Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce PAC endorses candidates for Charleston County School Board

November 2, 2016

The Charleston Metro Chamber Political Action Committee (CMCC PAC) has released its endorsements for five seats on the Charleston County Consolidated School Board, which will be decided on by voters on November 8. The PAC Board selected endorsements based on a completed candidate questionnaire and one-on-one interviews.

The CMCC PAC Board of Advisors voted to endorse the following candidates:
While candidates are running to fill specific geographic seats, Charleston County voters cast votes on a County-wide basis, meaning all voters vote for all areas, no matter where they reside.
“Each of these candidates understands what the role of the Board is and their role in setting policy, not in trying to manage the day-to-day operations of the School District,” said David Hand, CMCC PAC Chairman. “They are also all fiscally conservative and will work collaboratively with the Superintendent to improve education outcomes.”
The purpose of the CMCC PAC Board of Advisors is to identify and support candidates to run for public office at the city, county and state level whose goals support the Chamber’s business advocacy priorities.
“I believe the candidates we are endorsing today have the same vision and align with the Chamber on many key issues,” stated Hand.
In addition, the CMCC PAC issued questionnaires to each candidate seeking a seat on one of the nine Constituent School Boards this November. View candidate responses at charlestonchamber.net/ccsdconstituentschoolboard.

“Our goal is to help educate voters on each of these candidates. Many people enter the polls with little or no knowledge about the role of the Constituent Board or the candidates running to serve,” explained Hand. “We hope by publishing the results, we can help them cast a more informed vote.”

 

About the CMCC PAC endorsed candidates:

Todd Garrett currently holds the downtown Charleston seat and was first elected to the School Board in 2012. Garrett holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University and is a commercial realtor with Avison Young.

 

Kevin Hollinshead is seeking one of two seats in the North Area. Hollinshead, who is retired, served as a Commissioner for Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission for 13 years, including Finance Chairman. He holds a master’s degree in organizational management.

 

Russ Patterson, a Project Manager for a local engineering firm, serves on the board of the local chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers and was named one of the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 in 2012. He holds a master’s degree in geographic information systems.

 

Priscilla Jeffrey, a former teacher and former two-term school board member in a different community, is running for one of two seats West Ashley. She holds a master’s degree in community economic development – youth leadership development.

 

Gary Leonard has taught at the middle and high school levels as well as adult education at Trident Technical College and graduate courses at The Citadel and Charleston Southern University. He has served in top leadership at Berkeley County School District, including serving as Interim Superintendent and holds numerous graduate level degrees.

 

About the Chamber PAC: The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce PAC is a separate organization from the Chamber, governed by an independent board of directors. The PAC’s mission is to evaluate and support candidates for local and state office who acknowledge, support and actively vote for pro-business policies and legislation.

 

About the Charleston Metro Chamber: With more than 1,600 member organizations representing 125,000 professionals, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce serves as the collective voice of the business community and a catalyst for advancing the region’s economy and enhancing members’ success through Advocacy, Innovation, Talent and Business Advancement. Visit charlestonchamber.net.