Jeff Church
From Ballotpedia
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Jeff Church was a member of the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees in Nevada, representing District A. He assumed office on January 12, 2021. He left office on January 6, 2025.
Church ran for re-election to the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees to represent District A in Nevada. He lost in the primary on June 11, 2024.
Church completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jeff Church was born in New York. He served in the United States Air Force and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. Church earned an associate degree from Southwestern College and a bachelor's degree from San Diego State University. He also earned a military citation from the USAF Air Command and Staff College. His career experience includes working as a business owner and a sergeant with the Reno Police Department.[1][2]
Elections
2024
See also: Washoe County School District, Nevada, elections (2024)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees District A
Christine Hull won election outright against incumbent Jeff Church and Stephanie Flores in the primary for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees District A on June 11, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Christine Hull (Nonpartisan)  | 54.7 | 10,189 |
 | Jeff Church (Nonpartisan) | 33.5 | 6,246 | |
| Stephanie Flores (Nonpartisan) | 11.7 | 2,183 | ||
| Total votes: 18,618 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Church in this election.
2020
See also: Washoe County School District, Nevada, elections (2020)
General election
General election for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees District A
Jeff Church defeated Scott Kelley in the general election for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees District A on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Church (Nonpartisan) | 59.5 | 29,626 |
 | Scott Kelley (Nonpartisan) | 40.5 | 20,142 | |
| Total votes: 49,768 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees District A
Scott Kelley and Jeff Church defeated Lisa Genasci, Jack Heinemann, and Terese Huerstel in the primary for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees District A on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Kelley (Nonpartisan) | 33.4 | 7,503 |
| ✔ | | Jeff Church (Nonpartisan) | 23.0 | 5,171 |
| Lisa Genasci (Nonpartisan) | 21.9 | 4,930 | ||
 | Jack Heinemann (Nonpartisan) | 11.6 | 2,601 | |
| Terese Huerstel (Nonpartisan) | 10.2 | 2,292 | ||
| Total votes: 22,497 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees At-Large District F
Jacqueline Calvert defeated Jeff Church in the general election for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees At-Large District F on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jacqueline Calvert (Nonpartisan) | 54.5 | 39,313 | |
| Jeff Church (Nonpartisan) | 45.5 | 32,870 | |
| Total votes: 72,183 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees At-Large District F
Jeff Church and Jacqueline Calvert defeated Ryan Gonda in the primary for Washoe County School District Board of Trustees At-Large District F on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Church (Nonpartisan) | 35.1 | 9,248 |
| ✔ | Jacqueline Calvert (Nonpartisan) | 34.1 | 8,971 | |
| Ryan Gonda (Nonpartisan) | 30.8 | 8,107 | ||
| Total votes: 26,326 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jeff Church completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Church's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel (Reserve) and retired Reno Police Sergeant and past founder & Board President of a 501c3 Homeless Resource Center. I have been active in local issues since 2005 and a federal judge gave me my nickname "Watchdog". I am a main steam conservative and bring transparency to the Board. I have two college degrees and military and police certificates too numerous to mention. I live by the USAF Core Values of Integrity, Excellence and Service Before Self. To address QofE we must deal with gangs, student violence and discipline and support teachers. I taught Recruiting & Retention nationwide and in our community I support "think outside the box" teacher/staff housing initiatives. We have ability to provide on-site housing with our schools.
- Quality of Education is #1
- Fiscal responsibility
- Transparency
Open Government, teaching not indoctrinating, parental involvement and very passionate about At-Risk kids. For example, we have so many children that have never seen the ocean- just a few hundred miles away! Field trips, see the world and get inspired. I'll share my #1 win the lottery wish: Educational Cruises. Take kids and teachers (maybe parents too) on educational cruises, i.e, San Diego to Panama Canal to Miami (then offload annload and repeat).(Jeff Bezos- are you listening?). As a multi cultural Spanish speaker I want to address out rising immigrant population in the best way possible. Quality of Education is #1 but we must therefore deal with student violence, gangs, and discipline.
My Creator. People are human (I guess that's redundant) but I look more at ideals.
The Armed Forces Officer. My father, LTC Sheldon Church, a WW2 veteran gave me his copy when I was a teenager and I now have my own. It deals with everything from honor, discipline, integrity to the balance of taking care of people and getting the mission done. Leadership and listening to others. Followership and how to tell your boss what they may not want to hear.
Integrity but intelligence too. Passionate and the time to devote. Important: A background in education is NOT required! It is a leadership, management position over education plus a billion $ budget, school building-maintenance, labor unions and staff, our own internal police dept, transportation, etc. Many teachers are ill suited for that. Give me an MBA, Fiscal Expert and yes a get er done police- military officer or NCO. Oh My!
I stand on my record. Not just my past term but as a USAF Officer and Police Officer, parent and community member. Leadership, Integrity, and while I try to be diplomatic, calling out the good & bad.
Managing from the 30,000 foot level, not micro-managing but not hands-off. We set budget & policy and make sure it is carried out.
I'm just another person nothing special but I have/had that darn DNA of Service Before Self.
JFK/ Challenger/ 9-11/ (Come on do I have to give up my age?) I don't old my younger challengers inexperience against them. I knew George Washington, he was a friend of mine.
Fuller Brush. OMG. Not long.
The Armed Forces Officer
I recently wrote the first and only: History of the Reno Police Department. I gotta plug that.
I recently wrote the first and only: History of the Reno Police Department. I gotta plug that.
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
Being diplomatic. Telling someone to go to hxxx and making them look forward to the trip. I'm not warm and cuddly and can be brusk but that may be needed in an organization to offset and counter balance those that lack backbone and conviction.
Managefrom 30,000 feet.
All residents: students, voters, taxpayers, staff. Too often people reference the children (of course) but the taxpayers need representation regardless of if they have kids in school.
I am a strong believer in Martin Luther King Jr's vision of Equality. I have begged for a Diversity Committee for public input. My style is 100% community transparency and involvement. Incredibly our Diversity Manual has ZERO mention of MLK, Holocaust (I'm 50% Jewish heritage), and the words Hispanic or Latino are no where to be found! Hard to believe in a District of 42% Latinos! I am LGBT supportive but on equal basis with recognizing all protected classes including religious rights. Support critical thinking and the 3 R's but educate don't indoctrinate. No shaming anyone based on their class, race, gender, religion or orientation. I strongly oppose and reference to White or Asian privilege. It is divisive!
I stand on my record of attending all board meetings, my many constituent meetings, my website, twitter (watchdogJeff) etc.
That is a perfect example of not micro-managing. That is the Superintendent's job and or the Deputy for Education.
Internships, mentoring, fieldtrips, more PE, more voluntary clubs, classes on budgeting, and many many after school opportunities. It is time to ask if the current decades old concept of Summer break and class hours are meeting 21st century needs and I think they are not.
We are fairly well funded but the question is how to spend the money, cut bloated administration, cut class sizes and most teachers need a teacher's aide. That said, where do you get warm bodies to fill these- see my comments on recruiting.
As stated, Safety is #1 on the list. Restorative Discipline (as we do it) is a dismal failure! Support teachers. If a teacher needs a child removed- back the teacher. The modern approach of putting disruptive kids in classrooms at all costs is a failure. These children need special attention and teaching to integrate. I have stated my passion for At-Risk kids but not where it causes disruption in the classroom. I subscribe to the Broken Windows Philosophy- if you let little things go they become big things.
We have an excellent program but you can't put SEL above education. Education comes first. That too drives back to funding. The kids are our 250 (bal[park) of the year and belong to the community 100%. The County and state need to step up to the plate on funding this. Many cases it is a family issue out of our control.
It might be the Moose Turd Pie joke but if you don;t know it, I can't tell it here "but it's good!". Moral: Don't complain unless you're willing to do something about it.
Don't get me started.... We need an outside 100% policy review.
Generally backed by the conservative groups. Filing ends today so many don't endorse yet.
Teach don't indoctrinate. Student Safety is the first pillar of quality education. Students must feel safe and more often that is from internal violence gangs and similar. BTW: I am a big fan of in-residence schools for those At-Risk children and that can be both for kids that want to go to such an academy and another for those needing correction and direction in their lives. The state has a short voluntary program. I'd like that extended to a 3-4 year full time high school program. Spoiler alert: I support School Choice and vouchers.
A do-over! Hindsight is 20-20 but stop blaming Covid for our decreasing scores. Take responsibility.
See previous answer but I want to encourage and make it easy for parents / community members to sit in on classes.
Teacher housing initiatives are #1. I taught recruiting nationwide post-retirement. I have oodles of ideas that I shamelessly stole from other agencies and that I taught in my classes. Anyone reading this (you got this far) is welcome to reach out to me.
For example in my agency, I want (1) A Financial Advisory Committee and (2) A 100% independent Inspector General. Sadly we do not have either.
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.
2020
Jeff Church completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Church's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Jeff Church, candidate for WCSD (Nevada) School Board is a retired Reno Police Sergeant and retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel (Reserve Commission) and runs a Consulting Business. He holds two college degrees. He has taught at the community college and nationwide including the topic of Recruiting (law enforcement & teachers). He holds numerous police and military certificates including POST Management, USAF Air Command and Staff College, and many others. He is a VFW Life Member. Jeff believes that the main role of the school board is leadership making him a highly qualified candidate. He is a Spanish speaker and passionate about ESL and pro-actively dealing with At-Risk children.
- Student Safety #1, Jeff has a police & military intelligence background
- Nevada and WCSD worst in the USA. We need strategic thinking to do better!
- Fiscal Responsibility in a district that runs a deficit and run-away insane building costs
Think outside the box, be innovative, research and act. Special attention to fiscal responsibility and oversight. Passionate about At-Risk kids and realizing the issues don't stop at the end of the school day. Partnership with community to address our children's success 24/7/365. Recruit and retain quality teachers with the proven techniques he has taught nationwide. Our tax structure funds buildings not teachers and that needs to change. Nevada's ACT scores, best measurement tool, puts us dead last at 17.7. WCSD comes in at a dismal 17.9. In 2001 WCSD was 22. The large majority of WCSD graduates don't qualify for even community college although they do qualify for McDonalds. Insanity is doing the same thing over & over and expecting different results. (Einstein). Here in Washoe (Reno) Nevada we need major change and strategic thinking, not a few baby steps.
12 O'Clock High
it's about leadership, mentoring, discipline, team work.
it's about leadership, mentoring, discipline, team work.
Leadership, Ethics! I respect the other branches but the USAF Motto: Integrity First, Excellence in All we do, Service Before Self.
Leadership, Team Player, Intelligent (so I'm told- honor grad), work ethics, integrity.
I'd like to work with the board to turn the battleship around in the right direction. I'd like the teacher union to be pleasantly surprised. I'd like to see successful students!
I have had At Risk drug related family members so I'm passionate about early intervention. I'm the former president of a 501c3 Homeless Center so that provides a special understanding.
Leadership as a Team Player. Many teachers run for school board but the board doesn't teach, they lead and manage making a retired "get 'er done" police sergeant & USAF LtCol ideally suited. The WCSD budget is $1 Billion! Largest in Northern Nevada. hands on leadership needed but short of micro-managing.
The taxpayer regardless of whether they have children in school. Our failure to produce quality graduates affects the taxpayer, hurts business, makes it harder to attract businesses and families. Failure to address At-Risk children is a lose-lose for the kids and community.
Jeff is a multi-cultural (Heinz 57) Spanish speaker and Washoe has a high transient and Spanish speaking population. The ESL program needs change and Jeff has strategic ideas. It is not so much diversity but addressing At-Risk student body, supporting teachers, nurturing and encouraging student success. I don;t see skin color, I see potential.
This ties into my harping on At Risk kids. Thew current administration seems to think that everything ends at 2 PM or Friday. We can partner with local police, local government, all kinds of businesses, etc. My military background and seeing what they do with young recruits makes me a big supporter of recruiters and interacting with the local Guard & Reserve units. I'm a big supporter of all kinds of field trips, mentoring, Big Brother & Sister Programs, etc. Think Outside the Box but Act! Many students have never seen the ocean, never been on a military base, never hiked, been to a national park, been to a homeless shelter, and experienced the "real world". At Risk or Honor Students; kids should experience these things.
I'd cut the boated administration and add field counselors to prod, motivate, do whatever it takes to get parents involved. Weekly, monthly, quarterly meetings. I want parents seated in the back of the classroom as often as they want. I want to take advantage of our local university to look at and study any and all ideas- I certainly don't have them all. Here's one outside the box: many of the elite attend boarding schools while our kids are stuck in failing schools and often with absentee parents, many homeless, drug users, etc. So ponder this: let's partner with the community and have Live-In Academies (not necessarily military style but could be) with motivated kids sign a pledge and become part of a team. Picture one with agriculture, fish farming, horses, pets, technical and trades training, etc. The savings on the long term criminal justice system vs productive future taxpayers is off the chart. My idea of Strategic thinking.
I teach recruiting nationwide and my company is called DRS: Diversity Recruiting Specialists, and I teach diversity related recruiting but #1: effective recruiting outreach is diversity recruiting. My program is generally 12 to 16 hours so can't give away all my secrets here. We have our own police force and so not just teachers but police, bus drivers, admin, etc. WCSD is stuck on 1960. WCSD is non-innovative and SoS: Stuck on Stupid.
SoS: Stuck on Stupid. The way we always did it. The 9 to 2 PM Monday to Friday mindset. I think they are starting to believe their own press releases. We need a major change in administration. No private company would retain a COO, CFO, Director of a company where profits nosedived ear after year from $22 million t o $17.9 M like our ACT scores did. A company rated worse in nation with massive retention issues, besieged by lawsuits, and now a fiscal meltdown due to the CV-19 virus. But WCSD plans to repaint the deck as the ship sinks.
A happy teacher = a successful student. The answer is strategic, multi-layered and requires a team approach to innovative ideas, research and quick action. Everyone should be involved. As a leader, I guide and mentor but we need a fresh approach and likely a major change in administration to answer this troubling question.
Good question. See above. A team approach to answer this but I think it's partially work ethic and discipline. At a recent meeting an "expert" indicated the term discipline was inappropriate. Bull! We need to be fair but firm with students.
WCSD did away with graduation testing with rising pushed-along graduates. Unacceptable. Employers need to know that the diploma has value. WCSD needs to establish graduation requirements. If anyone wants, I have a trunk full of diplomas in my 75 Pinto, I sell them 10 cents each or 12 for a dollar.
I don't claim to have all the answers but Id like to see community members jump in with mentoring and help. Again a team approach, research, innovative ideas, etc.
Generally it's not money. One study has us #12 behind China and Estonia. Some rank poor India higher than the USA! The funding system is incredibly complex. WCSD has a failed funding system for more buildings but no teachers to put in them. I want to have outside experts to come in and find solutions.
As a retired police sergeant trained in Active Shooter I get it, The solution has many areas that need addressing from red flags for troubled students, address the issue of armed staff, facility layout and modern technology.
Input needed from all involved and experts, I don't pretend to have all the answers.
We may nit need all the brick and motor buildings some say we do. Technology will change things in ways we can't even contemplate. Who in 1985 would have thought of I-phones ad computers today?
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.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
