This past November, Jeff Burrow was elected to serve on the Circleville City School District Board of Education joining fellow new board member Chris Wagner who will be replacing devout board members Todd Stevens and Amy DeLong who did not seek re-election.
In an effort to familiarize our community with Mr.Burrow and his background, the district provided him with an informal Q & A where he elaborated on his family, passions, and all things Tiger Pride.
As a Circleville resident what does it mean to you to serve the local school district as a member of the school board?
As a resident of Pickaway County, being on the school board is an opportunity for me to give back to the community that has helped to raise our two sons and provided my family a great place to live.
What does ‘Tiger Pride’ mean to you as a parent…and now school board member?
The best way for me to answer this question is by giving a couple examples of “Tiger Pride”. As a parent, seeing my oldest son, Carter, walk on stage and pick up his diploma filled me with what Tiger Pride is all about.
It was not just the act of graduating, but it was a reflection of the great memories that we collected from his journey to adulthood at CCS. Helping with seasonal parties in elementary school, watching his friendships develop through middle school, the challenge of middle school cross country, navigating problems with help from administrators and staff, Destination Imagination, High School Band, and the overall participation of the teachers, coaches, and band directors at CCS have been an example of Tiger Pride.
As a new school board member, I also attribute Tiger Pride to those who came before me and exemplified by outgoing board members. Todd Stevens and Amy DeLong who have been great examples of Tiger Pride that we can all build upon.
Aside from all things Circleville City Schools, what else occupies your time? (hobbies, travel, sports, etc)
I spend as much time as possible with my family. My wife Andi (CHS Alumni and a teacher) and I have two sons – Carter graduated from CHS in 2017 and Landon is a Junior at CHS. Carter’s girlfriend, Ashley, a CHS graduate, and student at the Cleveland Institute of Art. We spend a lot of time watching Landon play Tiger Soccer in the fall. We have two dogs, a crazy fun-loving 3-year-old St. Bernard and a 10-year-old Golden Retriever. You might see us walking these two on the Roundtown Traill behind the schools!
Outside of school, Andi and I spend a lot of time doing outreach on behalf of our church.
I spend a lot of time raising funds for research to end Multiple Sclerosis through Bike MS and an organization called Meat Fight that purchases bikes for individuals living with MS, including my sister and sister-in-law who are living with MS. This means that I also ride a bicycle a lot!
I also enjoy cooking – especially smoking and grilling meats!
As an elected board member you are a leader within the community, what does leadership mean to you?
To me, leadership is about connections, relationships, and asking people to do things that you would do yourself. As a sales person, often my job was not only to sell, but to connect people within an organization, or two organizations and lead them through a process that resulted in a win for both organizations.
If there is one thing I would like our Tiger families to know about me, it is……..
I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane – twice. I do not intend to do it again!
Why did you decide to run for the school board?
I was Band Booster President for several years. I missed being involved with the school, kids, teachers, and parents. Several people provided me with encouragement to run. In addition, I was able to take a position locally that required less travel. In the end, it all just worked out.
What does it mean to you for your community to elect you to the school board?
I appreciate everyone that encouraged me to run, signed my petition, and voted for me. Especially my family. This is a responsibility that is not to be taken lightly.