1. FULL NAMEMandy Jo Thomas

2. BRIEF AUTOBIOGRAPHYI am from rural OK and attended college at Kansas State University. I don’t like snow or cold or skiing so when my husband’s company transferred us to Colorado 20 years ago, he had to drag me here kicking and screaming. But it didn’t take me long to fall in love with this beautiful state and I can’t imagine living anywhere else!

My husband Jason has a degree in Construction Engineering and is a General Superintendent for JE Dunn Construction. It was his first job out of college and we met while I was an intern on his jobsite. We have 2 kids that attended school in 27J from kindergarten through graduation - Second Creek Elementary, Stuart Middle School and Prairie View High School. Macy is 21 and is a student athlete at Humboldt State University in California and Cannon is 18 and just graduated last May and is starting his own business!

As a family we love hiking, vacationing, movies, and game nights. Jason and Cannon both shoot competitively and when Macy isn’t playing volleyball she’s at the gym doing CrossFit.

My degree is in Construction Management and after college I worked for a large nationwide general contractor. I resigned from my position in 2007 to stay home with the kids and with all that extra time on my hands (ha!) I decided to become more involved in our school’s PTO. I served as secretary for one year, treasurer for one year, and then president for 5 years. My husband often joked that I traded in my well-paying full time job for a volunteer full time job, but I loved serving our

Mandy ThomasDIRECTOR DISTRICT 5

mandyfor27J@gmail.com/mandythomas27J

EDUCATIONBachelors of ScienceConstruction ManagementUniversity of Central MissouriMay 2001

COMMUNITY SERVICE27J Schools Board Member Elected November 2017 Junior Achievement 2003 - PresentChild Advocate with CASA of Adams County June 2019 - PresentPTO and Various 27J Committees & CampaignsAugust 2005 - Present

HOBBIESTraveling • CrossFit • Yoga • Running • Home Improvement Projects • Reading • Movie Nights • Hiking

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school and community and feel very blessed that I had the opportunity to meet and work with so many amazing people all there to be a force for good for our kids.

Now that my kids are both grown I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up! In the meantime I am what my friend calls a “passion-preneur”. I work lots of jobs that all fill my cup. I co-own a mobile paint party business with my best friend. I do mobile paint party events and train people all over the country how to make money with a paint party business. Last year I became a substitute teacher and get to live out my dreams of being a teacher. I operate a frozen yogurt vending machine business that uses robotic technology (pretty cool and delicious!). And I work at the Reunion Coffee House mentoring young adults. Whew. It keeps me busy and I love it!

3. WHY DO YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THE BOARD?• I feel strongly that education is the great equalizer. It

doesn’t matter where you come from or how much money your family has. If you have access to good education, you work hard, and have people that care about you, you can have any success you set your heart and mind too.

• True story - as a little girl I always wanted to be a teacher. My father told me I couldn’t be a teacher because they don’t make any money! Of course he was joking (but not entirely wrong!). While I didn’t become a teacher, I have taught several classes as a volunteer with Junior Achievement where I get to “play teacher”, and just last year I became a substitute teacher to help schools during this difficult time of sub shortages. I love teachers and think they should be worshipped like celebrities. I want to continue serving on the Board to serve and support our teachers and help get them the resources they need to be the best they can be!

• I have always taught my children that this world would be a better place if everyone found the one cause they care about and support it. Save the whales, save the rainforest, save the whatever....find a cause and do something about it. My passion has always been education, and specifically my children’s schools. I have been an active and passionate supporter of our district for many years. I joined the PTO at Second Creek in 2005 serving as Secretary for 1 year, Treasurer for 1 year and President for 5 years. Once the kids moved on to middle school I stepped down from the PTO and became more active at the District level serving on the District Accountability Committee, Engage 27J, and I have walked and knocked and written post cards and done phone banking for every Iam27J Bond and Mill Levy campaign for the last 20 years. In 2017 I was elected to the School Board and am currently in the last year of my first term. If you’re gonna talk the talk you gotta walk the walk. Education is my passion and I love this District l

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• I am so incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished during my first term on the Board. We have the highest graduation rate of the Adams County school districts and our graduation rate has increased for each of the past 3 years. Just this past year we rewrote our Board goals to include what we have dubbed the Good Human Goal. I proposed the goal to my fellow board members because I don’t feel there is a direct correlation between a student’s SAT score and their future success, and many colleges are doing away with SAT score requirements. Because SAT score is now one of the 3 demonstrations for graduation, we scrubbed our SAT score goal and replaced it with the Good Human Goal. Because it is more important to me that we are raising good humans that are happy and thoughtful and have empathy and care about their neighbor and community.

4. WHAT STRENGTHS DO YOU BRING TO THE BOARD?I have lived, worked and volunteered in this community for 16 years and have built many positive relationships. As both a parent and business owner in this district, I am not only committed to the success of our schools but have a variety of skills that will add value to the board and our community.

I grew up in my family’s restaurant. I started waiting tables when I was 9 years old. As a result I have an amazing work ethic and am very much a people person. I am passionate, open-minded, hard-working, honest and always look to add a little fun and humor to everything I do.

I never fancied myself an entrepreneur, but considering both my parents owned their own businesses it is no surprise this is where I ended up. Entrepreneurs by their very nature are problem solvers. For example we needed new software, I learned how to program. We needed a new website, I learned website design. We needed bookkeeping, I learned QuickBooks. We needed marketing and social media, I learned Photoshop and graphic design. My resourcefulness and good ole fashioned grit are strengths that are of great benefit to the board. I take pride in my ability to problem solve and be resourceful to learn what I don’t know. I have a gift for managing stress and am able to thrive under pressure, all while keeping it fun and with a smile on my face.

Thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions or want to know more, please feel free to contact me. I would be honored to have your vote!