Lawrence Heidemann

Lawrence Heidemann, candidate in SD 157-C. | Supplied photo

Office Sought: School Board Member - Frankfort District 157C

Name: Lawrence Heidemann

Address: 1012 S. Butternut Circle, Frankfort

Date of Birth: Valentines Day, 1946

Contact Information: LarryH1012@aol.com

Home Telephone Number: 815-469-0972

Education:

B.S. Chemical Engineering - Washington University - St. Louis

M.S. Chemical Engineering - Washington University - St. Louis

PMD Harvard Graduate Business School - Boston

Occupation:

a) Retired corporate executive

b) Part Time Adjunct Faculty at Joliet Junior College

c) Independent Strategic Financial Planning Consultant for School Boards (StratPlan Consulting)

Income: See Occupation(s) - above

Spouse: Cheryl Heidemann

Children: Four grown children

* Physical Therapist

* Speech Therapist

* CPA

* Student

Please list any relatives, including in-laws, who are employed by a government agency at the federal, state or local levels. What are their job titles and with what agency are they employed? None

What other elected offices have you sought? What year? Elected to this school board in previous elections (current incumbent).

Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime? If so, for what? What was the disposition? None

Political (elected or significant appointment) experience? School Board 18 years (including serving as president, vice president, secretary)

Frankfort Township Planning Commission (current)

In your view, what are the two most important issues facing your constituents? How would you address those issues? a)top performing academic district in Will County (see State Report Card)

b) retain Standard and Poor’s top financial rating in current economic climate

Please explain something significant you would like to accomplish within the next two years if you are elected to the office to which you aspire.

a) retain and further ratchet up stellar academic performance

b) continue and institutionalize outstanding financial performance and ratings

Please explain how you believe the office you’re seeking can help in creating local jobs.

School systems have little effect on job creation in the short term economy, but rather concentrate on preparing its young citizens to be productive contributors to future society and the eventual workforce.

Do you believe the current way Illinois pays for education is working? If so, why? If not, why not? What would you change?

School systems are the same victims as everyone else of the overall financial mess in Springfield and the inability of the state to get its financial house in order. Until that political process gets sorted out, the focus must be on local financial stability and sustaining a quality process, regardless of the political shortcoming in Springfield.

Would you make any changes to the budget of the governing unit to which you are seeking elected office? If so, what?

Thanks in large part to the financial consulting process I have been able to bring to the board, our district has had an almost unique success in the south suburbs in staying financially solvent while most other districts are struggling. I would continue to ensure this financial process is institutionalized for long-term financial security.

Are there any other issues you want to bring to the public’s attention? If so, what?

There are 3 significant issues:

a) Our district has received repeated academic awards on the local, state, and national levels. b) Our district has maintained Standard and Poor’s highest financial rating throughout.

c) Our board has recently been asked to present the qualities of such a successful and high-performing school board at the state school board convention.

I would like to ask the community to retain the current incumbents so that we might continue and even enhance this three-fold tradition of academic, financial, and administrative excellence.

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