Tom Shellenberg responded to the Geyser’s questions in an email with the following responses.
Tell us about yourself and your background.
“I am second generation Livingston native. I graduated from Park High in 1970. I finished college at the University of Montana with a BS degree in Business Administration. I was licensed as a CPA in 1977. Most of my career I have been self-employed, first in Public Accounting and starting in 2006 I own 5 Ace Hardware stores with a partner. I am married, have one daughter and one grandchild.”
What inspired you to run for school board position?
”I have done volunteer work most of my adult life. 12 years ago I decided to run for the school board. Other than being a student and raising a student, I had never been to a school board meeting. The work the School Board does and the decisions we make are very important. Doing important work is fun.”
What are you hoping to accomplish if you are elected and how will you accomplish it?
“I do not have a major agenda. I will make my decisions by focusing on what is best for the students, what is best for our employee and district, and spend the taxpayer’s money like it was my own. These goals are accomplished by explaining why a certain decision meets the 3 criteria.”
What do you think is the biggest challenge we face in our schools today?
“Our biggest challenge is an area we can’t do much about. We have too many parents who are not engaged in their children’s education. Without the parents on the team, succeeding with their child becomes harder. I am still looking for the silver bullet for this problem.”
Who is an educator who impacted your life?
“For most of us, our favorite teachers taught our favorite subject. Mr. Peterson, Mr. Weins and others were Park High math teachers. English was one of my weaker subjects. I had Ms. Powalisz as a teacher. She was a good teacher then. She is a great teacher now.”