Candidate profile: Bruce Quitmeyer, for school board

Bruce Quitmeyer likes what he sees at Austin Public Schools. Yet with three children in Austin, he’s looking to get more involved in the community. That’s why he decided to campaign as a candidate for Austin Public Schools this fall.

“I want to be able to take a more active role in the community, and the school board is probably the best thing you can be

involved,” he said.

Quitmeyer may not have educational experience, but he knows how to solve problems. As a client manager at the TV and radio rating company Nielsen, he works as a business consultant for Hormel Foods Corp., helping employees identify business problems and create solutions.

“With that type of role, it’s a lot of collaborating with the company,” he said.

In addition, he serves on the Community Recreation Center and Waterways committees as part of Vision 2020, the coalition to create 10 community improvement projects by the year 2020.

Quitmeyer is impressed with how district officials find ways to serve children at different academic levels — his oldest son is in a gifted and talented program — but he’d like to see the district get better state comprehensive testing scores.

“We have to do something to raise that up,” he said. “That’s something that will also improve the community, raising those test scores up.”

Quitmeyer is one of nine candidates to face off in an Aug. 14 primary, where six candidates for school board will remain on the ballot for three open seats come November. He joins Carol McAlister, Dick Lees, Kathy Glowac, Bud Johnson, Mary Jane Kestner, Don Leathers, David Price, and Matthew Tabor as candidates.

For a complete look at all school board candidates, click here.