Editor’s note: All candidates were sent two questions to respond to. Those who didn’t respond to inquiries were quoted from their statements in the Kitsap County voters pamphlet.

Chris Warthen, Jenny Farley and Shannon Turner will face off in the primary election Aug. 5 for Bremerton School District’s director position 4, with all three candidates bringing a number of different experiences. The top two vote-getters will move on to the general election in November.

Incumbent Alyson Rotter is not seeking re-election.

Shannon Turner: Turner is an Army Veteran and served during Operation Desert Storm. After his service, he decided to stay in Washington state and Kitsap County. For 10 years, he has served on a number of boards, including Kitsap Community Resources and Parent Policy Council.

Graduating from Olympic College with an Associate’s Degree, Turner worked as an executive legislative assistant for 23rd District Rep. Tarra Simmons and former Rep. Sherry Appleton, and served also as her campaign manager. He is a community development administrator for Peninsula Community Health Services and serves on numerous local boards.

Q) What would be your top priorities as a school board director?

A) “I represent the Eastside of Bremerton that has not been represented for a long period of time. I have long-established relationships with our local, state and congressional representatives that can be helpful, especially since we are looking at budget cuts that will have an effect on our communities and especially our low-income communities. I have been engaged with our community for years and try to be that voice that stands beside and walks with our community members. I strive to ensure that I listen to what our community needs and what those community voices are saying, especially when it comes to the kids. I am a veteran whose life has been dedicated to serving and protecting others and this is an honor for me to have this opportunity to serve my community.”

Q) Why should voters choose you over your opponents?

A) “What sets me apart from the other candidates is my experiences and vast knowledge that I bring as a veteran and a former Washington state House of Representatives legislative assistant for the late Sherry Appleton and our current State Rep. Tarra Simmons. The most important thing is I am a black male father who has ties to the Bremerton community that go back 10-15 years. I currently have four kids in the Bremerton School system and 3 of them have IEPs (special needs). I was student body president for Olympic College for 2 terms and had a budget of $5 million that I had to oversee. My experiences allow me to bring a fresh new perspective to the school board.”

Jenny Farley: Farley works at the Naval Shipyard in Bremerton and has worked in trade management, project management and financial management for 26 years. She graduated from Bremerton High School herself in 1997 and played basketball as a student athlete for Olympic College, from which she obtained an Associate’s Degree in 2002. She is also a 2003 Rigger Apprentice graduate from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard program.

Farley became a mentor for the AVID program this past year and worked with freshmen at BHS and said she loved working with the kids. She’s also volunteered as a youth soccer coach and a Washington state Traffic Safety Council Speaker.

Q) What would be your top priorities as a school board director?

“Having grown up here and having so many ties to the community, I really love the thought of giving back to the school district that I was a part of. The Bremerton School District definitely needs some improvements in its academic achievements, especially in reading and math. I’m curious how we got where we are and I want to do the work it takes to get us back to where we used to be. When I was in high school, our girls basketball team had the highest scholastic G.P.A. in the state. That’s quite the achievement, and I want to see us be like that again. It’s doable, and how can I help us achieve that?”

Q) Why should voters choose you over your opponents?

A) “I think having all the leadership experience that I have in the public sector, with some very complex jobs and managing multi-million dollar budgets at the shipyard, and using taxpayer money, is useful in the community. I understand that being a good steward of their money and the ethics behind that is important. I’m pretty transparent, and that’s important in building trust.

I’m someone who went through the Bremerton School system and I’ve got a lot of ties to the community and want to support this community. I’ve seen some of the struggles that our kids face. There’s a lot of homelessness in our community, and also a lot of people who do quite well and how do we make sure we’re seeing all of the students and meeting them where they need us? My true colors are to be as inclusive as possible and be a safe space for everybody.”

Chris Warthen: A Department of Defense civilian employee since 2003, Warthen has worked at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Bremerton, and others as a manager across projects and departments.

Warthen earned a Bachelor’s Degree in education from Southern Illinois University in 2001 and has been active in the Bremerton Parks, where he served as a board member for three years as well as the North Sound Youth Soccer Association and the Kitsap Alliance Football Club, where he served as president from 2019 to 2022.

Q) What would be your top priorities as a school board director? (response from voters pamphlet)

A) : “I care deeply about my family and community, which is why I’m running for a position on the Bremerton School Board. Bremerton has been my home for 30 years. I’ve worked, raised my family, and seen the impact of a strong public school system. Both of my daughters, one currently at BHS and the other a recent graduate, have thrived thanks to the dedication of our educators and staff. As a servant leader, I strive to treat everyone with care and respect.”

Q) Why should voters choose you over your opponents? (response from voters pamphlet)

“Leadership means putting the community’s needs first and listening to all perspectives. When challenges arise, I lean in. Solving problems together is how we strengthen our community. Bremerton schools are good, and with collaboration, they can be even better. My goal is to keep education focused on what matters most: our kids. A great education opens doors. Bremerton schools offer that opportunity to all students, especially when we all lean in. A community is only as strong as those who invest in it. From raising my daughters here to serving on local boards, I’ve seen Bremerton’s heart and resilience. Electing me to the school board is a vote for continued servant leadership and a deeper commitment to Bremerton’s future.”

Jenny Farley

Chris Warthen