Heather Ann Thomasson

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Heather Ann Thomasson

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

April 6, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

Mid-America Christian University, 2017

Personal

Birthplace

Eureka, Kan.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Controller

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Heather Ann Thomasson ran for election to the Mustang Public Schools Board of Education to represent Seat 1 in Oklahoma. She lost in the general election on April 6, 2021.

Thomasson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Heather Thomasson was born in Eureka, Kansas. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Mid-America Christian University in 2017. Thomasson’s career experience includes working as a controller for United Mechanical. She has also worked as a project administrator and accountant for commercial construction, specializing in K-12 schools. Thomasson’s organizational affiliations include the following:

• Associated General Contractors, member
• Construction Financial Management Association of Oklahoma, board member

Elections

2021

See also: Mustang Public Schools, Oklahoma, elections (2021)

General election

General election for Mustang Public Schools Board of Education Seat 1

Incumbent Todd Lovelace defeated Heather Ann Thomasson in the general election for Mustang Public Schools Board of Education Seat 1 on April 6, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Todd Lovelace (Nonpartisan)	62.0	1,693
		Heather Ann Thomasson (Nonpartisan)	38.0	1,037

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,730
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Heather Ann Thomasson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Thomasson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My family has lived in the Mustang School district since 2009. We moved here from Oklahoma City after our son was born after researching school districts. We felt Mustang was the best fit for our family and we were not wrong. We love our community and schools and I would like the opportunity to serve the community, parents, teachers, and district employees that have has such a positive impact on our son in his education. As Mustang continues to see unprecedented growth, I believe my background in K-12 school construction contracts and accounting will benefit the board and community.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I support parent choice. Everyone is facing a different set of circumstances and challenges when it comes to their child's education. I believe in empowering parents with choices that fit their individual needs and providing the support ensure educational success.

• Communication with our parents and community is so important. It is how we understand our community's needs beyond our own personal viewpoint. I pledge to actively seek out parent feedback on policy and to be a reliable information resource to our community.
• My professional background in K-12 construction will be an asset to our schools when considering building expansion projects to accommodate our community's growth. Our community should be getting the very best value it can for the tax payer's dollar.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about being a responsible steward of tax payer funds. I believe in constantly evaluating the needs of our community and schools as well as the value of services and products used by our schools. Value is more than getting products and services for the least amount of money. I believe value includes the quality and diversity of function characteristics as well.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A school board member represents the community's voice in policy decisions. Those elected to this office should be seeking community feedback regarding school policy. Elected officials should also have good understanding of budgetary impact of policy decisions. I also believe board members should be a communication resource to the community. The role of board member is restricted, and parent inquiries that fall outside of board member authority should be directed to the proper resource.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. My favorite book is usually the one I am reading at the time and I am currently finishing this one. I like it because it ties biological brain chemistry in with creating team-oriented work environments. Science!

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

One of the hardest things I ever did was finish my college degree while working full time and having a family. I went back to school to finish my accounting degree when my son was two years old. It took me five years to finish, even though I already had a couple of years under my belt from my younger days. It was hard to miss time with my family and choose school on the weekends. It took all I had to come home from working all day to sit down and study. There were a few times I really wanted to quit and questioned whether the time missed with my family and all the stress was worth it. I struggled in some of the classes, which made the decision to carry through even harder.

But I made it through. The experience has given me an appreciation for the frustrations and struggles my own son has with school, but it has also provided an example of perseverance for him.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

The first step in supporting the needs of our community is identifying the needs through open communication and actively seeking feedback, whether that be through email, phone calls, social media, or school board meetings. With a better understanding of community needs, I am better able to advocate and vote for what the community truly wants in school policy.

What are your views on how to address schooling during pandemic times?

There are very few people I know who haven't been impacted in some way by the pandemic, whether it be illness, loss of income, loss of child care, mental health decline, or COVID related deaths of loved ones. In addition, everyone is facing a different set of circumstances that further complicate schooling during a pandemic. Some parents work, and don't have anyone at home to help with distance learning, while others students have high risk family members at home and need to reduce exposure to keep them safe. Some struggle with the distance learning environment, some students lack internet or devices to complete distance learning requirements, while others excel in the distance learning environment. Mustang has done an outstanding job of offering parents a choice of school options that will meet their diverse needs and I intend to continue to seek ways for our schools to meet needs by continually looking to improve and expand upon the choices currently available within our budgetary constraints.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?

Communication is one of my strongest attributes. Intently listening to parent concerns communicated via email, Mustang social media sites, and direct communication will strengthen my relationships within the community. I will be responsive to communications directed to me and do my best to be a information resource to the community.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Mustang Public Schools Board of Education Seat 1

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