Alachua Voter Guide

The candidate at his booth at the Alachua 4th of july Celebration

By periodically perusing the Supervisor of Elections’ website, I discover when a new candidate has filed to run for office. I thought it might be a bit early to look, but that’s how I discovered Jodi Wood. He is running for School Board District 3, which is currently held by two term incumbent Wes Eubanks, who has not filed yet. It is a non-partisan race, and it will be run during next year’s primary. The Supervisor of Elections has not announced that date yet, but it will be either August 31, 2010, or September 7 of the same year.

Jodi Wood has been a real go getter for his own education, having graduated from high school at 14 and gotten a BA by 19, followed up with a Masters Degree and PhD in Business. He has several small children, one of whom is starting school, and this is what motivates him to serve. He is deeply concerned about the financial management of local schools and what he hears are the inevitable cuts in programs. He has ideas and he is eagerly soliciting ideas for cost savings that don’t involve cutting actual programs at his website. He says he has been getting ideas sent to him already, and is encouraged that programs can be saved through better management.

I asked him if he had any criticism of the incumbent, and he said he didn’t, and that he had never met him. He wants to run a positive campaign about saving the schools and their programs.

If Wes Eubanks, or anyone else, wants to meet Jodi, he will be having a meet and greet at West Side park on July 18 from 11:30am to 1pm. I will not be able to make it because I will be on vacation in Miami. But this is a good chance to get a potential school board member’s ear and let him know what you think.

Interested constituents getting some face time with the candidate.