Candidate questionnaire: Michael F. Rivers Sr.

Name: Michael F. Rivers Sr.

Age: 54

Office: Beaufort County Board of Education, District 3

Number of years living in the area you seek to represent:

Family: three children and twin grandsons

Education: Beaufort High School graduate; graduate of Claflin University in organizational management; graduate of the Technical College of the Lowcountry in computer-assisted design and drafting; graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology in electronics. I have also studied business management at the Community College of the Air Force, Community College of Philadelphia, Dekalb Community College, University of South Carolina and TCL. I am an ordained minister.

Current occupation/employer: No response provided

Employment, military and volunteer history:

I am a United States Air Force veteran, where I worked in general accounting, managing hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars. I've served on the Beaufort County Recreation Commission and the county's Parks and Leisure Services board.

Please list all public offices to which you've been elected, when and where: No response provided

Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office and when: No response provided

Other prior political and government experience: No response provided

Key endorsements you've received: No response provided

Contributions: No campaign contributions or expenditures reported as of Oct. 12.

Expenditures: No campaign contributions or expenditures reported as of Oct. 12.

Highest contributor: No campaign contributions or expenditures reported as of Oct. 12.

Why should people vote for you? No response provided

What are the three most important issues you would address if elected? How?

What other issues do you see as important?

I believe some of the major issues for the new Board of Education include hiring the next superintendent, continuing to support ways of improving student achievement, expanding early-childhood education, meeting the challenges of predicted growth, examine school funding options and improving the public image of the board.

The next superintendent must understand how diverse and complex we are as a district and lead the way toward establishing a system that will be successful in solving some of our problems. He or she must have experience with managing growth, managing cultural differences and building a solid leadership team. He or she must also understand how the effects of isolation and poverty may be overcome with high expectations, effective leadership and attention to the basic needs of all children.

What specific steps will you take to make government more open and accessible to the public? No response provided

Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been discipline by a professional licensing board of organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details. No response provided

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your federal, state or local taxes? If so, please give the details? No response provided

Are there any personal details about yourself that voters would be interested in knowing? No response provided

This story was originally published October 23, 2012 at 7:16 PM with the headline "Candidate questionnaire: Michael F. Rivers Sr.."