Meet Chris Vinton

I believe Gold Oak families deserve engaged, ethical, and transparent leadership for our students. I believe that it takes a village to run a school board because there is an expectation of a social contract between our board members, parents, and teachers. We entrust the board with the decisions made in our children’s education and the environment in which they receive it. Nobody has more stake in the game than the parents whose kids walk through these doors, which is why I believe in engaging our community directly to include them in every step of the process.

This is why my wife and I moved here two years ago- to set our roots in a small town because we wanted our daughter to grow up and thrive in a community where everyone knows everyone. We didn’t want her to be trapped in the bureaucracy of a major school district where we didn’t have a say in the decisions made in her education.

I have been surrounded by educators my entire life. My wife is a teacher in the Camino School District coming from Denver, CO. Her mother is a retired teacher who spent 20-years teaching in San Jose out in the Bay. I was raised by my mother, a single-parent and retired teacher from Tampa, Florida. Even my daughter’s godmother (and wife’s maid of honor) is a former special needs teacher (now turned district administrator) out in Nevada. I have been exposed to school districts all around the country and I have heard it all. The one thing that remains constant, and the key to extracting the best outcome for our students, lies in empowering our teachers and engaging parents. This is why I am proud to say that I have earned the support and received the official endorsement of the Gold Oak Teachers Association.

I am also a patriot. As a US Navy veteran who was fortunate enough to support and work for Top Gun in Fallon, NV, I hope to show that a true patriot is anyone who loves their country regardless of one’s creed, color, or background.

Currently, I manage a team of data engineers for a software company that provides government agencies, including school districts, agenda management software. I have a background in Electrical Engineering where I hold degrees from the University of Colorado. I unapologetically believe in the scientific method, and I miss the days when that wasn’t a controversial statement especially in the context of education.

I believe we have an amazing community in Gold Oak, talented teachers, and students with potential only limited by their imagination. As a board member, I will focus on promoting safe, healthy, and equitable schools. I hope to increase parent engagement through direct outreach and will ensure fiscal responsibility to make Gold Oak an ideal district for both teachers and families. I will help end the teacher retention crisis. I will trust parents to decide what is appropriate for their own children to read and as an engineer, I understand exactly how impactful science can be to opening doors to rewarding careers that students may never have considered otherwise. I will promote an environment that will encourage a new generation of students to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, mathematics, and engineering.)

I would be honored if you joined me in giving a voice to the parents, teachers, and students of our community by voting for me for Gold Oak Union School Board Trustees this November.