Candidate: John Fischer

John was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 22, 1944 to Beatrice and Carlton Fischer.  He was the middle child with three brothers and one sister.  From the age of five, he was an avid lover of baseball, playing all the way through high school and even attending a walk-on try out with the Cleveland Indians!  John attended John Marshall High School where he also competed on the football, basketball and track teams. He went on to Kean University in Cleveland where he graduated with a Bachelors’ Degree in Management and Marketing.  John was in the Ohio National Guard for two years.  He moved to Palm Coast in 1999 and has been here ever since.

John held several professional and blue-collar positions during his working career.  Most notably, he was an electrician who worked on the World Trade Center, a small business owner, a financial advisor and an insurance agent for the Knights of Columbus.  When John ran for the school board in 2010, he made a commitment to dedicate himself to the school system and community and left his position as an insurance agent to honor that commitment. 

When John first arrived in Florida, he was concerned that the lottery funds were not being allocated in the way they were being advertised – as a boon for the public education.  Upon questioning this system both with the governor’s office and the lottery office and not getting a straight answer, he decided that it was time to become involved in the school system and attempt to make a difference.

Since then, John has succeeded in being the most visible and active board member and volunteer in the county.  His reputation, “Fischer is Everywhere, with a Purpose” is well-deserved as John attends an amazing number of events both in the schools and the community.  John is especially involved with the various special education programs.  The Buddy Walk, Special Olympics, the Down Syndrome Association, the Autism program at Santa Maria del Mar and Whispering Meadows Ranch all know John as a welcome visitor and constant supporter.

When John visits the schools, he makes a point of seeing the support staff as well.  Secretaries, para-pro’s, cafeteria workers, janitorial staff and bus drivers are all used to seeing his smiling face and hearing his words of encouragement and support.  Not surprising, because John’s goal is to serve as a positive role model by making a difference and by doing the right thing.

John’s actions are also motivated by his strong faith.  He attends daily mass and is a Fourth-Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He is also a member of the Elks and participates in multiple activities throughout the year for a wide variety of charitable causes. When John is home, he plays with his three dogs, Little Bit, Katarina and Shadow, the latter two being rescue dogs that he takes care of and loves.

John doesn’t make promises about what he will do when he becomes a board member again that are not within the school board’s abilities.  The school board cannot raise salaries and they have no control over testing.  These are contractual issues and state mandated statutes.  If elected, John will continue to do what he has always done.  He will be in the schools, listening and supporting the students and the staff and dedicating himself to improving the Flagler County School System.