Paul Guenther (Navajo Public Schools school board Office 4, Oklahoma, candidate 2024)

Paul Guenther

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Navajo Public Schools school board Office 4

Elections and appointments

Last election

February 13, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 2006

Graduate

University of Arkansas, 2012

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1999 - 2019

Personal

Religion

Baptist

Profession

Pilot

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Paul Guenther ran for election to the Navajo Public Schools school board to represent Office 4 in Oklahoma. He was on the ballot in the primary on February 13, 2024.^[source]

Guenther completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Paul Guenther provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on February 6, 2024:

• Birth date: December 21, 1978
• High school: Sullivan East High School, Bluff City, Tennessee
• Bachelor's: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University , 2006
• Graduate: University of Arkansas , 2012
• Military service: United States Air Force, 1999-2019
• Gender: Male
• Religion: Baptist
• Profession: Pilot
• Incumbent officeholder: No

Elections

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Navajo Public Schools school board Office 4

Paul Guenther, Dusty Tittle, and Jacob Wyatt ran in the primary for Navajo Public Schools school board Office 4 on February 13, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Paul Guenther (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Dusty Tittle (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Jacob Wyatt (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Guenther in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Paul Guenther completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Guenther'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.

I’ve been married to my wife Emily for almost 20 years. We have two children, Miles (12) and Lauren (10) that both attend Navajo. I am a 20 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 2019 and making my home in the Navajo District. I currently work on base as a civil service employee and I still fly the C-17. On the side, my family and I have taken up small-town farming and we raise cattle. We have planted roots here because we love it here.

I am very involved in the school and the community and make every effort to be at every event I can be at. I strongly value education. Additionally, my own children are not only multi-sport athletes, but they are very involved in the agricultural program and show pigs.

I’ve attended Martha Road Baptist since 2016. I’ve served there for the entire time. I currently serve as a Deacon and Emily and I currently run our youth department and teach junior high and high school in Sunday school. Many of those students are Navajo students. I’ve also recently served on the board for the Nehemiah Initiative.

I know your students and I know the faculty. I care about them and I care about this school and I’m committed to ensuring it is the best. With every ability entrusted to me in the capacity as a school board member, I will protect our students and faculty and continue to strive to make Navajo the place that everyone wants to be.

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 am present. I believe presence is important. My family and I have made conscious efforts to be present, across the span of Navajo events. Whether it be a sporting event, a livestock show, prom or elementary play, I make every effort to be there. I know the families, I know the students. I will be visible and present and I will know what is important to you.
• I’m a leader. I served for twenty years in the Air Force before I retired. While many of those experiences may not have an apparent transfer, some ideals do. My leadership experiences provide a unique qualification. I’ve had to exercise leadership in the most demanding circumstances. Additionally, I am not averse to making tough decisions when they are for the good of all.
• I am qualified! In addition to leadership over the years, I have a Master’s Degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas. I hold a Minor in Business and an Associate’s in Instruction of Technology. Education is very important to me.

  I spent 20 years as a proven leader in our Air Force. Leadership is key.

  Currently, I am the treasurer and manage a $600,000 budget for our church. I am uniquely qualified to make tough decisions when it comes to finances.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe every aspect of this school is important. I am personally invested in academics, athletics, agriculture and everything in between. I believe in all of the students and all of their interests. I believe our teachers and staff are key elements to our success and I believe that we need to continue to make this a place they want to be. I am passionate about this school. I want to be a school board member because I’m deeply and personally invested. We did not end up at Navajo because we came from here. We are here because this is the place we wanted to be. I will do my best to ensure it stays that way. Not only for me, but for all of us.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I think I am a leader. I think I am capable of making tough decisions.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I think if I were to leave a legacy on anything, to leave the school the way I try to leave anything else I do. I think we should all strive to make everything better than how we found it.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first major event I recall from my childhood was the explosion of the Challenger shuttle in January 1986. I was 7 years old and home sick from elementary school. In those days, every shuttle launch was televised and we watched them all in school. I always wanted to be an astronaut and would still go to space if given the opportunity. I plainly remember sitting in my living room that day to watch the shuttle launch and seeing the tragedy.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked at a Burger King in Bristol, Tennessee. I was there for approximately a year.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

I believe the role of a school board member is to ensure policies are in place, and that the right people are in place to govern our school, protect our students, faculty and resources. I believe the role is to represent our community and its values and beliefs in how our school is governed.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I currently serve as a deacon at Martha Road Baptist. Additionally, I serve as a youth director and I teach youth on Wednesdays and in Sunday School. Week in and week out, I am in the community. Not only am I in the Navajo and Altus community, but I work on base. I believe my ties there give me a unique perspective and an opportunity to work with that community.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

What constitutes good teaching? That is a tougher question to answer. I have to think back several years to all of my learning experiences. While it might appear that the results of a standardized test would be the report card for good teaching, my own personal experience tells me that it begins with investment. Teachers must invest enough time in their area to remain credible in what they are teaching. I personally believe that the best teachers I ever had were the ones that I felt invested in me, even when I did not like the subject. I think the best teachers are the ones that can go outside of the box and bring creativity to the classroom. I love hands-on and practical learning and would support any feasible idea.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

I believe in fundraising. I also believe that there are a multitude of grants available to support and advance our school. I would like to put effort into seeking out those grants.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

I have lost a lot of friends due to mental health issues. I believe if a student is dealing with something that affects their ability to learn, we must help them. I believe if a teacher has needs, we must support them.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I love corny dad jokes. “What does a nosy pepper do???”

“It gets jalapeño business”

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

I will be present. I currently work to build relationships and friendships and will continue to do so.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I currently serve as the treasurer for my church. I am a strong proponent of financial transparency.

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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