Don Powell
Challenger for Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees
Powell/Photo by Dallas Capital Bank
Question: What is your age?
Answer: 80
Q: What is your educational background?
A: I was raised in Amarillo and attended Forest Hill Elementary and Mann Middle School before graduating from Palo Duro in 1959. I then went on to attend West Texas State University, now known as West Texas A&M, where I graduated with a degree in economics. I recently decided to go back to school and will be receiving my Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M this spring.
Q: What is your occupation?
A: I am currently retired. After graduating from WT, I became a banker, eventually serving as the President and CEO of the First National Bank of Amarillo. In 2001, President George W. Bush asked me to serve as the Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a position I held until 2005. I resigned from the FDIC in 2005 to lead the federal government’s recovery efforts in the gulf coast following the devastating hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Q: If you are a business owner, please list the business or businesses that you own.
A: N/A
Q: Please list any civic boards or commissions (non-profit, government, union, political, etc.) on which you have served as a board member or equivalent.
A: I have served on numerous boards and committees both locally and across the state, but am most proud of my time as a regent for Amarillo College, the best community college in the nation, and my time on the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System. I had the opportunity to serve as its Chairman for four years. I am also a very big supporter of WT and serve on the Buffalo Council and am a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of WT125.
Q: If your campaign has any online campaign resources where voters can learn more about you, such as social media accounts or a website, please list them below.
A: We are working on a website, which will be launched at 4donpowell.com soon. I will let you know when it’s up.
Q: Why did you decide to run for this office in 2021?
A: As I was thinking about running for the Board of Trustees, I kept telling myself that there was nothing more important than the education of the students in our community. I think that the most important job I can do right now is to support the students, teachers, administrators, and coaches across this district. After all, it was the teachers, principals, and mentors who invested in me throughout my education that were responsible for all of the incredible opportunities and experiences I’ve had.
Q: If elected, what will be your top three priorities in office?
A: The first thing I am going to do is listen and learn. I feel that anyone walking into a new organization must get to know it from the inside out. I have some ideas that could help support our teachers and administrators financially that I would like to explore. But more than anything, I’m going to do everything I can to ensure our teachers, administrators, and students have all the resources needed to ensure our children are successful while in the AISD, and beyond.
Q: In what cases would you support efforts to raise property taxes? Please explain.
A: I am a lifelong conservative and know how critical it is to be a good steward of taxpayer monies. However, you have to balance that against the needs of the students and district. If we’re not providing our students and teachers with the resources they need, then we’re doing significant damage to our community in the long-term. Of course, any time you’re spending taxpayer money, it’s critical that every dollar is accounted for. I’ve spent my entire life looking at the tiniest of details in monetary plans and will always be the first to speak out if dollars are being wasted. The folks who are investing their dollars in our school system deserve to know how that investment is being spent and the impact it’s making on our community. But we can never be afraid to invest in our students. If we don’t set our students up for success, whether that’s helping them prepare for college or providing them with career training through innovative campuses like AmTech, our community will pay the price long-term.
Q: What is an issue you believe has gone overlooked in your race and how will you address it if elected?
A: Well, the race is just getting started so I’m not sure I can answer that right now. I can say that I’m not here to tear any individual or any organization down. I’m here to build. I want to build up our students, teachers, and administrators knowing that this will make our community stronger and better positioned for the future.
Q: Why are you the best candidate for voters to support for this position?
A: I owe everything to the Amarillo school district and know it’s my time to give back. Serving on the Board of Trustees would be one of the highlights of my life, and I’m willing to put everything I’ve learned over the course of my career to work for the students, teachers, coaches, and administrators who, like my sister did for more than 30 years, pour their hearts and souls into our next generation of leaders.