Anchorage Resident:

I would like to invite you to look through my website to help you make a more informed vote this April.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or ideas you may have using the “contact me” link on this homepage.

My intention in seeking Seat B on the Anchorage School Board is to passionately serve Anchorage with my expertise in the field of education.  I believe education is the foundation of society and feel this is a great opportunity for me to help build a better future for our community.

I would like to sum up my qualifications with four concepts:

Leadership.  Throughout my life, my colleagues have valued my willingness to consider everyone’s opinions when making decisions; this has led to me taking on many leadership roles.  For example, I served on the University of Minnesota Program in Physical Therapy Biomechanics Faculty Search Committee and most recently on the Generations Project committee for capital improvements at Providence Alaska Medical Center.  My proven leadership skills have resulted in being recognized with several honors including the “2x Award” while working as a computer support technician at VetConnect Systems and being named Beatrice E. and Hurd Boody Scholar and Walter H. Judd Fellow at the Unviersity of Minnesota in 2007.  Additionally, I have acquired corporate leadership skills through management positions at The Alaska Club.

Knowledge.  I learned to value education early on in life.  My mother has been a life-long teacher and she instilled in me a great respect for education and educators.  It was my love of people and this respect that directed me into the field of education myself.  At the University of Minnesota, I received a Bachelor of Applied Science in teaching physical education with a minor in teaching mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in computer science.  In Alaska I had the pleasure of working with at-risk youth at Juneau-Douglas High School and with after-school programming at Floyd Dryden Middle School.

Diversity.  I believe the great strength of this country lies in its diversity.  My commitment to diversity has provided me with the opportunity to educate young people in Australia and New Zealand through the public school system and in rural schools in Tanzania through rehabilitation hospital work.  I admire the rich diversity Anchorage possesses and will promote this asset in the curriculum and school district functions.

Collaboration.  I am often asked for my views and opinions while campaigning and I am honest with what I believe.  However, I want to stress that what I believe is much less important than the fact that I have the ability to listen to and cooperate with the entire community.  I pride myself in possessing the great skill of listening.  I practice saying less in order to listen more.  I am not here to convince others I am right but rather to listen to others to make certain the decisions I make are right.

As a member of the school board I will continue to be an educator and a student, sharing unique ideas to make our community stronger and keeping an open mind to new ideas.  My goal is not to simply win the election, establish a stepping-stone to bigger or better positions or buy political clout, but rather, to serve my community.  Please support me on 7APR09 by getting out to vote.

Thank you for your contribution to our community,

Nels C. Johnson, DPT