What do you like most about your district? The great people: students, teachers, support staff, administrators, school board members and parents.
What were you like as a student? I always liked school and have done pretty well. I certainly presented occasional behavioral issues to the teachers, but I liked them.
What did you want to be when you grew up? A lawyer.
Do you have a favorite initiative you launched? The language immersion program, the enhanced middle school program, the Navigator program and special education programs are among the top ones at Minnetonka.
Do you have a philosophy of life you try to live by? I want to give more to this world than I take from it. I am an optimist who always has a good day; I trust others and believe in their great abilities to grow and develop.
Name: Dr. Chace B. Anderson
District: Wayzata #284
Years in position: 4
What did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher. I considered some other options along the way but always kept coming back to what I enjoyed the most: working with young people and doing what I could to have a positive impact on others.
What was your favorite subject in high school? Science.
Do you have a favorite initiative you launched? I’ve been fortunate to be part of many great initiatives, but they are due to the high quality of educators I have worked with in my career.
Do you have a philosophy of life you try to live by? When given the chance to help or hinder, to be positive or negative, to seek solutions or admire problems, I try to choose the former in all cases.
Name: Kevin Borg
District: Westonka #277
Years in position: 6
What do you like most about your district? We like to say we have a small-school advantage with big-school opportunity.
What were you like as a student? I would describe myself as a good student. I helped out on the family farm and was also really involved in academics and school activities.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I thought I wanted to do something that was connected to history, but in college I moved toward education.
Do you have a favorite initiative you launched? In 2007, we put together our strategic plan that allowed us to set goals for the district, and gave us a direction on how we can align our time and resources to accomplish these goals.
Do you have a philosophy of life you try to live by? I like to say I employ the character traits of hard work, respect, kindness and generosity. And I strive to be a great representative for the community.
Name: Dr. Karen Orcutt
District: Orono #278
Years in position: 8
What do you love most about your district? I love the relationships we have with parents and our students. Because of size and a single campus, we are able to personalize learning and maintain relationships throughout a child’s Orono education.
What were your favorite subjects in high school? Language arts, literature and visual arts.
What did you want to be when you grew up? A veterinarian.
Do you have a favorite initiative you launched? Our nationally recognized character program; we take it very seriously. Children need strong academics but also the social and emotional skills that will enhance their intellectual capabilities.
Do you have a philosophy of life you try to live by? To be a resilient person and to be of service. It’s through the hard times and service that we find true meaning of life.
