Focus On Oxford is recommending the following candidates for the November 3, 2026 election for Oxford School Board. Oxford needs a strong school board with leaders to ensure our children receive the best education we can offer. School shouldn't be about politics. Let's get back to teaching the fundamentals so that our children are prepared to compete in a complex world.
Mike Whitney
Oxford has been Mike's home since 2015, where he and his wife, Heidi and their 8 children reside. Six of his children are currently enrolled in Oxford schools, four in seated elementary school and two in an OVA hybrid and the other two are home with Mom.
Mike graduated from Oakland University with a Biomechanical Engineering degree. He is currently employed as a mechanical engineer with projects involving future automotive technology.
Mike has served on Oxford's Board of Education for the past four years. He has been involved in both the Safety/Security committee and the finance committee, chairing the latter for the last two years. He held the office of Treasurer for 2 years before being elected Vice President of the board for 2026.
He also has years of experience serving as a church trustee. He loves giving back to the community, especially through coaching opportunities. He has coached over 200 kids in the Oxford area in baseball, flag football, as well as First Lego League (the elementary precursor to Robotics) and being a mentor to one of the middle school's First Tech Challenge teams. He finds absolute joy in watching kids flourish in their abilities and accomplish things they didn't think were possible at the start of the season.
Mike can be contacted via Facebook at Mike Whitney for Oxford School Board or by email at mike.whitney@oxfordschools.org.
Ron Renaud
Ron Renaud is an experienced engineering professional with a career spanning advanced vehicle development, electrification systems, and hands‑on automotive work. He currently serves as an Electrification, Charging, and Energy Storage Technical Lead Engineer at General Motors, where he contributes to the development and production of electric vehicles. His technical background includes prototype development, systems engineering, and leadership roles on high‑profile automotive programs, including managing aspects of the 2005–2006 Ford GT supercar build. He holds a patent in autonomous vehicle technology, with three additional patents pending.
Ron began his career as an auto technician at Chrysler dealerships, gaining foundational expertise in vehicle diagnostics, repair, and customer service. He later expanded into entrepreneurship by owning and operating an auto repair business, further strengthening his understanding of operations, problem‑solving, and community engagement.
Committed to lifelong learning, Ron pursued higher education later in his career. He earned two associate degrees from Oakland Community College, graduating summa cum laude, reflecting his dedication to academic excellence and continuous professional growth.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ron has deep roots in the Oxford community. He and his wife, Debbie, have been married for over 36 years, and they have owned a home within the Oxford School District for the past 28 years. His long‑term connection to the area reflects a strong commitment to the community and its future.
Across all stages of his career, Ron is known for his ability to listen, ask thoughtful questions, and collaborate effectively to solve complex challenges. His experience spans the full spectrum of the automotive industry—from concept to customer—and demonstrates a consistent focus on innovation, accountability, and practical problem‑solving.
Ron can be contacted via Facebook at Elect Ron Renaud.
Nahan Vandecar
Nathan was born and raised right here in Oxford. His connection to this community began when he was a student at Lakeville Elementary, continued through Oxford Middle School, and eventually led him to Oxford High School, where he graduated in 2017.
Oxford has always been home to him. This community and its schools played an important role in shaping who he is today, and he has always believed that being part of a community means giving back to it. Throughout his life, Nathan had volunteered in Oxford in a variety of ways, including helping clean up our community and working with students with special needs. Those experiences taught him the importance of serving others and reminded him that strong communities are built when people are willing to step up and contribute.
After graduating from Oxford High School, Nathan attended Oakland University, where he earned a bachelor's degrees in political science and Spanish. Nathan then attended the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 2025. Today, Nathan is a practicing attorney, but no matter where his education or career has taken him, Oxford has remained home.
He plans to live in Oxford for the foreseeable future. Nathan wants to build his life here, raise his family here, and help create a community that he will be proud to raise his children in. That is a major reason why he is running for the school board.
Nathan believes serving on the school board means putting students and teachers first. Our teachers are the people who interact with our students every day. They know their students, understand their classrooms, and see firsthand what our schools need to succeed. If we want to put students first, we have to invest in the people who educate and support them every day. Investing in our teachers is investing in our students.
He also believes we need to bring parents back into their children's education. Parents should be partners in their children's success. They should have strong communication with their schools and feel that their voices are heard and valued. Our schools, parents, and community should be working together toward the same goal: giving every student the opportunity to succeed.
The school board should work as a cohesive part of Oxford Community Schools. The board should have a strong working relationship with administrators, teachers, parents, students, and the community. We should be listening to the people who are in our schools every day and working collaboratively to address the challenges they face.
That also means taking a more hands-on approach. Nathan doesn't believe the school board should simply meet, vote, and move on. Board members should understand what is happening in our schools, listen to our teachers and administrators, and be willing to engage with the community. A more hands-on and collaborative school board can directly contribute to the success of our teachers and, ultimately, our students.
He is running because he believes in Oxford. He believes in our students. He believes in our teachers. He believes in our families. And he believes in the future of this community.
Nathan grew up in these schools. They helped shape the person he is today. Now, he wants to help make sure that the next generation of Oxford students has the same opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.
For Nathan, this is about building the kind of community that anyone would be proud to call home.
Nathan can be contacted via Facebook at Nathan Vandecar.
Chris Newby
Christopher “Chris” Newby has called the Oxford community home since 2000. He and his family have deep roots in the district, and both of his sons are proud graduates of Oxford High School.
For more than two decades, Chris has dedicated a significant part of his life to young people, volunteer service, and community leadership.
Since 2004, Chris has served as President of North Macomb Community Youth Soccer (NMCYS) and Romeo FC Soccer. NMCYS is an all-volunteer organization built around a simple principal Chris strongly believes in strong communities are created when people are willing to step forward, volunteer their time, and invest in kids.
Chris’s role goes far beyond organizing a soccer program. Each year, he recruits, supports, and mentors hundreds of volunteer coaches and referees. Over the years, he has coached hundreds of youth teams, working with children and young adults from ages 3 to 19.
Those experiences have taught Chris that leadership isn't about simply being in charge. It's about bringing out the best in people. It's about listening, setting expectations, solving problems, building trust, and giving people the support they need to succeed.
Chris has brought that same philosophy to his professional career.
During his career with Faurecia in Fraser, Michigan, Chris held significant leadership responsibilities, including serving as Engineering Director and Maintenance Director. He was also trusted to step into senior plant leadership, serving as backup Assistant Plant Manager and Temporary Plant Manager whenever needed.
In these positions, Chris was responsible for leading teams, solving complex technical and operational problems, establishing priorities, and keeping people working together toward common goals. Just as importantly, Chris earned the respect of the people he led. He believes good leaders don't demand respect because of their title—they earn it by listening to people, treating them fairly, being willing to make difficult decisions, and never asking others to do something they wouldn't be willing to do themselves.
Chris has also invested his time directly in Oxford students as a coach and mentor for Oxford High School Robotics, helping students develop problem-solving, technical, teamwork, and leadership skills.
Whether he is working with engineers, maintenance teams, volunteer coaches, referees, robotics students, or a 5-year-old stepping onto a soccer field for the first time, Chris approaches leadership in much the same way: listen, teach, support, solve problems, and keep moving forward.
Chris is running for the Oxford Community Schools Board of Education because he believes those principles are needed in public education as well.
He believes the Board of Education has a responsibility to ask difficult questions, carefully oversee taxpayer dollars, support excellent teachers and staff, listen to parents and the community, and hold district leadership accountable for results. Decisions should be thoughtful, transparent, and centered on what will best prepare Oxford students for their futures.
Chris isn't running simply to occupy a seat on the board. He's running to contribute.
After more than 25 years as a member of the Oxford community, more than 20 years leading youth programs, raising two Oxford High School graduates, mentoring Oxford students, and a professional career built around engineering, problem-solving, and leading people, Chris is ready to put that experience to work for Oxford Community Schools.
Leadership. Integrity. Accountability. Students First.
Chris can be contacted via Facebook at Chris-Jessica Newby.