Election results are starting to roll in.... Watch the play-by-play at
http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/klickitat/Breakdown-8444.html
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Candidate Statement
Candidate Statement:
As parents of two children in the district, strong schools are important to me and my wife. My technology background makes me uniquely qualified to help prepare students for successful careers and to help guide the district on technology decisions and direction. I bring strong academic skills to this position, having worked for the K-12 public schools for over 8 years prior to my current position at Google's datacenter in The Dalles. I have degrees in Computer Science and in Information Management. All children in our district deserve the chance to get the education they need to succeed. |
| Dave, Spencer, and Willem |
- Elected Experience: Gorge Technology Alliance Board Member http://www.crgta.org/
- Professional Experience: Technology Director for Columbia Gorge Education Service District (ESD) 1998-2006, serving Hood River & Wasco county public schools. Hardware Operations Site Manager for Google's Datacenter in The Dalles 2006-present.
- Education: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Mathematics (with honors), St. Lawrence University 1991. Master's of Science (with Distinguished Capstone Award) in Applied Information Management, University of Oregon 2001.
- Community Service: Advocate for local community projects: helping make Q-Life & HREC community fiber networks a reality, and support of the Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT) program.
- Personal: moved to Hood River in 1993; moved to White Salmon in 1999. Married to Kate Karlson, public health nurse little league soccer coach, and robotics volunteer. Father of Spencer (age 7, in 1st grade at Whitson) and Willem (age 4, will be in Kindergarten at Whitson next fall).
Monday, October 3, 2011
White Salmon Enterprise Interview
White Salmon Enterprise Interview
(The Enterprise could not fit the entire interview, it is reproduced here in its entirety)
Enterprise: What city do you live in and how long have you lived there?
Dave: I have lived in White Salmon since 1999 with my wife, Kate (and more recently our sons Spencer and Willem). Throughout the last 12 years, we have been remodeling a 1908 house we purchased close to downtown. Prior to White Salmon, we lived in Hood River.
Enterprise: What do you do?
Dave: What do I do? Great question! I play with my 4 and 7 year old sons - outdoors whenever possible. We love spending time on the water, on the beach, on the trail, and on the snow. Reading, science, and engineering are big in our house, so on the weekends I am often disassembling and troubleshooting something with the boys. In the evenings, we read books (more recently Spencer has started to read to us!). For work, I serve as the Hardware Operations Site Manager for Google's datacenter in The Dalles - a position I have held for over 5 years. In addition to the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the site, the position has given me an opportunity to participate in several community outreach efforts and events including the recent push to get FIRST robotics teams established in every school in the Columbia Gorge. I am excited that there are so many new teams this year throughout the region, including new teams at Whitson Elementary and Henkle Middle School.
Enterprise: Why do you have an interest in the schools? Why do you want to run for the school board?
Dave: I have always had a passion for public education, due in large part to the great experience I had with public schools when I was growing up. I had incredible opportunities through after school programs and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Professionally, I have had the opportunity to serve the public schools for 8 years as the Technology Director for Columbia Gorge Education Service District (ESD). This experience gives me the perspective and insight on the challenges facing public school districts today. At this point, I feel that I need to give back. I feel that my combination of those years working in the K-12 system, my own experience as a parent and as a life-long learner, and my strong technology and engineering background provide me the ideal background (and focus) to bring the White Salmon Schools to the next level.
Enterprise: What would you like to accomplish if elected? What would you like to see happen at the schools?
Dave: The district faces numerous challenges, including budgetary shortfalls, changing district demographics, and keeping up with state and federal standards (No Child Left Behind). In addition, there are many families who feel that their needs are not being met by the district today. If elected, my goal is to help the district develop and implement plans and programs to address these issues. Specifically, I want to focus on enhancing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum, to better prepare students for jobs in the new economy. In addition, I look forward to working with the district to enhance and expand the Advanced Placement (AP) courses available at the High School.
Enterprise: Why should citizens vote for you instead of your opponent?
Dave: I bring a fresh and modern perspective to face and address the challenges the district faces today. With two school-age children, I feel invested in and directly accountable for making the White Salmon Schools the very best they can be. My opponent has been on the board for many years, and I think the community owes him a deep level of appreciation for his service. However, we are facing challenges in the district that require new thinking and new energy to solve. I am excited to be part of the process of improving the schools to prepare them (and their students) for the next 20 years. For more information on my background and qualifications please visit my website at www.karlsonforschools.org
(The Enterprise could not fit the entire interview, it is reproduced here in its entirety)
Enterprise: What city do you live in and how long have you lived there?
Dave: I have lived in White Salmon since 1999 with my wife, Kate (and more recently our sons Spencer and Willem). Throughout the last 12 years, we have been remodeling a 1908 house we purchased close to downtown. Prior to White Salmon, we lived in Hood River.
 |
| Dave, Kate, Spencer, and Willem |
Dave: What do I do? Great question! I play with my 4 and 7 year old sons - outdoors whenever possible. We love spending time on the water, on the beach, on the trail, and on the snow. Reading, science, and engineering are big in our house, so on the weekends I am often disassembling and troubleshooting something with the boys. In the evenings, we read books (more recently Spencer has started to read to us!). For work, I serve as the Hardware Operations Site Manager for Google's datacenter in The Dalles - a position I have held for over 5 years. In addition to the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the site, the position has given me an opportunity to participate in several community outreach efforts and events including the recent push to get FIRST robotics teams established in every school in the Columbia Gorge. I am excited that there are so many new teams this year throughout the region, including new teams at Whitson Elementary and Henkle Middle School.
Enterprise: Why do you have an interest in the schools? Why do you want to run for the school board?
Dave: I have always had a passion for public education, due in large part to the great experience I had with public schools when I was growing up. I had incredible opportunities through after school programs and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Professionally, I have had the opportunity to serve the public schools for 8 years as the Technology Director for Columbia Gorge Education Service District (ESD). This experience gives me the perspective and insight on the challenges facing public school districts today. At this point, I feel that I need to give back. I feel that my combination of those years working in the K-12 system, my own experience as a parent and as a life-long learner, and my strong technology and engineering background provide me the ideal background (and focus) to bring the White Salmon Schools to the next level.
Enterprise: What would you like to accomplish if elected? What would you like to see happen at the schools?
Dave: The district faces numerous challenges, including budgetary shortfalls, changing district demographics, and keeping up with state and federal standards (No Child Left Behind). In addition, there are many families who feel that their needs are not being met by the district today. If elected, my goal is to help the district develop and implement plans and programs to address these issues. Specifically, I want to focus on enhancing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum, to better prepare students for jobs in the new economy. In addition, I look forward to working with the district to enhance and expand the Advanced Placement (AP) courses available at the High School.
Enterprise: Why should citizens vote for you instead of your opponent?
Dave: I bring a fresh and modern perspective to face and address the challenges the district faces today. With two school-age children, I feel invested in and directly accountable for making the White Salmon Schools the very best they can be. My opponent has been on the board for many years, and I think the community owes him a deep level of appreciation for his service. However, we are facing challenges in the district that require new thinking and new energy to solve. I am excited to be part of the process of improving the schools to prepare them (and their students) for the next 20 years. For more information on my background and qualifications please visit my website at www.karlsonforschools.org
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