Board Member — Tracy Unified School District Elementary Schools

 I was raised in Tracy schools prior to attending college and benefited greatly from the many quality people in TUSD. I graduated college in 1999 with a bachelors of science in business administration from the University of Wyoming.  I begin my professional career as a teacher and coach at Tracy high school for two years. I change careers to financial planning in 2001. I continued coaching in the district for approximately 14 years.   I’ve been married to Jennie since 2002  and we have five children ranging from second grade to 11th grade. Four are currently attending schools in TUSD.   I feel a responsibility to support the best programs that provide the highest quality experience to the youth and Tracy.   I also feel it is important to be mindful of the resources the district is giving. In other words I feel it’s important to be fiscally sound for the long-term health of the district.

I don’t feel that the school board is a political position. I’m not interested in creating a political resume. I am interested in supporting the students and staff in TUSD.  This is not a steppingstone for further political growth. In my opinion those who view the school board as a stepping stone do not have the best interest of the students and staff at heart.   What I believe is more important is that we on the school board collaborate and develop relationships with those around us regardless of how we view the world through a political lens. What matters most is that we support students and staff.

Gerald’s parents immigrated to the United States and the San Francisco Bay area in the mid-fifties. Mom found work in the offices of Standard oil and dad worked in heavy construction equipment as an Operating Engineer. They saved and bought a new home in South San Francisco, where first came Robert and then Gerald.

Going through the public-school system Gerald was your average student but lacked direction for what was to come after high school.  The United States Army offered him funding for continuing his education, a chance to experience other places, people and cultures, and a kick start to his career. After receiving an honorable discharge with awards, he entered the private sector and had a daughter, Michelle.

With a young family and work, Gerald’s education path went differently than some, similar to many, and has proven to be a lifelong journey.  He spent years working at completing his undergraduate work, along with a Masters Certification in Project Management through George Washington University, an Advanced Project Management Certification from Stanford, and graduated with honors in an Executive MBA program from Saint Mary’s College of California.

After years of working for leading U.S. Companies such as Boise Cascade, Eastman Office Products, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Gerald entered his career in project management working for two Global Supply Chain service providers.  This is where he developed his passion for moving people, teams, organizations, and strategies forward.

Today Paige and Gerald are settled in Tracy, meeting as many local shop and restaurant owners as possible. They have the philosophy that if you shop and dine small regularly, communities will thrive and provide that hometown feeling we all strive for.

Trust and learning; those are my two core values, and everything must come in alignment with them. We gain trust through our decisions made and actions taken.  Trust is not given easily and will be damaged when we go outside of our core values. Knowledge and intelligence are different. Knowledge is gained through learning from outside our personal experiences, and intelligence is the application of knowledge in a way that benefits those we serve.

Through trust and learning from those around us we can be honest about the strengths and weaknesses of the organization we support. We can then collaborate in the development and execution of strategies that capitalize on our strengths and improve our weaknesses; allowing us to go after opportunities and limit the impact of threats. This is how we move forward and deliver the greatest value to our community.

Ending 2014, I became a new resident to San Joaquin County and the City of Tracy.   As a way to learn more about my district and to continue active community service to have a positive effect on students, public policy, and improve the quality of life of others, I dedicated time and service as a parent involved in my children’s education and served on two committee boards.   As a concerned parent and volunteered member of the Parent Teach Student Association and athletic club, I participated in cross-functional team ‘meetings, such as one of the high school's accreditation committees and the College-Bound Council.  Additionally, I was appointed to serve on two County Supervisors’ Board as an At-Large Committee Advisor for the Commission of Aging and Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee.  I was motivated by my past involvements and public service in the areas of Health and Human Services and Public Health, particularly School-Mental Health, Violent Trauma, and Health's Wellness & Prevention Programs.  Having been afforded the opportunity to work on a ballot initiative, I participated in directing public policies and community projects to ensure ‘Safe Neighborhood and Safe Schools.”  I also assisted in mentoring H.S. Students in policy development and the systems of government amid politics.  In graduate school, I also coordinated activities for a Graduate Recruitment and Diversity Services (GRADS) program for the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley.   In this position, I conducted peer-advising, writing-workshops, and coordinated other student-support services to foster diversity and inclusivity and connect prospective applicants with resources useful for navigating the admission process. 

I have lived in the Tracy community since I was 2. I attended school in TUSD from kindergarten to senior year of high school. After finishing high school in 2014 I enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno and majored in political science. After completing my degree in 2017, I came home and began my career teaching special education. I am the only candidate in the race who has not only gone to school in the district but I am the only candidate to have also worked in the district. I know from first hand experience that this district needs not only new leadership but a new mindset.

I came to the United States in 1971 and started in the 5th grade.  I grew up working on my dad's and other farms throughout my college years. I wanted to be a police office so studied criminal justice in junior college, but changed to engineering when I went to university.  After graduating with Engineering degree I joined USAF as an engineer (civilian) and served five years with the F-22 Fighter program leading the development of the system support plan.

Due to Closure of McClellan AFB, I joined the private industry with a Startup company that developed the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and Voice Over IP (VOIP) technologies in 1999.  After the 9-11 and the Tech Boom bust, I went into mortgage lending the tax prepartion and started a partnership and openen Jackson Hewitt Tax Service franchise which I ran for few years.  As it was mostly a seasonal business, I went back into technology / engineering and went into the SAP Security and Compliance field and current am a cybersecurity engineer with a large health company.

I enjoy learning and teaching enigeering and technology which provide some of the best and high paying careers in both the public and private sectors.

I believe the role of any leader, be it religious, technical, athletics, or political is to advise/guide and support the public to achieve a successful and rewarding life, for men and women equally.

As Sikhism's first Guru (Teacher/Messiah/Avtar), Guru Nanak (born 1469), responded to Hindu Pundits of his time "How can a 'woman' be lower than a man, when woman is the one who gives birth to the messiahs and to the kings?".  A woman was considered man's property which Guru Nanak did not agree with and He gave women equal status as men.

I have been serving the students of Tracy Unified since the mid 2000's. First I was part of the Citizens Oversight Committee for Bond expenditures. I was appointed to the School Board in August of 2010 and elected the first time in Novemember of that year. I have worked with excellent administrators over the years to keep the District running on an even keel. There have been tough decisions over the years. Laying people off, not having sports, leaving positions vacant, not having arts and drama, what do we do or not do to maintain a positive money flow and budget. I have had to work through them all. We have one of the San Joaquin County School Districts that will remain solvent during defferals. 

I am a conservative that believes that we need to work hard for what we want. If it is handed to us it won't mean as much. Treat others the way we want to be treated. There is too much anger between political parties now. The position of School Board Member is a nonpolitical position. The people sitting on this Board need to know how to get along, work together and negotiate to get things done. It is not about them and what they want. It is about what works the best for the students and the District.