Chris Zwygart
Chris Zwygart is a member of the West Bend School District school board, At-large in Wisconsin. He assumed office in 2018. His current term ends in 2027.
Zwygart ran for election to the West Bend School District school board, At-large in Wisconsin. He won in the general election on April 3, 2018.
Biography
Zwygart received his bachelor's degrees in accounting and business administration from Marquette University in 1992 and his Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School in 1995. His professional experience includes working as the chief legal officer, as the chief risk officer, and as vice president at West Bend Mutual Insurance Company. He has served on committees for West Bend Mutual Insurance, Froedtert Hospital, Network Health, Cedar Community Foundation, and the West Bend Public Schools Foundation. He was appointed to the Wisconsin Property and Casualty Insurance Advisory Council.[1]
Elections
2018
Two of the seven seats on the West Bend School District Board of Education in Wisconsin were up for at-large general election on April 3, 2018. Appointed incumbent Tim Stellmacher did not file for re-election, leaving one open seat. Incumbent Monte Schmiege was defeated in the general election by challengers Kurt Rebholz and Chris Zwygart. Mary Weigand also ran in the general election.[2][3] A primary election was schedule for February 20, 2018, after more than two candidates filed for each seat. Carl Lundin filed for election but withdrew on January 17, 2018. A primary election was still held, and Lundin's name appeared on the ballot.[4]
Results
General election
General election for West Bend School District school board, At-large (2 seats)
Chris Zwygart and Kurt Rebholz defeated Mary Weigand and incumbent Monte Schmiege in the general election for West Bend School District school board, At-large on April 3, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chris Zwygart (Nonpartisan) | 30.2 | 5,509 |
| ✔ | Kurt Rebholz (Nonpartisan) | 28.2 | 5,144 | |
| Mary Weigand (Nonpartisan) | 23.6 | 4,296 | ||
 | Monte Schmiege (Nonpartisan) | 17.6 | 3,213 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 59 | ||
| Total votes: 18,221 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for West Bend School District school board, At-large (2 seats)
Mary Weigand, incumbent Monte Schmiege, Kurt Rebholz, and Chris Zwygart defeated Carl Lundin (Unofficially withdrew) in the primary for West Bend School District school board, At-large on February 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Mary Weigand (Nonpartisan) | 29.6 | 2,740 | |
| ✔ | | Monte Schmiege (Nonpartisan) | 22.5 | 2,088 |
| ✔ | Kurt Rebholz (Nonpartisan) | 21.0 | 1,943 | |
| ✔ | | Chris Zwygart (Nonpartisan) | 20.6 | 1,912 |
| Carl Lundin (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew) | 5.4 | 505 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 82 | ||
| Total votes: 9,270 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Campaign themes
Zwygart listed the following campaign themes on his website:
Why am I running?
| “ |
I want to help. Our school board is facing several critical decisions that will affect our district for years to come. I want to help by contributing my experience and professional skills to the board. We need to recruit a new superintendent of schools. Our superintendent position is currently vacant. The person we hire as our next superintendent will shape our district's future for years to come. We need to recruit the right person who can effectively lead the district and best serve its nearly 7,000 students, their parents, our teachers, and the entire community. In short, the stakes are very high. But the job won't be easy. Recruiting a key leader is not a simple job. I have had experience helping to recruit key leaders as a part of my job and for several of the nonprofit boards I've served. I can help our board with this critical task. We are facing an important decision for Jackson Elementary School. The board has identified challenges with the facilities at Jackson Elementary School. We need to understand those challenges and address them in a way that balances costs and benefits. I will use my professional and financial skills to bring a fresh and unbiased view to the board so we can find the best solution. Good communication is key. As a public body, the school board owes a duty to the public to be as open as possible. With these important issues facing our district, good communication from the board is more important than ever. The board should communicate as regularly and openly as it can so our citizens are well-informed. We need to support our district and our teachers and strengthen our district's reputation. The district has challenges, but we can overcome them. We've created negative press that has eroded our reputation. The more negative attention we bring on ourselves, the more challenging it will be to recruit key district leaders and talented teachers. That hurts our students and our district. There are so many great things that happen each and every day in our district, thanks to great teachers, dedicated administrators, good students, and supportive parents. Let's bring those things to light, too. Let's make West Bend known as a district that attracts, supports, and retains high-quality teachers and administrators, and delivers a solid educational experience for our students. We all win with a strong education system. As a business leader, I know that having a strong education system in our community is critical to local businesses that want to hire well-educated workers in exchange for good wages and benefits. But the whole community wins when our future citizens are given a good education that allows them to comfortably support their families. Let's all work together, and let's all win.[5][6] |
” |
| —Chris Zwygart, 2018 | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Christopher Zwygart for School Board, "Who Am I?" accessed February 6, 2018
- ↑ Washington County Insider, "Five people apply for 2 open seats on West Bend School Board," January 2, 2018
- ↑ Washington County, Wisconsin, "Election Summary Report," April 3, 2018
- ↑ Washington County Insider, "West Bend School Board candidate pulls out of race. Primary still going forward," January 17, 2018
- ↑ Christopher Zwygart for School Board, "Why am I running?" accessed February 6, 2018
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| West Bend School District elections in 2018 | |
| Washington County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 3, 2018 |
| Candidates: | At-Large: Incumbent, Monte Schmiege • Carl Lundin • Kurt Rebholz • Mary Weigand • Chris Zwygart |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
