North Andover Candidate Profile: David Scott Brown, School Committee

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The Town of North Andover's Annual Town Election is on Tuesday.

This year, four offices are on the ballot: Select Board, School Committee, Housing Authority and Greater Lawrence Technical School District Committee.

Here are more details about the upcoming election.

Patch is profiling some of the candidates. Here, we learn more about David Scott Brown, who is running for one of two open seats on the School Committee. Kevin Dube and Alissa Koenig also are running for School Committee.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

David Scott Brown

Campaign Website, social media

www.davebrown4naschools.com, https://www.facebook.com/356295888771755

Age (as of Election Day)

66

Office sought

North Andover School Committee

Family

My wife's name is Jamie, we moved to North Andover in 2000. All 3 of our children attended North Andover Schools and are proud graduates of North Andover High School, the most recent in 2019.

Our oldest, Josh, is 27, has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University, is pursuing his Master's in Education at the University of Washington, and is a high school science and math teacher and basketball and soccer coach in Seattle.

Our next, Kyra, has a BA in Media Arts and Practices from the University of Southern California, and is a writer's assistant on the Apple TV Series "Shrinking."

Our youngest, Talia, has a BS in Communications from Northwestern and will receive her Master's in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern this year. Talia was also North Andover's Junior Poet Laureate at NAHS.

They were all very active at NAHS, captains and members of many sports teams, DECA, National Honor Society, a Class Officer and active in several other clubs.

Education

MBA, UCLA Anderson School of Management (Operations, Marketing and Entrepreneurship). MSEE and BSEE (Electrical Engineering) from Tufts.

Occupation

Management and engineering consultant at present. Previous experience as a general manager, chief operating officer, VP of Marketing, and VP of Business Development. Earlier in my career, I was a systems engineer and design engineer and engineering manager. I've worked primarily in the telecommunications and medical device industries, and also as a part-time educator at the high school and college level. Overall, 43 years of professional work experience.

Previous or current elected or appointed office

Chair, Stevens Estate Board of Trustees. Long-time member of Fields Committee. Served on NAHS Principal Search Committee and NAHS SOS Committee.

Why are you seeking elective office?

Public education is the most important asset of a community. I want to give back to the schools that served my family so well, and ensure that current and future students receive the best possible education and preparation for life that we can offer.

I'm a long-term community volunteer and want to continue to serve in the most meaningful possible way. The district faces numerous challenges in the next several years, and strong leadership is needed to ensure success. I bring that leadership through my professional experience in management and education, and I bring boundless energy as evidenced by my track record of service to North Andover, and in particular North Andover's youth as a leader in Booster Club, Little League, the Fields Committee and volunteer work in our schools.

Describe the issues that define your campaign platform

The principal issues are accountability, transparency and performance, and advocacy and inclusion.

Accountability Matters — There is a chain of accountability beginning with individual School Committee members, holding the Superintendent and administration accountable, the staff, and ultimately the students.

Transparency — The School Committee and its members must be transparent about their work to the maximum legal extent possible, and hold everyone in the accountability chain to that standard.

Performance — Are we continuously improving the performance of our students, and if not, what is the plan to do so? We should be measuring ourselves against national, state and regional standards.

Advocacy and Inclusion — They are intertwined with the previous three, but to be specific the committee must ensure inclusion and equity across all students and be advocates for all students and families in the district.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I bring a unique blend of management experience and education as well as experience as an educator. I've worked for years as a management professional and executive — similar to the role of a superintendent and others in the administration, and also served on executive boards as a volunteer, so I understand the relationships and roles of a School Committee member thoroughly and can bring that experience to this work.

I also have no bias towards any particular school and can represent all of them equally. I have experienced the entire system through all the grades recently, so understand the challenges across the system.

Lastly, I have no political or ideological agenda, I am simply striving to ensure that we offer the best possible education for all students and that they are all treated with respect and dignity and have a safe and comfortable learning environment.

If you are a challenger, in what ways do you hope to improve upon the work of the current board or office holder?

I believe the current board could improve accountability, transparency and performance throughout the system. I will push to institute a more direct culture of continuous improvement, with regular reporting on progress by the administration. I will look for ways to increase transparency to the public, both within the current frameworks and investigation of adding additional opportunities for community involvement.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My many years of successful management experience across organizations large and small, including numerous successful high-value negotiations, even among fierce competitors. As an example, I was able, as Motorola's chief negotiator, to negotiate a technology-sharing agreement between Motorola and Cisco to create a common platform for use by Cable Operators across North America (the Universal Digital Television Adaptor).

I have significant experience in strategic planning, mergers and acquisition, so can easily understand the budgeting process for the schools and appropriately challenge, as well as provide counsel, in the planning and budgeting work of the administration.

Finally, having worked as a high school educator just two years ago at the height of the pandemic, I have recent, highly relevant experience in understanding the challenges administration, staff, students and parents are facing right now as we work to close the Covid learning gaps.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Accountability matters! We are facing an unprecedented challenge for our children's education. It's time that we take bold new steps to address the needs our growing community has to both address the learning gaps created by the pandemic as well as address the systemic issues that have faced our district the last several years. There are so many challenges ahead — ensuring equity and inclusion, solving space and facility issues, making sure we are being as economically efficient as possible (getting the most for our money), and working toward continuous improvement.

As anyone who knows me well would say, I bring boundless energy and a demonstrated continuous record of public service to this, the most important of municipal services. I'll always act in good faith and follow best practices. I will always remember that it's all about the kids! I respectfully ask for your vote on March 28th.