Article Contributed on: 10/14/2008 4:38:50 PM
Evie Hudak is running for State Senate District 19 and answered a questionnaire for YourHub.com. To read all of the candidate questionnaires,
click here.
My name:Evie Hudak
My age: 57
My Family: Husband
Edward Hudak, daughter
Genevieve Hudak
Education: B.A. in English/Education
What I do: I am serving my 8th year on the State Board of Education (an elected but unpaid position). I am also in my 14th year on the Colorado PTA Board of Directors, currently serving as the Director of Leadership (also an unpaid position). I was a teacher for 20 years, in public schools and at a business college, and I was the state director of the School Readiness Quality Improvement Program for a few years.
My favorite place in town to hang out: Wit's End Comedy Club
What I like most about living here: I'm near everything - movies, restaurants, shopping, and highways.
My interests and hobbies: Gardening; playing the flute; and science fiction movies, books, and television shows.
My favorite thing to cook: Thanksgiving dinner.
People who inspire me (and how):Golda Meir, who left her family to come to Denver so she could complete her education, and who went on to be the Prime Minister of Israel, leading it through the Yom Kippur War. And my grandfather, who literally stood on a soapbox back in the 1930s and gave political speeches in the city square.
How I have contributed to the community: I have been serving on the RTD Gold Line Issue-Focused Team, helping advise on planning the stations. Also, I have coordinated a Kids Voting project in the local area twice (in the mid-1990s); served on my local and district PTAs and accountability committees; and volunteered in the community through the Arvada-Northwest Business and Professional Women and the League of Women Voters, including arranging and moderating a number of candidate forums.
The biggest issues facing us now: Dealing with the hard economic times facing the state and the country, and solving the state's fiscal problems.
Why I am running: I am ready to utilize the critical-thinking skills and deep understanding of public policy that I developed through my years of service on the State Board of Education in a broader scope of issues. I believe the State Senate is a natural extension of what I have been working on, and I would like to help Colorado invigorate its economy, improve its health care system, and strengthen its public education system.