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Bob Poppenga, a faculty veterinarian and animal and food safety scientist at UC Davis, is announcing his bid for a seat on the Davis school board in the upcoming November general election. He ran for the board in November 2014, finishing fourth with 14.7 percent, just missing a spot on the board as the top three were seated.
Bob Poppenga was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD degrees from the University of Illinois. He has held faculty positions at the nation’s top veterinarian schools, and moved with his wife to Davis in 2004. Their two daughters, ages 13 and 16, attend Davis public schools.
Dr. Poppenga is an active member of numerous community advisory groups, including the Executive Board of the Explorit Science Center, DJUSD Professional Development Team, the district’s Parcel Tax Oversight and CTE/STEAM Advisory committees, and the Youth Services Committee with the Davis Sunrise Rotarians.
“I believe that our public schools need to find creative ways to provide every student with the necessary skills for future success no matter what career pathway they choose.” Dr. Poppenga explains. “I’m running because I believe that we can do a much better job of providing educational opportunities for all of our students. We need thoughtful leadership to truly achieve the District’s stated mission of being a leader in educational innovation.”
He is an avid proponent of public/private partnerships to optimize the wealth of educational resources and opportunities present within the Davis community. Bob recently spearheaded the vet school’s creation of paid Davis high school student summer internships that serves as a prime example of the type of partnerships he pursues.
Dr. Poppenga is committed to improving the robust diversity of programs in the school district to better serve the full range of student needs and aptitudes, helping our youth realize their full potentials and to ultimately thrive in the 21st century global economy. Given the impact that policy changes can have on the learning potentials of all our students, Bob is a strong proponent of evidenced-based decision making within a fully open and transparent school board environment.
To date, Dr. Poppenga has been endorsed by former Assembly member Mariko Yamada, current Davis Mayor Dan Wolk, current Davis Mayor Pro Tempore Robb Davis, former Davis Mayor Joe Krovoza, current Davis School Board Trustee Madhavi Sunder, former Davis School Board Trustees Joan Sallee, BJ Kline, and Gina Daleidin, former Davis Interim Fire Chief Bill Weisgerber, Chuck Rairdan, Bruce Wolk, Jamima Wolk, Anupam Chander, Janet Krovoza, and numerous other valued supporters.
Please join Bob Poppenga and supporters at his April 29th campaign kickoff from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at 3249 Conquistador Way for a meet and greet, refreshments and family fun activities. Bob will deliver remarks at 6:30. Please RVSP to Shama Mesiwala at 530-747-0642 or fuldewala@yahoo.com.
For more information about Bob Poppenga’s campaign, go to Bob4Schools.org and his Facebook page. Bob can also be reached at rhpoppenga@gmail.com.
(This article was submitted as a press release).
Fantastic news!
Thank you, Dr. Poppenga, for your willingness to serve as well as for your honesty and clear thinking. Our community is lucky to have you among us, and I look forward to the news of your election!!
This is the best possible news for the children of Davis. A person who has worked tirelessly for the benefit of all the children, has integrity, and is honest! Everything some others are not. The university is a huge resource at our fingertips that has long been ignored. He has already contributed significantly to the high schoolers by brokering an agreement with UC Davis to create paid internships in Veternary Sciences. I can only imagine the learning and development opportunities our children will have under his leadership. I am thrilled that Mr. Poppenga, a problem solver and advocate for children is running!
Dr. Poppenga is a committed, honest and highly intelligent man, and an inspired and creative problem-solver. So thrilled he’s running!! How do we contribute $$ to the campaign?
Dr Poppenga is an honest, deep and creative thinker who will support the education of each child. I look forward to seeing him on the School Board.
It is such welcoming news that Dr. Poppenga is running for the school board! He will add a breath of fresh air to the existing board that is driven more by ideology than facts. He will serve the district, parents, teachers, and most importantly, the kids, well with his high intellectual abilities, evidence-based decision-making approach, his down-to-earth personality, and strong commitment to help every child succeed. I am more than happy to contribute to his campaign!
This is very good news. Bob is a dedicated and intelligent person who is motivated to do good for all Davis students. I look forward to helping him gain the support he needs and deserves – and also thank him for his willingness to take on such an important, difficult, and often thankless job.