For Aragon Gould, his desire to run for the Cloverdale Township seat on the Cloverdale School District's school board is a simple decision. 

He grew up in Cloverdale, left for college and returned to the area in 2008, shortly after serving in Iraq. Three years ago, Gould and his family moved back to Cloverdale so his youngest son could begin school within the district. 

"I decided to run to use my extensive business and leadership experience for the good of the boys and girls he has made friends with over the last three years. Additionally, I have been on the Cloverdale Community Youth League's board and can see opportunities to contribute to the overall school system," Gould told The Putnam County Post. 

When it comes to issues facing the district, Gould said the landscape for educators has changed significantly the last few years as a result of Covid and E-learning. 

"What we lost was a lot of the social interactions and connectivity that drives youth development. As the country and state work through the high levels of that, I believe it is the local board's mission to land it and revive it in a way that is supportive of and reflective of the community's standards. Too many adults and now kids are isolated, which leads to poor character and self development, in my opinion, and we have to create community and interactiveness in order to combat that," Gould said. 

He said, if elected, he will use his voice to advocate for opportunities that bring the entire town together to regain a sense of community. 

"As an executive for one of the largest banks in the country and my extensive leadership training both in the private and military sector, I feel like I am well positioned to deal with the issues faced by school boards today. Being able to articulate diversity of thought while still fostering collaboration is critical to joining with the other board members to craft and execute sound policy. Having led high performing teams during both war and peace time, and in several different industries, I feel like my ability to seek understanding, effectively and efficiently make decisions and have tough conversations will be great assets for board service," Gould admitted. 

Gould said his opponent has done a great job during her tenure on the board. 

"I have nothing but positive things I could say for the time she has given. That said, I think I bring a fresh perspective, additional insights that are critical to our community as we forge a new normal in the post Covid world and, finally, I think my drive and passion for this town could be the spark that helps create the kind of education that has propelled me through life. My mother was a teacher for Cloverdale, and both she and my father are lifelong members of this town. Having spent over half my life here, I think that connectivity strengthens my candidacy and enables me to bridge both the nostalgia for the past and the hope that is our future for Cloverdale," Gould said.