My connection to Bret Harte is through the Angels-Murphys Rotary Club. I was the president last year, and before that the Youth Services chairperson, a significant role, as half of the Rotary Club budget is youth related. I led the scholarship program and read countless applications which gave me insights into the range of students and their needs. I then started a mentorship program at Bret Harte for students needing career and practical life direction. Through these experiences, and including my involvement with mentoring kids in the STEAM council and CCOE mentoring programs, I’ve become aware of how a small helping hand can play a significant role in assisting our young folks mature as they transition into adults. So supporting youth career preparation has become deeply personal to me.
The urgency of the moment is driven by concerns as we enter this new era where jobs will be automated away by artificial intelligence. And what will set our students up for success isn’t entirely what they know — it’s how they lead, how they connect with people, and how they create. Leadership, emotional intelligence, and entrepreneurial thinking will matter more than ever, as they are the skills that cannot be automated. As a board member, I will prioritize not only making sure Bret Harte students get a high quality education, but that we stay ahead of the AI wave, and not get caught behind it.
And the good news is that our foothill community has strong values for neighborliness and just “getting it done”. These interpersonal human skills we have here in the community are in many ways an antidote for the AI era, and in my experience we punch above our weight in this regard.
So, from FFA to Interact to Bullfrog team sports and the many other programs that build character in young people, the community and Bret Harte already have a strong suit of giving our young folks a head start. If elected, my goal is to double down and strengthen these programs and the values behind them.
Why I’m running
Supporting Career Paths for ALL students
Angels-Murphys Rotary Club President Fred Haubensak presenting Bret Harte Students of the Month awards
Experience & Values
Community Leader — President, Angels-Murphys Rotary Club; Boy Scout leader; nonprofit board service
Champion for Every Student’s Career Path — Founded the BHHS career mentoring program; STEAM Council and CCOE mentor; Rotary Scholarship Chair
STEM & AI Advocate — PhD engineer, data scientist, and machine learning coder.
Small Business Owner — Runs a retreat business in Murphys, an aircraft rental business, and has built technology startups
Sports & Adventure Advocate — Competitive triathlete and private pilot
Fred reading to 3rd graders at Mark Twain Elementary.
My Story
I grew up in Pleasant Hill, a small town on the outskirts of the Bay Area — back when the busiest intersection near my house still had just one blinking red light.
When I was around 12 years old I discovered Calaveras County, when I started spending my summers at the Boy Scout Camp Wolfeboro up near Bear Valley: camping, earning merit badges, and backpacking 50-mile treks through the Sierras. I learned to love the rugged outdoors, how to serve my community, and how to be a leader. That continued through my teens and into my early twenties as an adult leader, and in my last summer there I served as aquatics director for the camp. I literally cut my teeth on leadership right here, up Highway 4.
After graduate school in Boston, I built a career in Silicon Valley, back when it was smaller and friendlier than it is today. And when my wife, Naomi, and I decided it was time to leave the “rat race”, we knew exactly where we wanted to put down roots — right back here in the foothills, the place that shaped me.
Speaking with students at the Dinner With a Scientist 2024