Eric Stengel is running for RISD school board
Eric Stengel has joined the crowded field of candidates for Richardson ISD trustee in District 7. The medical staff administration analyst is father to a first grader and is active in the Jess Harben Elementary PTA.
Though he currently works with a national staffing company to help provide hospitals with physician, nurse practitioner and physician assistant staff, Stengel has an active Texas teaching license and has spent time substitute teaching at every school campus in the district. At Lake Highlands High, he encountered current board president Karen Clardy, then LHHS executive assistant under Dr. Bob Iden. Subs were one of her many responsibilities during her 25 years at the high school.
“I’m also probably the only candidate running that had the opportunity to meet Morgan Fairchild’s sister, Cathryn Hartt,” Stengel says of the LHHS alums. “The University of Texas at Dallas teacher certification program allowed us young educators the opportunity to take a voice presence/acting class which was a phenomenal experience. I also have had the opportunity of teaching inmates at the Henry Wade juvenile justice center courses in career development and life skills, so I know of the ability for students to mend their ways and be successful.”
Stengel has taken a pledge not to seek or accept outside donations for his campaign and says he will not use his own funds either for yard signs for t-shirts.
“In lieu of that, please support your local campus PTA,” says Stengel. “In my free time, you will find me helping out with my local church’s mobile food pantry sponsored by Catholic Charities and the North Texas Food Bank.”
District 7 is an at large position representing all of RISD, and Stengel says he understands LH.
“I am aware of the overcrowding of many of the schools in Lake Highlands,” he says. “I pledge to do whatever is humanly possible, from calling corporate donors and entities to reaching out to Texas legislators, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, the Texas School Board Commission representative, to the Lieutenant Governor and Governor’s office if need be, to make sure that Richardson ISD and the schools in the Lake Highlands feeder pattern continue to be schools of excellence and academic achievement centers. The only request that I ask from the voters of the Lake Highlands area is don’t hold my being a Berkner alum against me. The Ram-Wildcat rivalry was definitely an interesting time when I was a student in the district.”
Also running in District 7 are Lake Highlands resident Chris Poteet, educational consultant Amanda Clair and Richardson City Councilmember Steve Mitchell. Jean Bono and Kim Caston have declined to run again.
The last day to file as a candidate is Feb. 12. Election Day is May 1.
