Ron Worth: D109 School Board Candidate

Name: Ron Worth

Campaign Website: www.worth4schoolboard.com

How long have you lived in Deerfield? 32 years

Are you an incumbent? Yes

How long have you served in your office?

Two years after being appointed to the School Board in 2011 among 25 applicants.

What political accomplishments are you most proud of?

Stood strong during intense negotiations and strike threats by the teachers union which led to a great contract for all parties involved. The contract was so strong that it was extended to four years by both the board and union.

Chose a new superintendent to lead our district to an even better future.

Listened to parents and brought important concerns to the table at board meetings.

Worked with the superintendent to greatly improve communications between the special education administration and parents.

Approved a plan to provide air conditioning for all buildings in the district which will enhance health, safety, working conditions and learning at all levels.

Assisted in tough personnel decisions necessary to move our district forward.

Currently working with superintendent on improving STEM curriculum and facilities.

What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?

Co-founder and CEO of FlashCut CNC, a world leader in robotic controls.

Set up a prestigious internship program for DHS, Stevenson and GBN students to have an opportunity to experience hands on engineering.

Inventor of Snap-n-Go Stroller, one of the best-selling strollers of all time

Lead Design Engineer of IBM Proprinter II, the best-selling printer of its time

Lead Design Engineer of Duramax Easel, a design that has lasted over 20 years.

What are the three most important issues facing the District 109 Board of Education?

1. Leadership: Within a matter of months we will have a new Board of Education, a new Superintendent, and a new Assistant Superintendent of Learning. All three of those positions will have a huge influence on how our children learn. It is extremely important that everyone involved get up to speed as efficiently as possible and communicate with each other.
2. STEM: Our curriculum and facilities need to modernize so that our kids are excited about science and math. This can be done with hands-on activities, special events and building state of the art labs.
3. Block Scheduling: The middle schools are going to a new schedule next year which should enhance in depth learning in all subjects. However, because it will be different than our traditional scheduling, it must be planned out, managed and implemented carefully to maximize its benefits.

How do you distinguish yourself from your opponents?

I am the only candidate with board experience.

I stand strong for what I believe is right for D109 and don’t give into external pressure that I do not agree with.

Through my experience of running a business I know what it takes to make an entity successful including contract negotiations, balancing a budget and personnel decisions to build a strong team.

 I have a PhD from Stanford University where I learned how to always strive for excellence.

I am an excellent communicator who listens to constituents in the D109 community and knows how to bring their issues to appropriate people.

I am an engineer who fully understands technology, facilities and what it takes to have a world class STEM program.

What is your professional background?

FlashCut CNC & WPI - Menlo Park, CA and Deerfield, IL - CEO and Co-Founder, Developers of state of the art robotic controls for manufacturing systems. Product innovators of consumer products such as the Snap N Go stroller. We have also employed over 20 local high school interns giving them excellent hands-on scientific and manufacturing experience.

IBM – Northfield & Rolling Meadows, IL – Sales & Marketing
IBM -  Charlotte, NC  - Design Engineering
IDEO  - Evanston, IL & Palo Alto, CA - Product Development

What is your educational background?

Stanford University, 1996 PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Northwestern University, 1990 MS in Manufacturing Engineering.
University of IL, Urbana/Champaign, 1984 BS in Mechanical Engineering.

What other information would you like to share?

From coaching countless teams to helping my kids and their friends with math and science projects to family dinners and activities, raising my four kids is my proudest accomplishment.

I have put a lot of time and effort into my last two years as a board member and I am proud of what we have accomplished during my short tenure. I think we can accomplish even more in the next four years and I would be honored to have that opportunity.