Endorsement Left Out Important Facts

Dear Editor,
    Your endorsement in the Place 5 race for the Austin Community College board of trustees left out some important facts [“'Chronicle' Endorsements,” News, April 23].
    Fact: Raul Alvarez, the incumbent in this race, has endorsed me. I am sure you agree that his municipal experience and judgment are substantial and that he has a good idea who would best fill the “experience void” that you mention.
    Fact: The person you endorsed is a failed candidate for mayor. In 2009, after his stint on the Leander City Council, he came in third in a three-person race with only 322 votes! Is this the “actual municipal … experience” you find so attractive? Apparently voters in his hometown had a different idea.
    Fact: Your endorsement identifies my “scholarly and activist” credentials but downplays my considerable military, federal government, and business background.
    Fact: In addition to being one of the first African-American diving officers in U.S. Navy history, I also served as an afloat supply officer, with a $2 million annual operating budget, a $35 million inventory, and a group of 24 dedicated professionals under my direct supervision. Also key to readiness was the morale of the eight officers and 92 sailors that made up the crew that I was responsible for every time I served as officer of the deck underway. The U.S. Navy warships on which I served as a department head represent more than $500 million of direct taxpayer expenditure each.
    Fact: During my time as a GS-12 level federal employee working in Hawaii, I successfully established the archaeological portion of the U.S. Air Force's cultural resource management program for all of the Hawaiian Islands, an imposing and unique undertaking. My organization was voted the best cultural resource management program in the entire Department of Defense in 2004.
    Fact: I am a five-star greenbuilder of Frank Lloyd Wright-style prairie houses as well as high-quality affordable housing and have built one of the most energy-efficient and architecturally distinctive houses in Austin, in one of our city's toughest neighborhoods. Bringing projects of such magnitude to a successful conclusion entails significant knowledge of municipal land-use policy and building codes and is a strong positive indicator of my leadership and management skills.
    By omitting these facts, you have done your readers a disservice.