Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Nino Pepper

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Nino Pepper
Image of Nino Pepper

Candidate, Aurora Public Schools Board of Education At-large

Elections and appointments
Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

William J. Palmer High School

Bachelor's

Colorado Mesa University, 1999

Graduate

Webster University, 2009

Personal
Religion
Baptist Christian
Profession
Real estate agent
Contact

Nino Pepper is running for election for an at-large seat of the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education in Colorado. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]

Pepper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Nino Pepper earned a high school diploma from William J. Palmer High School, a bachelor's degree from Colorado Mesa University in 1999, and a graduate degree from Webster University in 2009. His career experience includes working as a real estate agent.[1]

Elections

2025

See also: Aurora Public Schools, Colorado, elections (2025)

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Aurora Public Schools Board of Education At-large (4 seats)

The following candidates are running in the general election for Aurora Public Schools Board of Education At-large on November 4, 2025.

Candidate
Image of Tramaine Duncan
Tramaine Duncan (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
Image of Anne Keke
Anne Keke (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
Image of Tapsuru Ba
Tapsuru Ba (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
Gayla Charrier (Nonpartisan)
Image of Hendrix Lewis
Hendrix Lewis (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
Image of Kristin Mallory
Kristin Mallory (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
Image of Nino Pepper
Nino Pepper (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Nino Pepper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pepper's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a God-fearing man guided by strong values, unwavering morals, and a deep commitment to serving others. My heart is dedicated to helping people—especially students and families—see the broader opportunities that life has to offer.

Nino is a proud product of marginalized communities and a passionate advocate for students and families from all walks of life. Having attended 17 different schools before graduating high school, he didn’t experience comfort or consistency—he experienced accountability. That journey shaped his resilience and sharpened his understanding of the challenges many students face today. His commitment to education is rooted in action. Through his nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Nino helps high school students discover career paths before graduation by connecting juniors and seniors with real-world job shadowing opportunities through partnerships with industry leaders.

Across a diverse and accomplished career as a technical advisor, oil & gas, energy negotiator at S&P Global; editing/photographer for NBC and the Hallmark Channel; sports management and player development in the NFL; real estate success; and nonprofit leadership—Nino has cultivated a strong sense of service, leadership, and belief in the power of opportunity. He knows that when students are supported with structure, accountability, and exposure to real possibilities, they thrive.
  • Restoring Accountability:

    College: We’ll promote access to higher education, scholarships, and mentorship programs—especially for first-generation students and underserved communities.

    Military Six Branches: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, and Space Force.

    Trades & Apprenticeships: Skilled trades are the backbone of our economy. We’ll raise awareness about apprenticeships in fields like construction, electrical work, plumbing, and advanced manufacturing—careers that offer high pay, job security, and pride in craftsmanship.

    By educating students, parents, and educators about these options, we empower the next generation to choose the path that’s right for them—not just the one that’s most familiar.
  • Results: I’m not here to make promises; I’m here to deliver. I will continue to champion policies that create real impact for students and teachers alike. Innovative Curriculum Reform: I will push for simplified, engaging, and forward-thinking learning models that boost graduation-level test scores and prepare students for real-world success. Support for Learning Disabilities: Every student deserves a fair shot. I will expand programs that identify and support learning differences early, with tailored interventions and strategies. Empowering Educators: I will invest in tools, training, and resources that elevate their teaching, reduce burnout, and improve classroom outcomes. This campaign is about results—not rhetoric.
  • Restoring Accountability: empowering students through responsibility. Showing up prepared, meeting deadlines, owning mistakes, and striving to improve. It’s about being honest, dependable, and respectful—qualities that build trust and character. Why It Matters: When students embrace accountability, they gain confidence, resilience, and a sense of purpose. They learn to take control of their actions and outcomes, which leads to better grades, stronger relationships, and long-term success.
Student Achievements:

Promoting fair educational opportunities for all students regardless of race, tutors, immigration status, income or ability.

Teachers, "Classified Workers" and Administrators
Advocating competitive pay, professional development, and retention strategies for educators and support staff. Ensuring teachers have the resources and autonomy to succeed in the classroom.

Mental Health and Safety:
Promoting policies that prioritize student well-being, including access to counselors, safe school environments with SRO's, and anti-bullying initiatives.

Parent Engagement:

Building strong relationships with parents and caregivers to ensure their voices shape district decisions. Encouraging transparency and accountability.
Integrity, collaboration, commitment to students/teachers, communication, listening to the community voices, leadership and understanding educational systems.

I am hoping to build trust and drive change in APS by collaborating with the board members. The passion for these principles will come through personal stories and public interactions to connect with voters.
Making this place a better place, than when I came into the world.
Bussing tables and dishwasher. It was a summer job.
Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown autobiography's. I like autobiography books.
Young men and women don't have a direction in life.
Fostering relationships that lead up to trust, consistent communication, and adaptability are things that constitute good teaching.

This can be measured by observation of classrooms, reviews, self-evaluations, and student learning outcomes.

I would support advanced teaching through professional development, training, resources and technology.
Accountability, consistency, transparency, and collaboration between students, parents and teachers/staff.
Put more resources into mental health needs. I support figuring out a way for mental health to be a point of emphases in elementary, middle and high schools.
A safe, respectful atmosphere where students feel valued encourages participation, content that is relevant, challenging, and connected to students’ interests, future goals keeps them motivated, and active learning opportunities.
Converse with parents at school events, meet with parents when they attend board meetings. Answer emails, phone calls and return voicemails.
Teachers and Specialized Educators:

Targeted Recruitment: Focus on bilingual educators, special education specialists, and STEM teachers to meet APS’s various needs. Support paraprofessionals and local talent to become certified teachers through scholarships or partnerships with universities.

Classified employees are the backbone of our schools, ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. While they aren't part of the licensed teaching staff, their contributions are indispensable. I proudly advocate for union representation to ensure fair pay, safe working conditions, and the recognition they deserve.

My focus for these strategies would be shown through active collaboration with human resources, community partners, and current staff members to build a recruitment pipeline that reflects APSs range of needs. By arranging competitive compensation, professional growth, and wide-ranging outreach, I would ensure APS attracts and retains talent that’s capable of driving student success and community faith.
I would like to see financial literacy, wood/metal shop, and automotive classes.
It's the way of life and we aren't getting away from this technology that's going to keep evolving. It should have a major role in the APS district.
Running for the Aurora School Board.

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


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 5, 2025