|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Doug Bachuss, on Tuesday, announced that he is running for the Alabama State Board of Education District 7 seat. Belinda McRae is the current school board member and has decided to not seek re-election.
Doug is a member of the Nowlin, Bachuss & Gray Law Firm practicing in the areas of commercial and residential loan closings, real estate development, probate law, family law (concentrating on adoptions), estate planning, contract law, and business organizations. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar and a member and President of the Morgan County Bar.
“My wife and I have raised our three children in public schools, with our oldest graduating from Decatur High School and our youngest two children still attending Decatur City Schools,which has introduced us to school systems across the State of Alabama. I have seen first hand what is at stake and how important it is now, more than ever, to have someone on the school board that experiences what goes on in the classroom as our children have attended from elementary to high school. We have some very big issues to address in the upcoming school years” Bachuss stated.
“Whether it’s financial literacy, how we continue to address the Covid impact on our schools, school choice, safety, or teacher recruitment, I want to make sure we are prepared for the future while making sure that our teachers have the support and resources to teach our children. In addition, I look forward to listening to parents, teachers, students, and stakeholders to hear what issues are important to them in the years to come.” Bachuss said, going on to say, “further, we are blessed to have colleges in our area that offer opportunities for dual enrollment. With great companies making Alabama home, we have a great opportunity to encourage students to seek workforce programs so that they are career ready when they graduate high school if they are not pursuing a four-year degree of higher education. I also want to develop more career tech opportunities and emphasize the offerings of the Career Academies and Centers to our students and businesses and encourage workforce development. Our students and teachers deserve to have their positive achievements shared, and I will work to highlight these successes to our communities and to our State. We all know that our schools are the heart of our communities, and I want to make sure we have the best schools possible. Our children deserve the best education,” said Bachuss.
Doug is very active in the community and state volunteering his time with various organizations. His community service is what also prepared and drove him to the decision to run for the State School Board. Doug is currently the Decatur City School Board District 3 member, is the Vice President of the Board, and is a Strategic Team Leader for the 2022-2027 Decatur City Schools Strategic Plan. He is a Past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce.
He is a 2008 graduate of the Leadership Morgan County program through the Chamber and he assisted in directing the Leadership programs for the Chamber for over twelve years. He is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Alabama and is a member of the Leadership Alabama Board. Doug was also inducted into the Morgan County Schools Foundation Leadership Hall of Fame in 2022. Doug is a Past Chairman of the Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority and current legal counsel of the Authority, which earned him the 2023 Main Street Alabama Decatur Hero Award. He was the past President and is the current legal counsel for CASA of North Alabama which is an organization that investigates the situations of children in juvenile cases in Morgan and Limestone Counties. He is a member of the board for the Circle Ranch in Morgan County serving foster children and families and was a member of the boards of Hospice of the Valley as well as the Decatur Schools Foundation. He is a Past President of the Decatur Middle School PTO after having served as President for two years. He is a member of the State of Alabama Insurance Commissioner’s Title Insurance Industry Advisory Committee, and is a member of the SLTA/ Alabama Land Title Association Governmental Affairs Committee. Doug is a past Chair of the Affiliate Council of the Morgan County Association of Realtors and is the 2012 and 2022 Member of the Year for the Association. Doug has served on the following boards and committees; Tennessee Valley Outreach Rescue Mission, the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama, the American Cancer Society, the Morgan-Lawrence County Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Greater Morgan County Homebuilders Association.
Doug is an adoptive father and has coached youth basketball, baseball, and softball. His family are active members of The Rock Family Worship Center, and Doug formerly taught Sunday School and Life Groups for several years. He attends and presents to other churches in Decatur and Huntsville, being involved in their adoption and caregiver programs.
The Alabama Republican Primary election is set for March 5th, 2024.
