Election 2013: Tracey Edwards

Campaign Info

• Position sought: Center Cass School District 66 Board of Education
• Residence: Woodridge
• Contact info: N/A

Personal Info

• Family: Husband Tim; daughter Erin, 12; son Alex, 10
• Education: University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign - 1988
  B.S. Accountancy; Certified Public Accountant - 1989; Certified Internal Auditor - 1999
• Occupation: Have been a stay-at-home mom since June 2008. Prior work experience: USG Corporation - Assistant Controller (April 2007 – June 2008) and Director, Internal Audit (May 1998 – April 2007); Arthur Andersen LLP (July 1988 – May 1998). I have over 20 years of extensive business and financial experience, with strong communication, analytical and problem solving skills.

Candidate Questions

Why are you running for this office?

I am interested in a position on the board of education to have more opportunity to share my opinions and experiences to continue to improve upon the foundation that has been set for the District. I believe the District is strong and that my children are receiving a solid education by attending a CCSD#66 school. However, I also believe that the district would benefit with having more members with a vested interest in the district serving on the board. 

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

Support our administration in making the tough decisions. Making change, generating funding, and running a fiscally responsible district is a tough job and I believe the job of the school board should be to support the administration in doing that job, being a sounding board for ideas, providing constructive feedback when necessary and making tough decisions that might not be popular with all audiences but need to be made to ensure the continued success of the district.

If your race is contested, what sets you apart from the other candidates?

Besides my financial background, I have been very involved in the schools over the past 5 years as a member of the PTO and as the chairperson for various school fundraisers. I have been attending Board of Education meetings over the past year to familiarize myself with the issues facing the Board, while gaining an appreciation for the work that needs to be done. I’m energetic, dedicated and willing to make the tough decisions the Board may face in the future.

Is there any other information pertinent to your campaign that you would like to add?

I have a strong financial background, as I am a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. I spent 10 years in public accounting prior to moving to a Fortune 500 company, where I led their internal audit department for nine years and was the Assistant Controller of the Corporation for a year before deciding to leave the workforce to stay home with my young children.