A Bio for the Board Election

If you were asked to write an auto-biography on one page, what would you say? I suppose it would depend on who you thought the audience would be. Here is one I wrote for a condo board election coming up soon.

David May

I am the former Social Service Director for Ramsey County. As such, I. oversaw a team who broke all records for the numbers of foster children who were placed in adoptive homes. I then became the District Administrator for the Florida Department of Children and Families in West Palm Beach and broke the same records in that district.

Charlene and I moved into Lexington-Riverside in August 2012 and immediately moved to Port au Prince, Haiti, to host a guest house for medical mission teams for two years. We came home here in 2014 and have been here for six years. We were raised in Memphis and are delighted to be back on the Mississippi River.

We love Lexington-Riverside. When Charlene and I came here we determined to help the residence become more of a community, to be more like a neighborhood of friendly neighbors. Whether elected or not, we will continue that effort. 

I put out the monthly newsletter, “Down by the Riverside.” Charlene agreed to chair the Social Committee and I make most of the flyers and help them balance the books. I co-chaired the Water Committee for a while and opened it to everyone interested. I sat on the Amenities Committee for as long as it lasted and am a member of the Recycling Committee. I was a board member here for one year.

I was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, with time in Viet Nam during the war. I served as an elder in two churches, one in Florida and one in Minnesota. I am the author of five books, and Charlene has published one as well. All our writings are aimed at encouraging others to help anyone they encounter who could benefit from their assistance.

If I am elected to the board, I will approach each issue seriously, keeping a watch on the budget, the short-term need, the long-term benefit and the effect on property values. Thank you for the opportunity to stand for election.

Letter to the Editor of the Pioneer Press

The following is the text of a letter I submitted to the Pioneer Press. They did not publish it, but published three others on the same subject, written by school teachers.

"I am disappointed in the Saint Paul School Board’s decision to end the contract with the Saint Paul Police Department for School Resource Officers as reported by Josh Verges in your June 24 edition. I believe the decision is based on a misreading of political signals.

First, they failed to recognize that the Saint Paul Police Department is exceptional. It is not a run of the mill department. By lumping all Police Departments together and stereotyping them they are doing a disservice to their students. Judging from board member Allen’s quote they appear to equate the presence of an officer with an increase in trauma. To the contrary, having a friendly officer nearby allows the students to relax a bit about the safety of their environment.

Second, they are ignoring the input of their pupils and the principals of their schools. Ninety-six percent of St. Paul High School juniors said last year that it was a “good idea” to have an officer present in the school. Principals of the seven high schools with officers assigned also support the program.

Third, following the lead of districts like Winona and Minneapolis has the priority turned upside down. If anything, Minneapolis could learn a few things by studying the Saint Paul Police Department. I hope the school board will reconsider this erroneous decision."