Candidate wants to maintain Oak Park ‘legacy’





Steve Vanderbok

Steve Vanderbok

If he’s elected to the Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education, Steve Vanderbok says, he will tackle funding issues and the “graceful” implementation of Common Core state standards.

The five-year Oak Park resident is a business development executive at IBM. He says his experience on the job has prepared him for the role of school board trustee.

“I’m a respected, competitive leader focused on business growth, innovation, community service and results-oriented execution,” Vanderbok said in an email. “I am an innovative visionary with manifest ability to lead, mentor and inspire both individuals and teams.”

Vanderbok is one of four candidates vying for three open board seats. Mary Pallant announced she will not run for reelection, and another board seat opened when Jennifer von Schneidau resigned in May when she moved out of the district.

The Oak Park school board appointed Drew Hazelton to temporarily fill her seat. Hazelton will run for a full term in November’s election.

Vanderbok will also face off at the polls with Allen Rosen, a school board incumbent, and Derek Ross, a former Municipal Advisory Council member and the vice chair of the Oak Park Recreation and Park Planning Committee.

Vanderbok, 43, points to his abilities as a quick thinker and as a “champion athlete with a ready smile and an uncanny ability to adapt and overcome any situation” as reasons he’d be an effective school leader.

He says he has a track record for reaching goals and delivering on objectives while creating a team environment. Vanderbok is confident that he has all of the qualities to tackle the board job with vigor.

A CrossFit affiliate gym owner outside of his IBM job, Vanderbok is also a jeet kune do instructor and a competitive fencer.

In his candidate statement, Vanderbok pledges to maintain Oak Park’s “legacy of academic excellence.”

He says education is in his DNA. His mother is a retired high school principal and his father a retired UCLA professor.

“While I have thrived in the private sector, I’ve always been very passionate about education,” he says on his website. “I believe OPUSD must provide the best for our children, support our dedicated teachers and staff, and create graduates ready for life. Though future school funding remains uncertain, I will maintain high-quality education for all students, reach for higher standards and improve our sites. I will proactively solicit the opinions of parents and teachers in making the board more responsive to community needs.”

Vanderbok earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Vanderbok and his wife, Gina, have two children, Benjamin, 9, and Zoe, 7, who attend Oak Hills Elementary School.

Vanderbok said they chose to move to Oak Park because of the reputation of the school district.

“Previously we were living in Venice Beach, and as our kids approached kindergarten age we wanted to move them into a high-performing scholastic environment,” he said. “The other reason we chose Oak Park was its proximity to family. I was raised in Woodland Hills, so this area gives my children easy access to grandparents and cousins who live in the San Fernando and Conejo valleys.”

Vanderbok says he loves how Oak Park parents and the community are so involved in education.

“If I were able to wave my magic wand, I’d love to see all the District of Choice students move into the district,” he said. “These students and their families are highly committed to OPUSD and would be wonderful, permanent additions to our community.”

For more information on Vanderbok’s campaign, visit www.stevevanderbok.com.


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