Candidate: Mark Young

My wife, Teri, and I have been happily married for 15 years. I have lived in Fort Pierce for 16 years, moving here in 1998 from Jacksonville, Florida. I am the founding pastor of Surfside Community Church in Fort Pierce. Prior to starting Surfside in 2004, I was the Youth Minister at First United Methodist Church in downtown Fort Pierce. I served First United Methodist Church as their Youth Minister from 1998-2004. My wife and I have been licensed foster parents since March 2013. I am involved with Habitat for Humanity, mainly with the Apostle Build projects. I have implemented and coordinated several local service and mission projects including local relief efforts following the 2004 hurricanes. I help my wife as she coordinates the annual CROP Hunger Walk for Saint Lucie County. I have an A.A. degree in Secondary Education from FCCJ (Florida Community College at Jacksonville), B.A. degree in Social Sciences from Washington State University, M.Div. degree from Asbury Theological Seminary I am running to serve Saint Lucie County as an advocate on the school board for parents, teachers, students, and staff. I want to see the St. Lucie County School District become a top performing district in the State of Florida. A district that attracts and retains quality teachers and staff. A district that graduates well educated students who lead in their homes, the community, state, and nation. Substantial change is needed to make this a reality. This change will require communication and cooperation between parents, teachers, staff, administrators, the local community, and state and national organizations. I want to lead this change. My goals include: Increasing public access to the school board; raising the morale and pay of teachers and staff; increasing funding per student; broadening leadership development in students; and improving school safety for students, teachers, and staff. I plan to accomplish these goals without increasing the current level of tax assessments. We can do this together! \"Better Schools, A Better Life\"