1/11/21 Editor’s Note: This article has been edited to correct that Nick Kato is not currently a CPA.
Submitted by Nick Kato
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am writing to introduce myself to you as I begin my campaign for a seat on the Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) School Board this upcoming election.
For those of you who do not know me, my family and I moved to Coronado last year, after spending many months “wintering” on the island over the past 5 years. My wife and I first visited Coronado to celebrate our first wedding anniversary in 2013. It was during this trip that we fell in love with this city and made it a goal to find a way to raise our children here and be a part of this incredible community.
As a family, we highly value community engagement and education. As a result, it is not surprising that my wife and I fell in love with Coronado for its strong sense of community and the quality of the schools. Since we moved here, however, I have come to understand the complex issues that schools on Coronado face, particularly around balancing the budget and finding funding to ensure that our children continue to have access to a high quality education.
After taking the time to speak with members of the leadership team within CUSD, current CUSD School Board members, board members from the Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF), and other community leaders, I have come to realize that my background in business and accounting would be an important addition to the CUSD School Board. As a former Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and former Senior Partner at KPMG, a global accounting and consulting firm, I am well-versed in working with diverse groups to solve complex financial and business issues. I have also been successful leading a large organization through major regulatory changes and global crises. Furthermore, during my tenure at KPMG, I spearheaded diversity and inclusion initiatives, experiences that will be particularly relevant as CUSD addresses similar concerns in the coming months and years.
I strongly believe that my financial and operational experience from the business world will be a major asset for CUSD, especially as we navigate the additional strains on school resources brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, I would bring an important new perspective to the current School Board; and my ability to think “outside the box” to find creative and effective solutions will be particularly helpful during this critical time.
I look forward to spending the next three months getting to know you, my friends and neighbors, and sharing my thoughts on how I can work with other members of the School Board, CUSD, CSF, and the community to find creative ways to solve key issues that will affect our schools and community for years to come. For more information about me, please email me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Nick Kato
