About Me
I'm a Bozeman dad running for the Bozeman School District 7 Board of Trustees. My wife Adrienne and I met in college at MSU and never left. We're raising two kids in BSD7, and Adrienne teaches kindergarten at Longfellow. You might know her as Miss Petch or Mrs. Zimny.
Education runs deep in our family. My mom teaches in Billings. Adrienne worked at Meadowlark before moving to Longfellow. I've spent my whole life watching teachers do the invisible work. The late nights, the creativity, the showing up every single day.
I work remotely as a security manager in tech. Before that, I worked at a few local tech firms here in Bozeman. My day job is managing compliance, budgets, building teams, and making sure organizations run responsibly and transparently. Those skills translate directly to board governance. I bring that same mindset to how I think about our schools.
We live south of campus here in Bozeman, Montana. Fixer-upper house, a flower farm, eight chickens, and three dogs. We're not going anywhere. This is home.
Why I'm Running
The BSD7 Board of Trustees has been doing a wonderful job. The decisions they make over the next several years will directly shape my children's education in Bozeman School District 7. My first-grader and my kindergartner-to-be will spend thirteen years in these schools. I want to be part of those decisions, and I want young families like mine to have a voice at the table.
I've watched Bozeman grow and change. I know what families here are dealing with: housing costs, childcare, the everyday logistics of raising kids in a town that's gotten more expensive. There's a quiet exhaustion among parents, mixed with a fierce drive to stay in this beautiful place. That tension affects everything: teacher retention, parent involvement, and the hard choices the board has to make.
I want to support bold, evidence-based decisions, even uncomfortable ones. The district's move toward phone-free high schools starting in 2026 is a good example. It's not easy, parents have mixed feelings, and my own kids will live with it. But the research on student mental health is clear. I'd rather try something hard and learn from it than stay stuck doing the same thing.
That's why I'm running in the 2026 Bozeman school board election. I want to help retain the teachers who make this district great, push for decisions grounded in evidence, and continue to bring financial transparency to every dollar the board spends. BSD7 families deserve a board that supports the whole student and the whole community that shows up for them.
My Priorities
Supporting Our Teachers & Staff
The district has done real work here. A new collective bargaining agreement, the Bridged Health Alliance, the STARS Act. I want to build on that and keep pushing for manageable class sizes and better retention. That includes the classified staff who hold the whole system together: nurses, paraprofessionals, custodians, food service workers. Kids learn better when they have the same trusted adults year after year.
Early Literacy & Bozeman Reads
Access to early education changes everything, for kids and families. BSD7's Bozeman Reads program launched in 2021 and the Early Learning Center opened at Morning Star in 2024. We want every incoming kindergartner to have their best start.
Technology & AI in Schools
I work in software security and use AI every day. Digital literacy matters. So does writing by hand and thinking for yourself. The board should be engaging teachers and families in how technology fits into our schools. I'd bring a practical perspective to that conversation.
Student Well-Being
Mental health, attendance, food insecurity, housing instability, special education. These aren't side issues. They're core to whether kids can actually learn. The board funds the programs that make it possible, from school-based mental health to McKinney-Vento to fully staffed special education classrooms. I want to make sure those programs are protected.
Curriculum, Arts & Community
Every school should have the same high-quality instruction. Music, art, drama, and athletics aren't extras. And the community organizations like Thrive that support BSD7 families deserve the board's backing. Montana is one of only two states without federal ELL funding. The board should protect these services and push Helena for help.
Fiscal Accountability
Every dollar accounted for, every budget decision in the open. I'll support levies tied to real outcomes, and I'll be honest about what we can't afford. Bozeman voters have shown they'll invest in their schools. The board's job is to keep earning that trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bozeman School Board do?
The BSD7 Board of Trustees sets policy, approves budgets, and makes decisions about curriculum, staffing, and facilities for Bozeman School District 7. Board meetings are open to the public.
Your wife teaches in the district. Isn't that a conflict of interest?
It's a fair question. Adrienne's experience is why I understand these issues, but it also means I need to be careful. On votes involving teacher contracts or staffing, I'll disclose the conflict, recuse when appropriate, and be transparent about it. That's how any trustee with a conflict should handle it.
How would you handle disagreements on the board?
With evidence, transparency, and genuine community input. The best boards have honest disagreements, then commit to a direction and measure whether it's working.
Why should I care about the school board if I don't have kids in school?
Every Bozeman property owner funds BSD7 through school levies. Strong public schools also drive property values, attract employers, and keep the local economy running. The board decides how those tax dollars are spent. Whether you have kids in the system or not, you have a stake in how the district is governed.
Why should young families care about the school board?
The board makes decisions that shape your child's entire K-12 experience. Budgets, curriculum, teacher contracts, facilities. If you're planning to raise your kids in Bozeman, these decisions affect your family directly.
Get Involved
The most important thing you can do is vote and help others do the same. Share this site with a neighbor, a friend, or anyone who cares about Bozeman schools. Have a question? I'd love to hear from you.