Commission application number 72 submitted by William Fagelson on 06/08/2020
First Name | William |
Last Name | Fagelson |
Voter Unique Identification number | 1141166728 |
Ethnicity | White |
Gender | Male |
Age | 45-54 |
Education Level | Post-Graduate Degree |
Major Pursued | American Studies |
What is your occupation? | College Professor (non-Tenure Track) |
Submitted Address | |
City | Austin |
State | TX |
Zip | 78704 |
Verified Address | |
City | Austin |
State | TX |
Zip | 78704 |
Do you have a spouse or domestic partner? | Yes |
Spouse/Domestic Partner First Name | Jennifer |
Spouse/Domestic Partner Last Name | Burger |
Are you applying to be the student member of the commission? | No |
Have you been continuously registered to vote in the City of Austin for the last five years? | Yes |
Have you voted in 3 of the last 5 City of Austin general elections (or corresponding runoff if applicable)? | Yes |
Been appointed to a state or city office? | No |
Been elected to a state or city office? | No |
Been a candidate for a state or city office? | No |
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a political party? | No |
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of the campaign committee of a candidate for elective state, county, or city office? | No |
Been a registered state or local lobbyist? | No |
A paid employee of the City of Austin? | No |
A person performing paid services under a professional services contract with the City of Austin? | No |
A person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to the City Council of the City of Austin or to any individual member of the City Council of the City of Austin? | No |
A controlling person of a person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to any member of the City Council of the City of Austin? | No |
Contribute or bundle one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in aggregate to candidates for City of Austin elective office? | No |
Please describe your relevant analytical skills. | I have a PhD in American Studies and currently teach professional communication and ethics to engineering students. As a result, I have strong critical thinking skills, knowledge of political and social history, and a general ability to research and analyze the world around me. Maybe most important, I have an eagerness and willingness to listen to and learn from others. |
Please describe your ability to be impartial. | I have to teach my students the importance of following ethical codes. In my position as a teacher, I must grade students on their work and not on my relationship with them. Giving constructive criticism demands impartiality, especially for those students with whom I have a strong positive relationship. I always approach that work with objectivity, and if anything in my job keeps me up at night it is the worry over whether I am being fair to my students. |
Please describe your appreciation for the City of Austin's diverse demographics and geography. | I have lived in Austin for 25 years, learned about its history (sometimes as a student), and seen it evolve. Almost always, I have been aware of how those iterations have affected issues like diversity and equity. As added background, I grew up in Vermont--very white and homogeneous (though I am Jewish and in that sense was unusual). I also went to college with a much more diverse community, a sharp contrast that taught me important lessons. In short, I know what both diversity and its absence can look like, and one shock when I moved to Austin was its self-segregation. |
Please provide your employment history. | My career has been largely in post-secondary education. I have a passion for learning about the world and people around and am always open to hearing all sides of an issue. I am not shy about sharing my own ideas and opinions, but I am also open-minded and willing to change my mind. I have served on committees, proposed programs, and implemented those programs. Most of my adult employment outside of education has been in libraries, which has given me a deep appreciation for that valuable community resource (as well as librarians themselves) and an understanding of the thought and engagement that is out there among the members of our community. |
How did you hear about redistricting/Applicant Review Panel? | From family or friend |
Disclaimer Agreement | Checked |
Disclaimer Signature | William Friedman Fagelson |
District | District 5 |
Does this application qualify? | Yes |