Triplett looking to take ‘next step’ in seeking seat on school board
By Ken Lay
Steve Triplett officially kicked off his campaign for a seat on the Knox County Board of Education Thursday night.
Triplett aspires to represent District 7 in North Knox County of the school board. He’s running to replace Patti Bounds, who is not seeking re-election after a long tenure in the seat.
Triplett, the general manager of Chick-fil-A in Fountain City, is vowing to stand with families and put students first.
“I don’t think I would run against Patti, because if you have somebody doing the job, you don’t want to replace them,” Triplett said at his kickoff event at The Pearl Place on Andersonville Pike in Halls. “I want to improve literacy because if you look at our scores, they’re not very good.
“I will put students first and I will stand with families.”
He also noted that he was seeking a spot on the Knox County Board of Education because he simply felt the time was right.
“I have worked with and ministered to young people all my life,” Triplett said. “After college, I worked with the youth group at Temple Baptist Church in Powell where I was a youth pastor.
“Then I worked for several years as a school administrator and I know the importance of a good education, a good school system and a good teacher and then I went to work with Chick-fil-A and I’ve interviewed a lot of young people.”
It was Triplett’s experience in the business world that made him seek a seat on the board.
“I’ve seen young people who can’t make change and I have often wanted to reach them earlier in life,” Triplett said. “People have asked me why I wanted to run and why I wanted to be a politician.
“I don’t want to be a politician. I want to make an impact on young people’s lives. I have a burden for that and this is the next step. I’ve helped young people with their spiritual needs. I’ve helped young people with their academic needs and I’ve help young people with their employment needs, so this is the next step.”
During his campaign, Triplett is relying on his family, including his wife, Brooke, his son, Judson, his daughter, Jenna, and his parents.
“My wife is my rock and I couldn’t do this without her. My parents are here and they live in Halls and I’m glad they’re here,” Triplett said. “My son, Judson, is here and he just came in from school.
“Rather than relaxing on the couch, he came here. He’s a graphic artist. I ask him for help from afar when he’s away. My daughter, Jenna is an adventurous spirit, and she said ‘Let’s do this,’ before we even decided to do this.”
Triplett expressed gratitude for those at his kickoff event.
“I want to thank everybody for being here,” he said. “I need three things from you.
“I need your prayers, I need your vote and I need your voice. I need you to tell people to vote and I need your financial support because it takes money to run a campaign.”
