My qualifications

By Forest T. Heis

Leadership, Commitment, Community

I am a proud product of the Forest Hills School District. I graduated from Wilson Elementary 33 years ago, then moved on to Turpin Middle and Forest Hills Junior Schools before graduating as co-valedictorian from Turpin High School in 1987. Forest Hills School District provided me with an excellent education and a strong foundation for my future academic endeavors at Stanford, UC Medical School and Duke. I've been married to my remarkable wife for 15 years and have four children; our oldest daughter at Nagel, a son and daughter at Wilson and our youngest at Anderson Hills.

My overarching goal is for the District to continue its excellence and provide our children all the tools for 21st-century learning. I represent our children first in all decision-making, providing for the best education while maintaining fiscal responsibility. I believe strongly in public education and have a vested interest in making the best decisions for our children and for our community.

I'm in this for the long haul.

Three major reasons I ask for your vote:

Leadership: I have served on the Forest Hills School Board for four years, including one as Vice-President and two as President. Also, I have served as chairman of the Department of Surgery at St. Elizabeth Healthcare and as a board member of Commonwealth Orthopaedic Centers. I am skilled at taking diverse (even divergent) ideas, finding common threads, then formulating collaborative solutions. Importantly, especially with the current issues facing the District, I am a consensus-builder, applying a thoughtful, open-minded and level-headed approach to challenges as they arise.

Commitment: I have deep roots in our District. I have 19 relatives over three generations who have received, or are receiving their education through the Forest Hills School District. I have personally experienced the myriad of opportunity Forest Hills has to offer - from outstanding teaching and academics, to athletics, music, drama, student council and student groups. I am committed to increasing the depth and breadth of opportunities for our children.

Community: Anderson Township and the Village of Newtown take pride in our schools and rightly so. I pledge to engage the community, seeking active input into decisions and maintaining excellent stewardship of its resources. Our community prospers as our District does and vice versa.

We have an incredible school district, made up of great students, parents, teachers, administrators and a supportive community. We also have challenges and need people with leadership experience to help guide our District through the decisions ahead for the betterment of all. I have the skills, the ability and the determination to work through our current and future challenges and humbly ask for your vote on Nov. 5.

Please contact me at forestheis@foresthills.edu, "Heis for School Board" on Facebook, or http://www.forestheis.com.