Adam Gresham, chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, is seeking one of two openings on the Jefferson City School District Board of Education in the April 2022 election, Gresham announced Friday.
"The Jefferson City School District has a proud tradition of excellence," Gresham said. "However, in recent years we have not maximized students' potential in the areas of math, reading, writing, civics, history, decorum and personal responsibility."
Gresham said too many graduates are unprepared to enter the workforce, the armed forces or higher education.
"The future of our community demands we do better," he said. "Not through gimmicks or fads, but through the hard and noble work of preparing students in the classroom and on the athletic fields for the realities and challenges of life. I am running to be part of the solution to help students learn and achieve more."
Gresham is a 1993 graduate of Jefferson City High School, where he was an All-State athlete in cross country and track. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997 and accepted his commission in the United States Marine Corps where he served as an infantry and intelligence officer for seven years. Currently the chief of staff to Kehoe, he has worked in a variety of positions in state government.
Gresham holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Memphis. He is the son of Ron and Diane Gresham of Jefferson City and the son-in-law of Amy and the late Donnie Thrash, also of Jefferson City. Gresham and his wife, Ashley, a teacher at Lewis and Clark Middle School, are the parents of three boys.