Please describe the changes to existing programs and/or functions you are committed to make and give your rationale.

The College has made great strides in efforts to increase out student success, targeting the number of graduation our students achieve.  One of the difficulties encountered is that not all of our students have a degree, be it an associates degree or a full 4 year bachelor's degree.  Their goal is to get a JOB!  And Lone Star is there to help with that goal.  Certainly everyone can benifit from a broader education.  It is clear that our workforce must expand their knowledge base and Science, Technlology, Math and English (STEM) are an important part but not the only path to a better life. While the College strives for graduations, preceived by the State as an improtant measure of educational success, it does not fit everyone's goals. We must ensure that our efforts to promote student success also help those students that come to us with more immediate goals. Our efforts must raise all ships. I am commetted to seeing that our educators, advisors and management have to tools to accomplish that task for all our students. They do a great job of it now.  We simply have to do more. 

Please describe the qualifications and experience that make you the best candidate for the office you are seeking.

I have been involved in the process of providing the infrastructure support necessary for a modern society to function for most of my life now. Just as we must have clean, safe water, so it is important to have an educated workforce and an educated electorate. 

I have worked with public finance to provide resources to construct the infrastructure for development both as a consultant and as a Municipal Utility Dristrict (MUD) board member. I understand the balance between tax rate and property value. I understand the need for debt to achieve a stable society be it to support education, roads, or water treatment. The balance is to not get too far ahead or too far behind the demand for those elements that make our modern society work. In both my roles with MUDs and Lone Star, we've been able to meet both of those conflicting goals by planning carefully and watching our debt retirement as we consider undertating new debt. Both MUDs and educational institutions must also balance the operations and maintence budgets as well. I have been doing that for many years.

Please discuss the proper granting of the use of LSCS facilities to non-affiliated, non-profit civic groups.

Generally all college facilities are for the use of the faculty, staff and administration for the advancement of our missions. The individual campus will set facilities rental rates based of the various types of facilities, whether the user is for profit or non-profit and if there are any special requirements such as having facilities opened at times they would otherwise be closed.  The college as some really outstanding facilities and uses them for public forums of many  kinds as a courtesy to the community. A non-profit orginazation with no admission charge is still expected to cover the cost of the use of the facilities.

Please discuss your views on LSCS funding sources and the proportion of funds that should come from each source(State Legislature; raise local property taxes; raise tuition;  offer free tuition;  pass more bond;  repeal open-admissions and increase minimum academic requirements;  cap enrollment;  worry about it down the road)?

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Please describe the pros and cons of full-tenured staff versus part-time teachers and your plans, if any, for making changes in that area.

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Please describe the opportunities you will pursue to improve quality of instruction while reducing costs.

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Is the current debt load for LSCS too high? Please describe how you will determine the proper debt load.

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Please explain why you do or do not support requiring a 2/3 majority for bond issues to pass.

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Lone Star College passed a $471 million Bond package(tax-supported) in late 2014.  How long will this sustain the college, before the board comes back to the voters for more? 

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What would you do to a student who uses hate speech on campus? Off campus?

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What is your position on free-speech zones, speech codes, safe spaces, trigger warnings, microaggressions, and religious speech on campus?

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What's your opinion on campus carry for teachers and for students?

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Please describe what measures you propose to improve transparency and accountability to the public.

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