{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Dwight Andy Ellis","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"Nonpartisan","token":"dwight_andy_ellis"},{"candidatename":"Ryan Strain ","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"Nonpartisan","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nRyan Strain serves as Chairman of the Germantown Board of Education and as the board's liaison to the City of Germantown's Education Commission [1]. He was first elected to the board in December 2020 and served as the board's Tennessee Legislative Network representative from December 2020 to December 2022 [1].\n\n## Background and education\nStrain grew up in Germantown, Tennessee, attending Dogwood Elementary, Houston Middle School, and Houston High School, graduating in 2001 [1]. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Memphis in 2005 and a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2008 [1]. He and his wife Sarah returned to Germantown in 2017 [1].\n\n## Career\nStrain practices law with a focus on civil litigation [1]. He has received honors from his law firm for pro bono legal service [1].\n\nStrain has been involved with the Dogwood PTO Board, Dogwood Dads, the City of Germantown Historic Commission, Leadership Germantown, the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County Foster Care Review Board, the United Way, the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation TEAM Mentoring Program, and the Memphis Ministries Team at First Evangelical Church [1]. He served on the Board of Directors for Operation Broken Silence, a nonprofit that helps fund a primary and secondary school in Yida Refugee Camp near the border of Sudan and South Sudan [1].\n\n## Family\nStrain and his wife Sarah have three sons, two of whom attend Dogwood Elementary School [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Germantown Municipal School District Board](https://www.gmsdk12.org/apps/pages/boardmembers)\n","firstname":"Ryan","lastname":"","middlename":"Strain","suffix":null,"token":"MwV0MRc8IC"},"token":"ryan_strain"},{"candidatename":"Dwight Andy Ellis","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"Nonpartisan","person":{"biography":"No public information on this candidate at this time, please contact info@ballotproject.org if you have any info.\n\nLinks:\n\nStaff Directory: [Staff Directory](https://www.gmsdk12.org/apps/staff/)\n\nGermantown Municipal School District Site: [GMSD](https://www.gmsdk12.org/)","firstname":"Dwight","lastname":"Ellis","middlename":"Andy","suffix":null,"token":"7QGG5bcFVu"},"token":"dwight_andy_ellis"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"germantown","districtgroup":"municipality","districtgroupname":"Municipality","districtname":"Germantown","job_type":"school_board","o.office":"germantown_school_board_position_1","office":"germantown_school_board_position_1","officedescription":"A school board member serves on the elected body that governs a public school district. The board sets district policy and budget priorities and hires and evaluates the superintendent, while leaving day-to-day management to the administration.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on a small suburban district within Shelby County \u2014 Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland, or Millington \u2014 typically several thousand students across a single elementary/middle/high feeder pattern.\n- Budget literacy for both operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the suburban municipality (which provides matching local funds in some configurations).\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, and community members across an actively engaged small district.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association School Board Academy.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Germantown School Board Position 1","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"Germantown School Board Position 1"}