Below are the questions The Sun asked all candidates running for office on the Nov. 5 ballot. We asked them six questions (excluding the first question about name/which office they were running for).
The only condition we placed upon their responses is to limit the response to each question to no more than 500 words. We’ve also done light editing for grammar and style reasons. Otherwise, the responses remain as submitted to us.
1. Where do you specifically live in the county (meaning, which village, township or city), and please include a short bio of who you are and your prior experience.
2. Why are you running for this office?
3. What values are most important to you, and that you would bring to the office?
4. Name one of the first legislative or policy changes you would like to make while in office.
5. What issues are you anticipating in your elected office?
6. How do you plan to stay connected to the public while in office?
As a reminder, the responses will be grouped along with any other candidates running for that same local office.
Julie Schmidt 
1. I live in Jackson Township. I’m a married mom of four children, 22, 18, 11 and nine. My oldest two graduated from Clermont Northeastern, my youngest two have been in our district since kindergarten & pre-school respectively. We have lived in CNE for six years, and my husband grew up here, graduating in 1996. I am self-employed. My career is focused on brand management & marketing for small businesses and non-profits. I owned my own wedding planning company for 13 years before deciding I wanted to spend more time at home on the weekends. I am an avid volunteer at school, in the community, and as a coach and board member for youth cheer.
2. I am running because our district is in desperate need of change. The past few elections existing board members have run unopposed. We need fresh perspectives and ideas for all students. There are so many wonderful families and communities that deserve a board that represents the interests of all students, not just the children of those on the board.
3. Transparency and integrity are two values I would bring to the school board. I am able to work with those I may disagree with politically to work towards a common goal. I will approach solutions pragmatically, looking at all options, and will not allow personal relationships to influence my decision. I can forgo choices that might be best for one of my children but may not be best for the majority of students. Every student deserves equal representation, especially those who may not have someone fighting for their interests. I believe we need to engage our teachers when making decisions and policy changes, especially those that impact students. Our teachers are in the classrooms every day. Who better to tell us what is working, what is lacking and what is needed.
4. I would include mental health as part of our district wellness plan. Many of our students are facing unimaginable adversity and expected to behave, perform & test as if they have all needs met. A comprehensive plan to address mental health wellness is important to help our students achieve their potential, not just in the classroom, but in the world as well.
5. Change is always difficult, especially in a community where “this is how we’ve always done it” is so prevalent. Encouraging engagement from our community and helping them understand we truly value their input and ideas – when many are tired of trying to influence and bring about change.
6. I plan to continue to volunteer as I have in the past. To be present in the community and our schools. I will keep my Facebook page current with board issues, surveys, and meeting reminders. I would love to be able to record or live stream board meetings for those who would like to attend but cannot due to volunteering, work or kids activities.