

I have no experience in education, I have no degree in education, I am not a School Teacher, I am not a School Administrator. I am not from this industry. I do not have a nickel in this game. I do however have a great investment in this district, my 14 year old son. What a wonderful job the Teachers, Administrators and Staff have done with him. You know who you are, and I thank you all.

That being said, I think it can be better. I believe it is the duty of everyone involved to make it better. Every day, just a little bit better. Then on the next day, just a little bit better, this never ends, because The Children Come First!

More Information:

Other candidate articles are located at https://jdrampage.org/

Detailed copies of the budget are available by contacting the district office. Residents are invited to attend the virtual budget hearing scheduled for Monday, June 1, 7:00 PM. 

 Voting Ballots are available through the District Office and Due Back by 5:00 pm, June 9th, 2020. For more information call: (315) 445-8304 or email thauser@jd.cnyric.org

Complete candidate biographies and details of the budget proposal are available in the special edition of the JD Journal mailed to all district homes in April and reprinted online at:

JD 2020 – 2021 Proposed Budget inside Vote!

Max Fagelman, '22
Max Fagelman is the News Editor for Rampage. When he's not working on the paper you can find him doing photography or running on the track.