Candidate Profile: Kathy Lim For Elmbrook School Board

BROOKFIELD, WI— The 2022 election is heating up in Wisconsin and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Voters will also decide the outcome of state representative, senate seats and local government and school boards.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Name

Kathy Lim

Age (as of Election Day)

50

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Elmbrook School District Area 2 Seat

Party Affiliation

NA-this is a nonpartisan/apolitical position

Family

Married 25 years with 3 children & a rescue dog Linus

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Masters of Science in Nursing-Executive Leadership
Bachelors of Science in Nursing
Professional Registered Nurse (Wisconsin & Illinois license) RN
Certified Nursing periOperating Room Nurse (CNOR)
Currently working on my Legal Nursing Consultant Certification

Occupation

26 year Surgical Nurse and in Leadership

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

NA

Campaign website

KathyLIM.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking this elected public office to recalibrate the district's focus back to academics. It will be done through peer accountability to ensure Elmbrook School Board functions in its capacity and authority as intended by the Wisconsin Statutes, to fully execute its duties to the community by holding the administration accountable.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing Elmbrook District is the declining academics. MAP scores year over year since 2015. IEP students graduation rate plummeted from 95% to 67% between 2012-2019, while school board continues to allow sexual exploitation risks in the school proper as evidenced by the district's lack of screening protocol for age-appropriate books, internet security breaches, inappropriate teacher's use of gender pronouns in school email signature that links to LGBT education and sex toy websites just to name a few. A root cause analysis is needed to deep dive into causes of continued decline in academics. My run for the school board is to get to the heart of the problem to course correct before it is too late.

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

My family and I moved to Brookfield from Chicago area 3.5 years ago. We have gone through Chicago Public School curriculum changes from common core to Critical Race Theory/ICS over 10 years and having lived through that, and experiencing its end product, I am here to give Elmbrook community a chance to not repeat the same history.

People may say, this is not a major city like Milwaukee. Whether it is an urban city or its metro suburbs, it is the same playbook and script. I bring a very unique perspective and experiences, having lived through it all. I do not want to see Chicago's past become Elmbrook's future.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

As mentioned in the earlier answers, the continued decline in academics and lack of accountability for its performance and the School Board's inability to exercise its full plenary authority over the district administration is a concern. Elmbrook must focus on academics and not red-herring issues which distract attention from declines in student achievement. To achieve this, school board must move away from unanimous group think practices and start honest and open problem solving dialogues on real issues so our children are no longer paying the price of rubber stamped agendas.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

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

As a nurse and a mother, I bring empathy and strong clinical expertise as we attempt to implement best practice and simplified health protocols. As a Director of Operations for a $2.5B hospital system with 350 people reporting to me, I provide unique and valuable experience. I led initiatives that improved staff retention and engagement achieving top tier rating, which will help as the district attempts to retain and recruit the best teachers. I led major software upgrades, which will help as the district navigates the digital age. I bring proven visionary leadership with practical solutions, achieved through collaboration and peer accountability having pioneered change management in four organizations with top tier results every time.

Over the past 2 years, I successfully led a $20 Million Surgery Modernization Construction Project, while taking on leadership with system initiatives to standardize best practices for patients and teams, ensuring quality and safety outcomes. In partnership with the Wisconsin Workforce Youth Apprenticeship, local colleges, and the Talent Development executive team, I pioneered the Surgical Workforce Pipeline. This unique program offers high school aged students and above, the opportunity to participate in a variety of medical field opportunities.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice ever shared with me was to never compromise on conviction and integrity, never deviate from telling the whole truth and to never lower my standards.

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

Please visit KathyLIM.org to find out more information about me. Also follow on FB Kathy LIM for Elmbrook Schools to find out where I stand on issues, my vision of putting our kids and families first and being a good steward toward all tax payers in the community.

56 cents to $1 goes to Elmbrook School District. That is a whole lot of responsibility that I take very seriously. KathyLIM.org