The Daily Standard
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CELINA - The community had an opportunity Wednesday evening to hear from five candidates running for two open seats on the Celina City Schools Board of Education.
A few dozen residents gathered in the high school lecture hall for the Celina Education Association-sponsored Meet the Candidates Night to get a handle on the educational views and positions of incumbent board members Carl Huber and Mark Huelsman, and challengers John Gabriel, Theresa Howick and Andrea Kuehne.
All five candidates will appear on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. The top two vote-getters will each earn a four-year term on the board next year.
The candidates were asked a series of questions by stalwart educator Fred Wiswell, who enjoyed a 32-year career at the district as teacher, coach, middle school principal, high school principal and superintendent.
Candidates over the course of nearly two hours and in a CEA screening questionnaire made their case for picking up a seat on the school board.
• John Gabriel has lived in Celina for about 10 years. He has three children, two of whom attend Celina Elementary School. Gabriel said he spent the last 10 years of his life in public service, working as a police officer. He's currently active in law enforcement part time.
Having worked as a school resource officer at Crestview Local Schools for seven years, Gabriel believes he possesses both a unique set of skills and a unique outlook on public education.
"I've done everything from some of the small education stuff, where I was in charge of putting together curriculum for state mandates that regarded law enforcement-specific material," he told the audience. "I've worked with the board of education on different investigations. I've worked with the superintendent, the building principals, the staff, the students, the parents and even community members."
Gabriel believes this top-down experience has given him an edge "to see from every possible point of view" concerning public education.
"I think that's a really, really unique perspective that gives me a really good opportunity to be of service to our community - and most importantly to our kids," he said.
• Theresa Howick said she graduated from Celina High School in 1979 and has an associate's degree in accounting. She served over 11 years in the U.S. Navy and returned to Celina in 1994. She married Dennis Howick in 1999, and the two farm roughly 400 acres of land.
Howick noted that the school district has a levy on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. If it fails, cuts would be necessary.
Current school leadership is constantly reactive when it comes to the district's financial health, Howick said, characterizing the management style as "counterproductive."
"The students deserve the best education that a community can provide," she said. "The community, the school district and school board must have accountability and concise communication with each other in order to provide that much-needed education."
• Carl Huber said he and his wife, Michele, have three daughters and three grandchildren. Huber, a 1998 Celina High School graduate, noted that he has served on the school board since 2018, during which time he held the positions of board president twice and board vice president for one year.
He believes his work experiences in construction and public services have given him valuable insights on the ongoing building project.
"Why I'm running for school board is we have made great strides in the past eight years, and I want to keep that going," he said. "We have made necessary cuts for the past eight years."
The school board, he said, has worked well with administrators, teachers and staff.
"You listen and be proactive on what we can do better," he said about the importance of communicating with the public. "We just need to do that work and keep going in that direction … to make this the best school district."
• Mark Huelsman said he's a 1978 Celina High School graduate who joined the school board about four years ago out of a desire to contribute.
Recently retired after having worked 31 years with Crown Equipment Corp., four years with Nidec Minster and six years with the U.S. Air Force, Huelsman said he just wanted to help the district, knowing of its plan to construct new school buildings.
"I've done project management, contract management, from a certified project manager," he said. "So I knew that there would be a lot of skills needed during this building project, and I'm very proud of what we've done at the elementary school and what's being done at the high school."
Huelsman said he's running to see the building project through completion.
• Andrea Kuehne said she's lived in Celina for 26 years. She and her husband raised four children through Celina City Schools and she considers herself "a Bulldog through and through."
Kuehne has degrees in psychology and English from Valparaiso University. Today, she works as the corporate recruitment and development manager at Cooper Farms. She previously worked 12 years at St. John Lutheran Church in Celina, managing budgets and supporting local initiatives.
"As a parent, I've watched my kids participate in everything from athletics to music to advanced classes and two organizations," she said. "These years have given me a front row seat and spoke to the triumphs and the challenges our students and educators face."
The school district, she said, is facing new realities: The community is changing, demographics are shifting and state support is on the decline.
"That means we're often asked to do more with less, and it's never been more important to make smart, transparent decisions about how we use our resources," Kuehne said. "At the end of the day, we all want our children to receive an education that prepares them for success, and achieving this means working together - board members, staff, families and the wider community."
