Three Vying for Board Seat of Tulsa Technology Center

By April Marciszewski, Tulsa World, Okla.

Feb. 12–A former state representative and a local businessman are challenging two-term incumbent John Bernardine for the Zone 4 seat on Tulsa Technology Center’s Board of Education. Voters on Tuesday will choose former Rep. Bruce E. Niemi, Robert Price or Bernardine to serve the next seven-year term. To win, a candidate will need more than half of the votes. If each of the candidates gets less than half, the two with the most votes will proceed to a runoff election April 4. Bernardine has served on the board more than 14 years and is vice president and the chairman of the facilities and programs committee. He has previously held the other offices of the board, including the presidency, and he has received several awards for the work, he said. Bernardine has helped create craftsmanship and automotive apprenticeship programs. He works in automotive sales and as a consultant for automotive dealerships. He said he brings a unique business perspective to the board. Bernardine sees one of Tulsa Tech’s strengths as its partnerships with businesses and industries. Because of those relationships, Tulsa Tech responds to industries’ needs, helps attract businesses to Tulsa and serves students, he said. “It’s not a second-class education,” Bernardine said. “It’s an outstanding way for students to succeed.” Niemi has a doctorate in education from Oklahoma State University and has taught at various Oklahoma colleges for two decades. He’s an education consultant who writes college curriculum. Niemi would like to see more students enrolled in CareerTech, and he wants businesses and industries to “dominate” academic offerings less, he said. For example, Niemi said he didn’t like to see a past focus on telecommunications supplant other programs. He said the greatest needs are for “craftsmen who have entrepreneurship training.” Tony Heaberlin, Tulsa Tech spokesman, said the system responds to market demands and the “ever-changing workplace,” opening and closing programs as it can garner enough enrollment and place students in jobs. Niemi would like Tulsa Tech to start career counseling with students as young as elementary age to get them thinking about their futures, he said. He also said he wants CareerTech to provide free books and tuition for military veterans who need vocational training. “You can’t beat the kind of training that it has to offer there,” Niemi said. He praised Tulsa Tech’s buildings and classes, particularly its pre-engineering program for high school students. His campaign flier said he will provide accountability for how taxpayers’ money is spent. Price serves on the Mental Health Association in Tulsa and Family & Children’s Services advisory boards and is a member of the Tulsa Hospital Authority. After doing poorly in high school, he went straight into low-paying jobs, he said. Several years later when his father had a stroke, he came home to help, and he enrolled at an open-access college in Denver. He went on to earn his law degree from the University of Tulsa, and now he owns several businesses, including the oil-and-gas exploration business Brooks Energy Co. He wants other students to be able to “realize their dreams” through CareerTech, and he wants Tulsa Tech to create a work force that will attract businesses to the city. Price wants businesses to stay involved with Tulsa Tech, and he would like to see the system grow, he said. “Tulsa Tech is a shining star — a beacon for Tulsa — and I think we need to shout it from the highest mountains,” Price said. ———— April Marciszewski 581-8475 april.marciszewski@tulsaworld.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, Tulsa World, Okla.

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