Joshua Maher joins Mt. Pleasant school board

Joshua Maher is a newly elected member of the Mt. Pleasant Community School District. The Union sent him a list of questions to give him a chance to introduce himself to the community.

Can you tell us about your background?

I grew up in Mt. Pleasant and graduated from MPCHS in 2005. Following my high school graduation, I went on to obtain my Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Simpson College. Then I moved to North Liberty while my wife completed her dental education at the University of Iowa. My wife and I moved back to Mt. Pleasant in 2013.

Can you tell us about your family, such as your parents, siblings, spouse and/or children?

I am the oldest of three children. My parents, Paul and Sara Maher, and grandparents, Donna and Larry Maher and Dianne Roth, have all been members of the Mt. Pleasant Community for several years. I married my high school sweetheart Karla Maher (Wood) who graduated from MPCHS in 2006. My wife is a dentist at Mt. Pleasant Dental Associates. We have two children, Jayden (3 years old) and Keelyn (9 months old).

What sort of activities are you involved in?

My main job is being a stay-at-home dad to my children and on the side I am a real estate agent and property manager. I am currently the club secretary for Mt. Pleasant Kiwanis, member of noon Rotary, and Chapter President of the Henry County Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever as well as being an active member of the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church where I serve as co-chair on the Old Threshers Committee. With my limited spare time, I enjoy attending Iowa Hawkeye football and wrestling events.

What motivated you to run for office?

My motivation for running for office was my children. They will be entering the school district in a few short years and I want them to have the opportunity to grow and learn in the best environment possible. I believe in the mission and vision of the Mt. Pleasant School District and want to help them to achieve this.

Since learning of your election in November, how have you been preparing for your new role?

Since being elected in November, I have attended the Iowa Association of School Boards annual conference held in Des Moines. I am also planning on attending a training session held by the IASB.

What do you hope to accomplish during your term on the board?

With my time on the board, I hope to continue to build on what the board members before me have established. With the expectations placed on our students, our community needs to ensure we are providing our students the best possible learning environments. The pre-k-12 educational system is rapidly evolving in terms of how information is presented to our students. We need to ensure our schools continue to provide the most comprehensive teaching philosophies to all our students, ensuring every student is able to excel to the best of their abilities. As with any business, our employees are our most valuable assets. We need to equip our teachers with the tools that will allow them to thrive and deliver the best education possible for our students. Finally, the board needs to accomplish all these things while being fiscally responsible with the resources our community provides to us.