Bryan Campbell is currently running for Clay County School Board against incumbent Carol Studdard.

He has more than 20 years of Executive Leadership experience in Telecommunications and Medical Association Management. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Clay, Duval and Nassau County Medical Societies.

Bryan was a National Merit Scholarship Winner at Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) . His family is dedicated to public education. His father, Terry, has a doctorate of education and has served as the Principal at several schools in Kansas and Oregon. His mother, Charlene, has worked at UNO for 30 years. One of his sisters and both of his brothers are teachers.Bryan lives in the Lakeside neighborhood with his wife, Sarah, and two children, Lauren and Nathan. They are members at the Orange Park United Methodist Church.

Service to the community is a part of the Campbell household. Sarah is the Assistant Town Manager for the Town of Orange Park and has earned her Masters in Public Administration. Bryan has served on the Clay County Charter Review Commission twice, once as the Chair. He has also served on the Clay County Health Improvement Plan Board, Congressman Ted Yoho’s Healthcare Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Orange Park Sunrise Rotary Club. He also is a graduate of the 2014 Lifework Leadership Academy.

Bryan has also been recognized for his leadership in professional organizations at the local, state and national level. He has served as the President of the North Florida Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and currently served on the National Assembly as a Delegate. He is a member of the American Association of Medical Society Executives, where he currently serves as the Chair of the County CEO Committee, and as a member of the Leadership Committee. He currently serves as the Chair of the Council of Florida Medical Society Executives, and as a member of the Florida Medical Association Council on Legislation. He is the Immediate Past Chair of the Jacksonville Mayor’s Council for Fitness and Well-being, and the creator of the Mission One Million program.

Bryan has been recognized by the Jacksonville Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” Recipient (2014), Jacksonville Magazine’s “40 Most Influential People in Jacksonville Medicine” (2014), and the recipient of numerous television industry awards for writing and producing including the Associated Press Awards, Suncost Emmy, and the Edward R. Murrow Award.

Shark Tank: What made you decide to run for school board on Clay County?

Campbell: I have had enough of the constant fighting between two factions. It’s embarrassing to the School District and to the entire county. People who attend School Board meetings thinking that they might learn about strategic vision for the District’s future are instead met with hours of fighting and debate. I have experience as a leader who can bring two sides together. The School Board is non-partisan for a reason. There should only be one side: the students and their education.

Shark Tank: Do you support common core? Why/why not?

Campbell: Absolutely not. Education standards are a States’ rights issue, and the Federal government overstepped its authority with Common Core. The result is that our students are essentially Beta testing an education plan, and guess what? It’s not working. Students are over-tested to the breaking point. Teachers must adapt to the new standards and the tests that now mean so much. We are in danger of losing our greatest resource, the knowledge, experience and passion of our teachers, due to strict regulation. We need to get rid of Common Core and allow our teachers to do what they do best!

Shark Tank:  How do you think your experience will help you if you are elected?

I am a Strategic Planning fanatic. I have learned that organizations of any shape and size benefit from a strong strategic vision. With the major changes coming to Clay County in the coming years (expansion of the Beltway, 100,000 new residents in 15 years), it is a perfect time to put into place a strong vision for the future that parents, teachers, administrators and taxpayers can all get behind.

My media background helps me to understand the value of effective communication. I look forward to helping improve the communication between all stakeholders in the Clay County School District.

Shark Tank:  What makes you different then your opponent?

Campbell: I’m not a career politician. I’m a concerned parent, businessman and community leader who got fed up with the political games and decided to put himself out there. I will work with whomever is on the School Board serving with me, if the voters select me as their representative. I will also work with whomever is elected Superintendent. At the end of the day, those 6 individuals are chosen by the people, and it is our responsibility to honor that charge, not pick “sides.”

Shark Tank: If people want to get involved in your race, how can they do that?

Campbell: It’s crunch time, now! We are always looking for volunteers to help wave signs, make phone calls or to go door to door. People can volunteer at www.voteforcampbell.com or by emailing vote4campbell@gmail.com.

But the most important thing I ask is simply that everyone get out to the polls and vote. I love our government and the fundamental principle that regular people have the opportunity to run for elected office and make a difference. We have the ability to say that 24 years on the School Board for my opponent is enough and that it is time for a change.