Back To “Mary’s Corner”
Filing for positions on the Katy ISD School Board commences in February. Citizens, who are thinking about a candidacy this spring, need to be getting prepared. Running for the School Board is no easy task. Preparing one’s platform, studying the issues, and contacting supportive friends needs to start now.
Strategizing about which position to file for also takes some time. Will the incumbents continue to try to hold on to their seats? Are they vulnerable? If the incumbents vacate, will the Administration’s favored replacements be beatable? Which Business Roundtable company’s employee will show up this year to run? Can someone who is just a plain citizen who cares about academic educations for our school children be able to win a seat? How will one’s family survive all the public scrutiny? Will one’s children be subject to adverse conditions at school if one becomes a candidate?
The answers to all of these questions usually keep a lot of good people from running. That situation is a shame. Our School Board, in my opinion, seriously needs new blood. No one should serve more than two terms, but many do. Anyone there for more than six years usually no longer has children in the district, and after a while, they lose the perspective necessary for sincere involvement. They may just be hanging around just so they can get a school named after them. Perhaps our Board should just go ahead and name the next seven buildings for themselves, and then they could move on and make room for others.
The current situation that we have all witnessed over the years is that the Administration and the Board belong to a mutual admiration society and have therefore compromised the relationship that should exist between employer and employee. Our School Board should be in charge of the Superintendent, and instead we seem to have, as Board Member Garry Weiss used to say, the “tail wagging the dog.” Such an arrangement does not make for proper governance and a well-run school district. Another telling phrase that’s cropped up lately is the “Team of Eight.” We didn’t elect these people to be a “team.” They are elected separately, and they are elected as part of a representative government. That means they should have individual opinions that they express freely (and are allowed to express freely) and that on any given night at a school board meeting we would expect that not ALL of them will agree on too many matters. The fact that they always vote unanimously on all matters should tell the public what the situation is. Even the Supreme Court issues a minority opinion on every decision--but not our School Board. They are too busy keeping up appearances, presenting a “united front,” and mindlessly rubberstamping everything the superintendent puts in front of them. Having been a member of the Katy Board, I can tell you that the Texas Association of School Boards provides training (of the brain-washing variety) that encourages Board members to vote unanimously in front of the public. In doing so they are in violation of the law because they obviously are making decisions behind closed doors. But just try to do anything about it or get them to realize they are wrong and very unethical with their behavior! The public has a right to know and see and hear ALL of their discussions. Otherwise they are part and parcel of a dictatorship, not a representative government in a free country.
The list below covers the last twenty-six years. During that time there have been approximately 60 three year terms to which someone was elected. You will note that there are many prominent Katy citizens in the section of those who were not elected.
If anyone has corrections or additions for these lists, I would appreciate hearing from you, and I will happily correct mistakes and/or add names. I compiled the lists from old newspapers and Houston Chronicle archives.
CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS
(Name, Year First Elected, Length of Time (years) in Office)
Joe Adams, 1989, 19 years
**Judy Snyder, 1996, 12 years
Robert Shaw, 1997, 11 years
**Jackie Birkel, 1999, 9 years (position filled for last two months by appointed member Chris Crockett)
**Eric Duhon, 1999, 9 years
***Rebecca Fox, 2004, 4 years
***Tom Law, 2006, 2 years
Average Length of Time in Office: 10 years.
**Term expires in 2008
***Term expires in 2009
ELECTED:
Joe M. Adams -(1989) elected with 1395 votes defeating Don Hynds with 633 votes; (1992) elected with 640 votes defeating Jonathan Furlong with 146 votes; (1995) elected with 1459 votes defeating Judy Snyder with 949 votes; (1998) elected with 1939 votes defeating Frank C. Devine who had 1502 votes, and Paulette Nelson who had 485 votes;(2001) elected unopposed- received 582 votes; (2004) elected with 2123 votes defeating Fred Hink with 469 votes, and Jim Radcliffe with 759 votes; (2007) elected with 2350 votes defeating Cynthia Blackman with 1344 votes, Carolyn Matthews with 211 votes and Judi Owens with 389 votes
Nick Alexander
Glenn Beckendorff (1980) elected
Jim Beckner (1981) elected
Jacqueline Birkel - (1999) elected with 1684 votes defeating Lee E. Ford with 141 votes and Barbara Roemmich with 778 votes; (2002) elected with 3275 votes defeating Dwayne A. Whetzel with 614 votes; (2005) elected unopposed received 1893 votes
James Jim Brasier - (1995) elected with 1708 votes defeating Paul Bloor with 196 and Jeff Work with 465 votes
Ken Burton - (1990) elected in run-off 953 votes in first election with 1348 in run-off defeating Joe Kimmel, Not making the run off were L. P Coston with 375 votes, William Griffin with 303 votes, Eric Hodgeson with 179 votes, Tony Williams with 84 votes and Toni Moore with 55 votes; (1993) elected with 3963 votes defeating Shelly Lesikar with 3224 votes
Bill Callegari - (1985) elected with 537 defeating Mike Zigrang ( a write in candidate) with 158 votes
Charles C. Cate (1984) elected in run off with 668 votes defeating Kay Salter with 415 votes; in first election results: Cate 877, Kay Salter 461, Kay Guzman 438 and Nadine Freeman 344
Eric Duhon - (1999) elected with 1199 votes defeating Sandy Faucett with 928 votes, Betty W. Martin with 418 votes, and Monica Washington with 126 votes; (2002) elected with 3267 votes defeating David P. Farrell, Sr. with 617 votes; (2005) elected with 1439 votes defeating Kari Crow with 900 votes
Don Elder, Jr. (1984) elected with 1187 votes defeating Jim Beckner with 708 votes and Newell Cheatham with 233 votes; (1987) elected in a run off with 966 votes defeating W. Gary Houston with 846 votes. Deloras “Lo” Poorman, and Richard J. Byhan did not make the run off
Rebecca Fox - (2004) elected with 1560 votes defeating Darryl Box with 327 votes, Harry Chapman with 85 votes, A. J. Durrani with 842 votes, Neal Howard with 689 votes (first year no run off required--most votes won); (2007) elected with 2742 votes defeating Ross Raymond with 1426 votes
David Frishman (1988) elected in run off with 1264 votes defeating James Jim Miller with 1102 votes; in the first election the votes were David Frishman 1114, George Scott 880, Jim Miller 1256, Richard Lorenz 61
Kay Glover
J. Michael Keller (1987) elected in run off with 1078 votes defeating Ben L. Dodson with 776 votes and James Jim Miller who did not make the run off
Bill Kellond (1985) elected with 538 votes defeating Bill Barnett, a write in candidate with 162 votes
Joe Kimmel (1994) elected with 1704 votes defeating Carl Dore, Jr. with 1182 votes; (1997) elected with 2162 votes, defeating Janette Coym with 881 votes; (2000) elected unopposed; (2003) elected with 858 votes defeating Jim Radcliffe with 465 votes
Tom Law - (2006) elected with 2609 votes defeating Neal Howard with 2539 votes and Gregory Gibbs with 937 votes
Harold Loveday (1985) elected with 515 votes defeating Rick Yarbrough , a write in candidate, with 161 votes
Mary McGarr (1991) elected in run-off against David Frishman 1099 votes to 1070 votes by having 772 votes to David Frishman’s 850 and Luke L. Leissner’s 159 votes in the regular election; (1994) elected with 1598 votes defeating Jerry Kroll with 1272 votes
D. C. Monty Montgomery (1984) elected with 1203 votes defeating Larry Jacobs with 564 votes and O. C. Wallace with 358 votes; resigned in February of 1987 and moved before term expired; position was filled by Dan Coker who was appointed by the Board
Larry Moore (1990) elected with 1554 votes to Cindy Soefer’s 1123 in run-off ; got into run off with 1150 votes to Cindy Soefer‘s 762 votes and Scott Tritt‘s 447 votes, Nelson Poorman‘s 160 votes, Georgie Stone‘s 76 votes and Robert Furman‘s 62 votes; (1993) elected with 4135 votes defeating Jerry Montgomery with 2663 votes; (1996) appointed by Board to fill remaining year of Mary McGarr’s term when she resigned
Marsha Myers (1998) elected with 1731 votes defeating John Beaird with 669 votes, James W. Connolly with 957 votes and Kenny J. Klein with 373 votes; (2001) elected with 499 votes defeating Rob McMullin with 198 votes
James R. Peters-(1993) elected in a run off with 1437 votes defeating Scott Tritt with 559 votes; in the regular election Peters received 2660 votes with Michael J. Monahan having 1370 votes, Carl Dore, Jr. having 1465 votes, and Scott Tritt having 1529 votes, (1996) elected with 1607 votes defeating Charles Bruce Sledd with 241 votes
Euel Pierce
Jean Richardson (1996) elected with 1098 votes defeating Ken Burton with 788 votes. Resigned a few months later and moved
David S. Rogers (1998) elected with 1943 votes defeating Janette Coym with 224, John Deering with 77, Phillip D. Irvin with 185 and Melanie Nelson with 1385
Robert Shaw (1997) elected with 1166 votes defeating Charles Garibay with 687 votes, Kim Hermann with 320 votes, Jan Soula with 402 votes, and Elizabeth Strickland with 315 votes; (2000) elected unopposed; (2003) elected with 619 votes defeating Michael Strunk with 296 votes and Tess Zimmerman with 406 votes; (2006) elected with 3415 votes defeating Fred Hink with 2891 votes
Judy Snyder (1996) elected with 1262 votes defeating Robert Shaw with 615 votes and Ward O. Hayworth with 27 votes; (1999) elected with 1565 votes defeating Melanie Nelson with 1133 votes; (2002) elected with 3030 votes defeating Robert W. Howard with 366 votes and Wallace Hamilton with 506 votes; (2005) elected with 1221 votes defeating A. J. Durrani with 839 votes, Gregory Gibbs with 161 votes and Stephen Wesolick with 442 votes
Al Thompson (1983) elected in run off defeating Wendell Cantrell; got into run off with 699 votes with R. Phil Laney getting 591 votes and Dr. Wendell Cantrell getting 728 votes: (1986) elected with 1776 votes defeating Deloras “Lo” Poorman with 1317 votes
Stanley Thompson (1989) elected with 1362 votes defeating James “Jim” Moore, Jr. with 605 votes and Dan Coker, and Kenneth J. Wild; (1992) elected unopposed
Garry O. Weiss (1987) elected by defeating David Frishman and Wayne Riley; (1990) elected with 1333 votes defeating Mary McGarr with 1223 votes in run off; got in run off with 1087 votes with Mary McGarr with 955 votes, Bob Rettie with 99 votes and Bob Lovitt with 378 votes
James E. Jim Williams (had previously served six terms); (1988) elected with 2138 votes defeating Bill Kellond with 1175 votes; (1991) elected with 1031 votes defeating Robert L. Patton with 689 votes
Mary Alice Wills (1983) elected with 1035 votes defeating Glenn Beckendorff with 1003 votes; (1986) elected with 1725 votes defeating Stanley Thompson with 1422 votes
SERVED BUT NOT ELECTED (APPOINTED):
Dan Coker
Chris Crockett
DEFEATED AS INCUMBENTS
Glenn Beckendorff (1983) lost to Mary Alice Wills 1035 TO 1003
Jim Beckner (1984) lost to Don Elder 1187 to 708
Dan Coker (1987) lost to Stanley Thompson
Ken Burton (1996) lost to Jean Richardson 1098 to 788
David Frishman (1991) in regular election received 850 votes to 772 for Mary McGarr and 159 for Luke Leisner--lost in run-off to Mary McGarr 1099 to 1070
Bill Kellond (1988) lost to James Jim Williams 2138 to 1175
NOT ELECTED WHEN THEY FIRST RAN:
Bill Barnett (1985) (write in candidate)lost to Bill Kellond 538 to 162
John Beaird (1998) lost to Marsha Myers 1731 to 669
Cynthia Blackman (2007) lost to Joe Adams 2350 to 1344
Paul Bloor (1996) lost to Jim Brasier 1708 to 196
Darryl Box (2004) lost to Rebecca Fox 1560 to 327
Richard J. Byham (1987) lost to Don Elder, failed to make run off
Wendell Cantrell (1983) lost to Al Thompson in a run off; in first election received 728 votes to Thompson’s 699 votes
Harry Chapman (2004) lost to Rebecca Fox 1560 to 85
Newell Cheatham* (1984) lost to Don Elder 1187 to 233
James A. Connolly (1998) lost to Marsha Myers 1731 to 957
Michael Cook (1987)
Dr. L.P. Coston (1990) lost to Ken Burton 953 to 375
Janette Coym (1997) lost to Joe Kimmel 2162 to 881; (1998) lost to David S. Rogers 1943 to 224
Kari Crow (2005) lost to Eric Duhon 1439 to 900
John Deering (1998) lost 1998 to 77 against David S. Rogers
Frank C. Devine (1998) lost to Joe Adams 1939 to 1502 votes
Ben L. Dodson (1987) lost to J. Michael Keller 1078 to 776
Carl Dore, Jr. (1993) received 1465 votes but failed to get in run off against James R. Peters with 2660 votes; (1994) lost to Joe Kimmel 1704 to 1182
A. J. Durrani * (2004) lost to Rebecca Fox 1560 to 842; (2005) lost to Judy Snyder 1221 to 839
Don Elder, Jr.
David Farrell, Sr. (2002) lost to Eric Duhon 3267 to 617
Sandy Faucett (1999) lost to Eric Duhon 1199 to 928
Lee E. Ford (1999) lost to Jackie Birkel 1684 to 141
Terry Franklin
Nadine Freeman ( 1984) lost to Charles Cate 877 to 344
David Frishman (1987) lost to Garry Weiss
Jonathan Furlong (1992) lost to Joe M. Adams 640 to 146
Robert Furman (1990) lost to Larry Moore 1150 to 62
Chuck Garibay (1997) lost to Robert Shaw 1160 to 687
Gregory J. Gibbs * (2005) lost to Judy Snyder 1221 to 161; (2006) lost to Tom Law 2609 to 937
William Bill Griffin(1990) lost to Ken Burton 953 to 303
Kay Guzman (1984) lost to Charles Cate 877 to 438
Wallace Wally Hamilton (2002) lost to Judy Snyder 3030 to 506
Ward O. Hayworth (1996) lost to Judy Snyder 1262 to 27
Kim Hemann (1997) lost to Robert Shaw 1166 to 320
Fred Hink* (2004) lost to Joe Adams 2123 to 469; (2006) lost to Robert Shaw 3415 to 2891
Eric Hodgeson (1990) lost to Ken Burton 953 to 179
Gary Houston (1987) lost to Don Elder 966 to 846
Neal Howard *(2004) lost to Rebecca Fox 1560 to 689; (2006) lost to Tom Law 2609 to 2539:
Robert W. Howard (2002) lost to Judy Snyder 3030 to 366
Carl E. Hursman
Don Hynds (1989) lost to Joe M. Adams 1395 to 633
Phillip D. Irvin (1998) lost to David S. Rogers 1943 to 185
Larry Jacobs (1984) lost to D. C. Monty Montgomery 1203 to 564
Joe Kimmel (1990) lost to Ken Burton 953 to 727 and lost in run off 1348 to XXXX
Kenny J. Klein (1998) lost to Marsha Myers 1943 to 373
Jerry Kroll (1994) lost to Mary McGarr 1598 to 1272
R. Phil Laney (l1983) lost to Al Thompson
Luke Leissner (1991) lost to David Frishman with 850 votes and Mary McGarr with 772--did not make run off
Shelly Lesikar (1993) lost to Ken Burton 3963 to 3224
Richard Lorenz (1988) lost with 61 votes to David Frishman with 1114 votes and Jim Miller with 1256 votes not making the run off
Harold Loveday
Bob Lovitt (1990) lost to Garry Weiss 1087 to 378
Rob McMullin (2001) lost to Marsha Myers 499 to 198
Mary McGarr (1990) with 955 votes got in run off with Garry Weiss with 1087; lost in run off 1333 votes to 1223 votes
Betty W. Martin (1999) lost to Eric Duhon 1199 to 418
Carolyn Matthews (2007) lost to Joe Adams 2350 to 211
James H. Jim Miller (1987) did not make run off with J. Michael Keller; (1988) lost in run off to David Frishman 1264 to 1102; made the run off by having 1256 votes to David Frishman’s 1114 votes
Mike Monahan (1993) Lost to James Peters 2660 to 1370
D. C. Monty Montgomery
Jerry Montgomery (1996) lost to Larry Moore 4135 to 2663
James “Jim” Moore, Jr. (1989) lost to Stanley Thompson 1362 to 605
Toni M. Moore (1990) lost to Ken Burton 953 to 55
Melanie Nelson* (1998) lost to David S. Rogers 1385 to 943; (1999) lost to Judy Snyder 1565 to 1133
Paulette Nelson (1998) lost to Joe Adams 1939 to 485
Judi Owens ((2007) lost to Joe Adams 2350 to 389
Robert Bob Patton (1991) lost to James E. Williams 1031 to 689
Jerry Pinto
Deloras Lo Poorman * (1986) lost to Al Thompson 1776 to 1317; (1987) lost to Don Elder, failed to make run off
Nelson Poorman (1990) lost to Larry Moore 1150 to 160
Patricia Porter (1989) lost to Joe Adams 690 to 126
Jim Radcliffe * (2003) lost to Joe Kimmel 858 to 465; (2004) lost to Joe Adams 2123 to 759
Ross Raymond (2007) lost to Rebecca Fox 2742 to 1426
Bob Rettie (1990) lost to Garry Weiss 1087 to 99
Wayne Riley (1987) lost to Garry Weiss
Barbara Roemmich (1999) lost to Jackie Birkel 1684 to 778
Kay Salter (1984) lost to Charles Cate 807 to 403; in the first election lost to Charles Cate 877 to 461
Robert B. Searcy (1989) lost to Joe Adams 690 to 265
Robert Shaw (1996) lost to Judy Snyder 1262 to 615
George Scott (1988) lost to David Frishman 1114 to 880 and Jim Miller with 1256 votes
Charles Bruce Sledd (1996) lost to James R. Peters 1607 to 241
Judy Snyder ( 1995) lost to Joe M. Adams 1459 to 949
Cindy Soeffer (1990) lost to Larry Moore 1554 to 1123 in run off; got into run off with 762 votes with Larry Moore with 1150 votes
Jan Soula (1997) lost to Robert Shaw 1166 to 402
Georgie Stone (1990) lost to Larry Moore 1150 to 76
Elizabeth Strickland (1997) lost to Robert Shaw 1166 to 315
Michael Strunk (2003) lost to Robert Shaw 619 to 296
Stanley Thompson (1986) lost to Mary Alice Wills 1725 to 1422
Scott Tritt * (1990) lost to Larry Moore 1150 to 447; (1993) got into a run off with James Peters getting 1529 votes to Peters’ 2660 votes; lost to James R. Peters in run off 1437 to 559
O. C. Wallace (1984) lost to D. C. Monty Montgomery 1203 to 358
Monica Washington (1999) lost to Eric Duhon 1199 to 126
Stephen Wesolick (2005) lost to Judy Snyder 1221 to 442
Dwayne A. Whetzel (2002) lost to Jackie Birkel 3275 to 614
Kenneth J. Wild (1987) lost to Stanley Thompson
Tony C. Williams (1990) lost to Ken Burton 953 to 55
Jeff Work (1995) lost to Jim Brasier 1708 to 465
Rick Yarbrough (1985) (write in candidate) lost to Harold Loveday 515 to 161
Julia Young
Mike Zigrang (1985) (write in candidate) lost to Bill Callegari 537 to 158
Tess Zimmerman (2003) lost to Robert Shaw 619 to 406
*ran twice without being elected
