Three (three-year term) board seats will be filled this year. Candidates who have filed the required board petition and met the May 11, 2020, deadline will appear on the ballot in alphabetical order. They are: Travis Bensink, Gina Hardenburg, Melissa Putney, Zach Stahlsmith and Mary Lee Talbot. All candidates are running “at large,” and the three candidates with the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
Travis Bensink
Why are you running for the school board? If elected, what will be your top three priorities and why?
I wish to be re-elected to the Chautauqua Lake School Board to be a voice and positively impact the daily lives and learning of our children in the CLCS community. With the programs we have started, the future is bright for our school district. I wish to continue to have input to help the process of shaping and molding the opportunities for our children. I have been part of shaping and initiating new programs, leading Chautauqua Lake towards an even brighter future. Upon re-election, I will continue to promote programming and curriculum that benefits our children.
- Continuing to expand our program offerings beyond the liberal arts to include technical fields and the creative arts.
- Focusing on budgeting and personnel relations.
- Ensure after school activities continue in athletics, technology and the arts.
As a current school board member, what are your views of regionalizing education in Chautauqua County?
I believe regionalization is inevitable. As school districts get smaller, the need to combine resources is going to become a necessity. Combining not just finances, but faculty and staff as well. There are several advantages for our communities.
- Strengthening the learning opportunities for our students by expanding our course offerings.
- Chautauqua Lake has become a leader in Regionalization ideas leading presentations, offering support to other districts in Chautauqua county.
- Regionalization offers combined opportunities that districts on their own would normally be unequipped or unable to offer.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve as a school board member?
As a current board member, I have had the opportunity to learn the “ins and outs” of our school. It has given me the opportunity to build relationships with students, community members, as well as faculty and staff at CLCS. This has allowed me to communicate and share ideas from the community with our administration and help open new and exciting doors to programs and opportunities at Chautauqua Lake. I also have many years of experience in managing budgets, labor and production by meeting deadlines and timelines that are put in front of me. I have been involved in day to day personnel decisions. This will allow me to help give input on decisions presented to the board when hiring prospective candidates that will help mold the students in our school.
School/District Activities
I am deeply involved in area athletics. I am a Tball Coach and Coordinator and I also coach Pitch Baseball. Currently, I am the president for Chautauqua Lake Youth Football where I have coached both Flag Football and Rookie Tackle. I am known as the voice of Chautauqua Lake Football, having announced for Youth, Modified and High School levels. I have also assisted in coached WRCL Novice Green Room and am the current vice president for WRCL Youth Wrestling. Outside of athletics, I have volunteered for various school presentations and field trips, such as career day with third grade and teaching a cooking class to high school students for a day.
Community Activities
I’ve participated in community activities throughout Chautauqua County, including cooking demonstrations for the children’s school at the Chautauqua Institution, coaching youth soccer for Southwestern Area Youth Soccer program, Independent Party representative for District Attorney Patrick Swanson’s campaign, and supporting local 4-H students through livestock sales. I have also held various leadership roles in Lakewood Baptist Church that include Nursery volunteer, Annual Sportmans’s Dinner volunteer, Adult and Youth Sunday school teacher and Chairman for Local Outreach Missions.
Travis Bensink resides in Mayville with his wife, Tawn Bensink. They have four Thunderbirds, Thandon (Class of 2027), Tatum (Class of 2029), Tripp (Class of 2031) and Talia (Class of 2033).
Gina Hardenburg
Why are you running for the school board? If elected, what will be your top three priorities and why?.jpg)
I am running for the school board to be more active and involved in the direction that CLCS is currently taking children’s education. My priorities lie within the foundation of education at each level. First, I feel that third grade and under needs to be encouraged to learn, but also to be young and explore the different styles and environments that will most benefit their developing minds. I also think there lies an urgent need for additional help in each classroom, especially at the younger level (Kindergarten - 3rd Grade). Our teachers need more support in the classroom, as there are many more children today with special needs and varying levels of learning that require more than one adult in the room. I think it is important to start encouraging the parents and voting public back into the process of school board matters. Parents should be more aware of what the classroom environment looks like and be encouraged to be active, not only in the sports programs; but the education process.
As a prospective school board member, what are your views of regionalizing education in Chautauqua County?
I am strongly opposed to the regionalization of our school. The point of Mayville and Chautauqua schools merging 25 years ago was to get ahead of the state from forcing it without the financial support we received. That was the main reason for building Chautauqua Lake Central a new, “all grades in one location” building, instead of utilizing existing facilities and bussing Elementary & High School to different locations. While I think the tuition program with Ripley has benefited both schools and should continue; there are many classrooms being “leased” that could be used if needed in the future. I fully support the added benefit of the shared sports programs with neighboring school, giving the CLCS students more options to compete in sports that might not otherwise be offered.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve as a school board member?
I have lived in Mayville most of my life and strongly value the sense of community that I feel with my neighbors and other parents. I spent over 18 years working with the public in the Grocery and Hospitality business; I am very organized, rational, and my main focus at this time in my life is my daughter and what is best for her future.
School/District Activities
I have been an active parent with my daughter’s class for the last four years, volunteering whenever asked or needed and also helping with the Accelerated Reading program in the Library.
Community Activities
My husband, Rusty, is one of the Mayville Volunteer Fire Department’s Chiefs, so we often help with functions when needed as a family; which includes the fun of riding in local parades and throwing candy we purchase for the community children, stuffing Easter Eggs annually, etc. I also volunteer as a contact for the Mayville/Chautauqua Loan Closet.
Gina and her husband live in Mayville with their 8-year-old daughter Mackenna. Mackenna is currently in the 2nd grade with Miss Stevens. She is a kind and loving child, and the future of her education at CLCS and that of her peers is what is most important to Gina for the next ten years.
Melissa Putney
Why are you running for the school board? If elected, what will be your top three priorities and why?
Learning is not only a passion of mine, but also a lifetime commitment. I feel this way not only as an educator, but more importantly as an individual. I have been a teacher at Westfield Academy and Central School for over twenty years, and as a family, we are actively involved in our children’s education as well as community activities in the Chautauqua Lake district. Attending board meetings regularly has given me an understanding of the process, which is something that I have enjoyed and respected. I truly feel that education is the heart of society, and I would be honored to become part of Chautauqua Lake’s Board of Education.
When I think of priorities in the educational world, I immediately think of our students. When dealing with educational decisions, one needs to do what is best for kids. No matter what decisions are made, the last sentence should always be “Is this decision best for kids?” If there is any hesitation in the answer, the decision needs to be re-evaluated. I believe everyone in education needs to be creative, open minded, flexible, and committed to doing what is right for the students. Once again, teachers are facing an ever changing world, new challenges and a changing society. A priority of the school board needs to be a continued commitment to the students, the staff, the district and the community to find the best answers. Today, in the face of this pandemic, the social and emotional priority of students, staff, district and community needs to be at the forefront of the discussion. As a teacher, my motto right now is that “curriculum must provide connection.” Our students need to have a direct connection with the curriculum and their educators to stay engaged and motivated. In overcoming challenges, districts are going to be faced with the daunting task of balancing a budget in the shadow of many unknowns. Being responsible to the taxpayer while providing the best possible future to our students is going to be an onerous task. I believe with my educational background, my commitment to education and my deep respect for all of the moving parts in education that I could help facilitate the new direction that districts will be asked to create.
As a prospective school board member, what are your views of regionalizing education in Chautauqua County?
Although Chautauqua Lake’s programming is expansive, it is important to continue to offer and expand on what is offered to our students. In a very competitive world, students need to have the opportunity to be creative, challenged and learn to be resilient. Shared services, long distance learning, and regionalism are all pathways for increased opportunities. Chautauqua Lake has been at the forefront of creative innovations for their students, and I hope this continues.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve as a school board member?
I believe that being an educator for over twenty years has helped me prepare to be a board member. I understand the intricate language and details of the educational world. I have served on numerous committees and received an abundance of educational training.
School/District Activities
My family has lived in the Chautauqua Lake District for 19 years. We are involved in the school community by attending activities such as concerts, plays, athletic events, book fairs, science fairs, teacher appreciation week and work the concession stands to name a few.
Community Activities
In our community, my family has been actively involved in Little League, Boy Scouts, youth basketball, North Lake Soccer, Lakewood Starz Gymnastics and Thundercats Football.
Melissa Putney and her husband have two children. Their son is a sophomore and their daughter is in eighth grade. Both are responsible students who are active in sports and extracurricular activities.
Zach Stahlsmith
Why are you running for the school board? If elected, what will be your top three priorities and why?
I am running for the School Board because I want to be a part of the good work that is happening at Chautauqua Lake Central School. As a student at Chautauqua Lake Central School from first grade to twelfth grade, I was immersed in the Thunderbird community. I saw, and was a part of, new ideas such as Sources of Strength and Impact Campus Fellowship, programs like band and chorus concerts, musicals, and talent shows, and classes (both required and elective) that worked and were greeted with enthusiasm by students, faculty and staff, and the community at larger; on the other side of that coin, I saw some aspects of school life that perhaps did not quite work at first, but just needed a push in the right direction by students and school leadership alike. “Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything.” - Sam Seaborn, The West Wing.
My first priority is to help us fine-tune the educational and programmatic aspects of Chautauqua Lake Central School from a managerial standpoint that have the best positive outcome for the students, staff and faculty so that everyone feels safe and taken care of in our school environment. Furthermore, I want to help students with college prep and direct them to resources that will allow them to be ready to take on the world.
Priority two for me is to make sure that faculty and staff have all the resources they need in order to do their job, effectively and swiftly, while maintaining professional standards expected from an educational institution.
Priority three is technology in the building, particularly with the audio/visual systems. I work as an audio/visual technician and am willing, and able, to use my skills and professional connections in that field to get the school’s audio/visual systems upgraded or maintained so that the programs and events we put on for students and the community can continue to be high-quality and enhance the product we are putting out to the community. I would also like to help address any issues with the future of remote classroom work or meetings over Google Hangout, Zoom, or other video-conferencing programs.
As a prospective school board member, what are your views of regionalizing education in Chautauqua County?
My views for regionalizing education are that it is an action that will need to happen as we move into the future of education in Chautauqua County, particularly as the size of graduating classes and schools continues to shrink. It will be important for local communities to be as involved as possible in this process, with voice and vote. From a budget standpoint, it makes sense to create a regional school because that would allow the school to have access to even better resources for students.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve as a school board member?
In terms of particular experiences and skills that qualify me to serve as a school board member, I have a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and history and am pursuing my master’s degree. I also seasonally supervise an audio/visual crew, was a Resident Assistant in college, and am an alumnus of Chautauqua Lake Central School.
School/District Activities
The school and district activities I have been involved in post-graduation are musical ticket sales, Boys’ Soccer concession stand sales and general support of school activities as an active community member.
Community Activities
I am currently a board member for the Chautauqua Regional Youth Symphony and the Mayville Library, as well as a committee member for the church Staff-Parish committee, which is essentially HR for the local church.
Mary Lee Talbot
Why are you running for the school board? If elected, what will be your top three priorities and why?
I am running for the school board because I believe that public education is a hallmark of a strong democracy and that our schools deserve the care and support of all people, not just parents. My first priority is to see that our New Visions program grows so that, with our efforts in STEM education like Project Lead The Way and a classic academic program, all children are developing life-long skills. My second priority is to continue to look ahead and see what kinds of job skills and life skills our children will need and be sure that we are educating our children for a future that we only see dimly at present. My third priority is to continue to advocate for regionalism so the school districts in Chautauqua County work together, with financial incentives from the state, to provide the best education for all children in the county.
As a current school board member, what are your views of regionalizing education in Chautauqua County?
In a county with just over 135,000 residents we will not be able to afford 18 school districts in the near future and we need to use our resources wisely to insure a good education for all our children. The agreement to work with Ripley to tuition in their students has allowed us to keep programs we need for all our students. I have been advocating for regionalism since I first came to the Board and have taken the lead in getting the Chautauqua County School Board Association to advocate for financial incentives to create tuition agreements among all our schools.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve as a school board member?
I have been a member of the school board for the past six years. I have been a member of the budget and audit committees for each of those years. I have served on the committee that coordinated the search for a new superintendent. I represent CLCS on the County School Board Association. Before becoming a member of the school board, I attended board meetings for three years to get an understanding of the issues facing the district.
School/District Activities
I am deeply involved in the playwriting program with grades three and four. I come to the school and help the kids when they write their plays and then I read the plays so students hear them for the first time. It is always a joy to attend the school musicals and the grade school science fair.
Community Activities
I am a Presbyterian minister and preach twice a month at Wright Memorial Church on the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation. I am a member of the American Association of University Women in Jamestown and served eight years as the co-chair of the annual What’s New Fair that raises scholarships for JCC and JBC women who are going on for a four-year degree.
Mary Lee Talbot believes her six years of involvement with the board and the understanding of the issues facing our schools qualifies her to serve another term on the board. She has had a passion for public education and its necessity for a strong democracy since she was in high school. She has a PhD in the history of education and has written curriculum for the Presbyterian Church (USA).