About Me
Jesse Lippold Peone III
I ran for the Salem-Keizer school board in 2017 to fight for our most vulnerable kids, and I’m running in 2021 to serve my second and final term for the same reason. I know what it’s like to be in foster care, homeless, and to wake up every day with no hope for your future. I know what it’s like to be Native American, to have my family torn apart, and always be told I’m not “Native enough” because I don’t carry a tomahawk around with me. I know what it’s like to overcome these things and be successful, and I made a promise to myself as a teenager while sleeping in a freezing elevator that I would try my best to be successful, then come back and save every kid who has fallen through the cracks and been left behind.
I intend to make good on that promise.
In the last four years I have grown exponentially. I have passed policies that put kids first, and been very successful in moving the ball forward for kids. I understand the political world a lot better now, and years ago I stripped myself of political party and past biases so that I can truly focus on improving our education system in a nonpartisan way. I am extending this commitment by being the only candidate in my race that is not accepting any endorsements by partisan interest groups, including any group that is “nonpartisan” but acts in a very partisan way. (Which is most of them.) If re-elected, I will be the most experienced board member besides Marty. I understand our systems, have built the relationships, have a proven record that I am able to work across the isle, and have proven success at writing and passing policy that truly helps kids. I will use my experience and leadership to ensure our board actually creates board goals like we were promised by board leadership a year ago, so we can hold the board and superintendent accountable to them. I will work hard to change our systems to fit the needs of kids, not change kids to fit the system. I will work hard to ensure we can get kids back in school safely, and keep the partisanship out of the board room.
Meet a few of my little siblings! Jax (front), Levi (back), and Kiera!