Hess and Richardson Running for CVU 3-Year Term
February 25, 2010
by Nancy Wood

In the only contested race this year, two candidates have stepped up to fill Dottie Waller’s seat on the CVU School Board.

Marilyn K. Richardson, an educational consultant who has lived in Charlotte for 35 years, she has a B.A. in early childhood and elementary education, MS in reading, and MEd in special education. Her two sons are CVU graduates.
Richardson is running because, “I have the time, energy and expertise to serve on the CVU Board. With my work as an Educational Consultant in the State I think I could bring information to the Board on issues in education that are beyond our district but at the same time impact the decision making process. At the same time I want to be respected as a Charlotte representative who listens to the folks in our town.”
As a goal, Richardson says that, “During my term in office I would like to help the board make decisions that support the school leadership in creating learning environments where all students are prepared to be successful young adults.”

Richard Hess, better known as Dick, is in the food distribution business. He has lived in Charlotte for eight years. He has an associate’s degree in business management. Two of his children are students at CVU, and his youngest is at CCS.
Hess says that he is running because, “I like being involved and helping out wherever my kids are. I like giving my time to the community in which I live.” He has been involved as a “budget buddy” for the last three years. Among his goals are to insure that students are taught critical thinking, and to “make an effort to encourage a more efficient and responsible process of developing and managing a $20+ million budget.”
Hess says, “I am a firm believer in making sure that the teachers are being paid a proper salary for the excellent jobs they do while being monitored for doing that job. I am not a strong supporter of the Union position of automatic increases in salaries; I feel the best interest of our children should be a driving force more than the interest of the unions.”