Jerry Jaker, a former educator and businessman of 30 years, has filed for the District 2 seat of the Elk River Area School Board.
“I am confident I can make a difference in the role of education in this very critical time for our community and the world,” Jaker said in a statement.
He and his wife, Terri, and have five grown children and seven grandchildren and have lived in Elk River for 11 years.
His most recent community and civic involvement has been serving on the Elk River Parks and Recreation Commission and the Three Rivers Community Foundation Board.
In his semi-retirement he has been doing tutoring and substitute teaching in 16 District 728 schools.
“I have a good grasp of the needs and opportunities we face in managing growth wisely, providing high-quality education, fostering tolerance and respect, accountability, and living within our means,” he said. “We can do all these things with careful planning, good governance and continuous engagement of community stakeholders.”
For many years Jaker was an executive director of the nonprofit Minnesota Institute of Public Health.
He has an education specialist degree, a master’s degree in educational leadership, a bachelor’s degree in English and has held certification as a teacher, principal and superintendent of schools in Minnesota.
Service on boards has included terms on the Minnesota Public Health Association governing board, the Board of the North Star Alliance on Problem Gambling, the city of Mounds View Economic Development Commission, and University of St. Thomas Phi Delta Kappa, where he was a two-term chapter president.
Jaker said he is a great believer in public-private partnerships with business and government and has had success building such collaborations.
Jaker is one of the three candidates seeking to fill the remainder of former Elk River Area School Board Member Jane Bunting’s seat. The vote to decide the winner will be held during the Aug. 9 primaries.