Meet Terry Randolph
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Orange Country is home to me since I was 10 years old, but my roots to this community stretch back generations. My father is from Middletown and my mother is from Otisville and many of my family still live in this community.
I am a Marine Corps veteran and a local business owner. I own Quality Heating and Cooling, located in the old trolley building on East Main Street in Middletown. Over the last 19 years, I've grown my company from a one-man operation into a thriving eight-person team serving 2,000 customers across Orange County and beyond. I attribute the growth of my company to my leadership style of integrity and a "lead by example” philosophy. Key to this philosophy is listening, working together, and being respectful.
We deserve leadership that is dedicated to service to the whole Middletown City School District community. I am committed to this as I have for my military service and business. Together, we can build a more transparent, fiscally responsible Board of Education. I believe that our district deserves leadership that is disciplined in its service to the community it represents.
Why are you running for the board of education?
I am running because our district deserves leadership with integrity, transparency and fiscal responsibility. I want to bring my disciplined approach as a business owner and veteran to make sure that our tax dollars are being used wisely and that we communicate how we came to our decisions to our community.
If you win a seat, what is your first priority?
My first priority is to be an informed trustee so that I can be an effective leader. This will need two things, one is to complete all of the training on board governance to make sure that I know and understand the legal and ethical requirements of being a trustee. The second is getting up to speed with current board business so when I vote, I'll know that my choices will be based on the best available information.
How do you ensure that all stakeholders are heard by the board?
There is already a mechanism in place for the community to reach out to board members. But, I think more of outreach programs, reaching the people beyond board meetings. I want to make myself approachable to parents, teachers, and residents. Attend PTO and town hall meetings, attend school functions, or listen to their concerns as they happen to run into you in the grocery store.
What are your goals for the board and school district moving forward?
My goal is to protect and continue the programs that have made our district stellar while creating a culture where families, faculty, and staff feel heard and valued. When the adults feel supported and safe, it impacts on how they perform with our students.