Full Biography for Rodney M Brooks

Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Pajaro Valley Unified School District; Trustee Area 6

I grew up in California in the 1950's and 1960's. I graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio in 1970 with a BA in Education. I was married to my wife, Peggy, in 1971.

In 1971 my wife and I began teaching. From 1971-73 we were one third of the the third grade teachers in the Scappoose Unified 1J School Distrct, a small town 30 miles west of Portland, Oregon on the Columbia River. I taught school a final year in Portland as a substitute for kindergarten through third grade in what we would now call Title 1 schools. These were schools that served both free breakfast and free lunch.

From 1974 to 1979 my wife and I were involved in a family lapidary business. We would cut and polish rocks four days a week and take them to craft shows three days a week. During this time, we started having children and I decided I needed a career change that didn't involve travel.

In 1980 I started a Farmers Insurance Group agency on East Lake Ave. I started from scratch and built an agency, with my wife, that serves over 1200 families in the Pajaro Valley. We have three full time employees. Two of our staff our bilingual speaking fluent Spanish.

My two girls, Molly and Emily, attended schools in the PVUSD. Both girls graduated from Alianza. Molly went to E.A. Hall for a year and Rolling Hills for two years. Molly graduated from Aptos High and is enrolled at UCSB as a Spanish major. Emily attended Aptos Jr. High and has finished her first year at Cabrillo College as a business major.

I am a long time member of Freedom Rotary. In the last decade my wife and I have hosted six exchange students through Rotary from all all over the world. Five of the six girls attended Aptos High School. My daughter, Molly, was an exchange student to Merida, Mexico during her junior year in high school.

I am long time member of the Pajaro Valley Chanber of Commerce. In the 1980's I was a director of the Chamber, assisted in several membership drives, and ran the burger booth for two years at the Fly-In. We raised $10,000 for the Chamber at that fund raiser with a lot of help from the business community.

I am long time member of Pajaro Valley Toastmasters. I have stayed for many years because I enjoy mentoring people and working on listening skills. I think listening is a key part of communication.

When we are not working, my wife and I enjoy gardening, reading, movies, hiking, and walking our dog, Maya. We have lived in the Amesti area for 24 years.

I am committed to Watsonville. It is my home and I intend to stay here. Everyone knows Watsonville is an area that needs improvement. I believe the schools are the shortest route to improving this community.

I think it is a challenge for all candidates to state what they have done for our schools and our community. Here are some of the things I have done:

1987 I saved the PVUSD money that would have been paid to separate wood and metal to recycle surplus school furniture. With the assistance of Freedom Rotary a container of school furniture was shipped to Oaxaca, Mexico to aid a small school district that didn't have enough seats for all the kids.

1993-5 I was Jamie Mark's appointee to the Budget Committee for the PVUSD making hard decisions during bad financial times.

Three times in the 1990's I have assisted Freedom Rotary in projects at Freedom School. Twice we bought and installed play equipment for the kindergarten, and once we repainted part of the school.

At Calabassas School I assisted Freedom Rotary in the construction of the outdoor ampitheater.

In 1996 I was part of the team that traveled to Sacramento and testified against seccession.

1998 I worked on Measure A and co-chaired Measure E. For Measure E, I ran a phonebank out of my office in the evening for 8 weeks. Both A & E were attempts to fund school construction by bond measures.

I also support the following organizations financially: KUSP, Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Salvation Army, Second Harvest Food Bank, Hospice Caring Project of SC County, United Way of SC Co., Aptos Sports Foundation, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, Family Service Association of PV, Pajaro Valley Arts Council, Ag History Project, Defense de Mujeres, Loaves and Fishes, Catz Grad Night, Volunteer Center of SC Co., Gateway Business & Community Coalition, Cabrillo College Foundation, Little Helpers Golf Tournament, YMCA, YWCA,& the Watsonville Area Little League.

This list may seem lengthy, but it is typical of small business owners. We average between three and four thousand dollars a year that we donate back to the community each year!