Patch Candidate Profile: Cameron M. Coe For Danbury Board of Education

DANBURY, CT — Election Day on Nov. 4 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot.

Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing their towns.

Candidate's Name:
Cameron M. Coe

What office are you seeking?
Board of Education

What town do you live in?
Danbury

Campaign Website

Party Affiliation:
Republican

Occupation:
Post University Admissions Team Lead

Family:
I come from a family that has always been involved in Danbury. My mother is Patricia Coe and Father is Gary Coe, who is a retired Police Sergeant in Danbury and current officer at Westconn. My brother, Colin Coe is a Nurse at Danbury Hospital. I also live with my amazing Girlfriend, Adriana, who is an immigrant from Colombia.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
My father is a Police Officer at Westconn.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
This is my first time ever running for public office.

Why are you seeking this office?
I am seeking to run for the Board of Education to continue to give back to the community. I currently volunteer 5 days a week at the Police Activities League as Sensei at the Danbury Academy of Mixed Martial Arts. The local children and teens inspire me to do more to help the future of our community. I had a great experience coming through Danbury Schools and want to ensure that my own future children and every child in Danbury have the highest quality of education possible.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is accountability and transparency. This is particularly true with financial tracking systems or lack there of. Audits of the school system have found unspent money (About $9 million in the last audit) that should have been used on programs for Students and Teachers to raise the quality of our education. We owe it to our students to be responsible and utilize our allocated resources. My goal is not to place blame, but come into the Board to use new ideas and solutions to better track resources and give more transparency to students, parents, and the tax payers.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
The major difference between myself and other candidates is that I am a young person who most recurrently went through Danbury Schools, from Mill Ridge all the way to Danbury High School. I have experience seeing the good and things that can be improved upon most recently. With that, I have always been a results driven individual working in the community. This stems from being an Eagle Scout at Troop 52 here in Danbury, and continuously teaching our youth at DA-MMA. My experience going through our schools, working with young people, and overall leadership experience makes me a perfect candidate to be elected to the Board of Education

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
My focus is working to make students the best that they can be in Danbury. I was someone who was able to graduate college a year early because of the education I received and AP class offering at Danbury High School. I want to be a role model for young students that they can reach their goals and achieve success academically. At the same time, I want to continue to grow offerings for students at all levels and help to incentivize students to push themselves and become involved. Being well rounded is crucial, and I plan to work with students and parents to ensure engaging options that students want to participate in inside and outside of the school day.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I hold a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership, and my leadership expedience is something that is necessary on the Board of Education. Not only do I have the educational experience, but I have the real life experience. I am an Eagle Scout from Danbury, I teach Martial Arts classes five days a week, and in my profession I am a team lead. I continuously utilize my leadership skills and look to bring that experience to the Board of Education. At the same time, I have the business experience to hold leadership accountable and provide oversight. I have created sponsorship programs for multiple professional wrestling and other sport organizations, bringing in thousands of dollars for events. This requires a focused and organized individual to track and run. These experiences all give me proven leadership and financial experience that the Danbury Board of Education needs.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
The best piece of advise ever given to me was from my grandfather who taught me the Platinum Rule. The Platinum Rule is one step above the Golden Rule we all know. The Golden Rule is to treat others how you would like to be treated. The Platinum Rule is to treat others how THEY would like to be treated. Life is about being considerate, not just thinking about you want, but taking the time to think what other people want and need. I try to live by this every day and will bring this principle to my leadership on the Danbury Board of Education.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
My focus is the Danbury Community. I feel compelled to use my experience to make this community stronger and bring a new voice to leadership. As an Eagle Scout, we have a saying to leave a place better than you found it. My passion is for Education and the City of Danbury and I hope that shines through above all else.