Jesse Speidel, a lifelong resident of Chincoteague Island, has announced his re-election campaign for the District 1 seat on the Accomack County School Board in the Nov. 7 election.
Speidel was appointed to serve in 2017 and was elected for his current term in 2020.
Speidel, a graduate of Chincoteague High School, a military veteran, and current chief of operations at NOAA Wallops, said he has always felt strongly about community service.
He has served on other boards and in service organizations and is an active volunteer.
He has devoted hundreds of hours to the county youth soccer program as director, a referee, and a coach of multiple teams.
He referees the youth basketball league and volunteers for Little League baseball. He has always worked behind the scenes to facilitate school events.
Speidel serves on the School Health Advisory Board, which advises the school division on both broad and specific aspects of coordinated school health programs.
Speidel served on the school board during the pandemic and pushed for in-person, back-to-normal learning and reinstatement of school sports programs, which he called “a necessity for a student’s mental and physical health and overall education.”
Speidel said he recently voted for increasing starting teacher salaries to match that of nearby counties.
“Adequate staffing, teacher recruitment, and retention are essential to providing a solid, quality education for our students,” Speidel said.
He also said, “Student safety should never be overlooked, no matter the size of the school,” and advocated to retain a school resource officer for Chincoteague schools.
Speidel and his wife Valerie are raising their family on the island, where they have children in elementary, middle, and high school.
“Listening to our district citizens as well as school employees, officials, and students is what serving on the school board is about for me,” Speidel said.
Speidel is always willing to discuss policies over the phone or in person if clarity is desired or required.
“Just because someone posts something on social media doesn’t make it true,” he said.
Email Speidel at [email protected].
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