Steve Hammond is an active Sugarland Run resident. Hammond, the former Dominion High School PTO president, is ready to take the next step — to run for Sugarland Run District seat on the School Board.
Hammond will face School Board member Joseph Guzman (Sugarland Run) at the polls in November.
Hammond stepped down from president of Association of Titan Leaders Assisting Students (ATLAS) June 30.
Hammond’s oldest daughter graduated from Dominion High School a couple years ago and his youngest daughter is a rising senior at the Sterling school.
Even though Hammond stepped down, he remains involved in community activities.
Walter McCowat, the current president of ATLAS, said Hammond is always quick to volunteer and his help has paid off tremendously over the years.
"He raised the bar in terms of fund raising and giving back to the schools," McCowat said.
Over the course of his term as president, Hammond raised more than $200,000 for Dominion High School from various fund-raising projects, McCowat said.
McCowat attributed Hammond’s successes to the fact that he is extremely detail-oriented and very involved.
"He is always stepping up," McCowat said. "When there’s a need, he’s there."
Last week, Hammond stepped up to chair the Taste of Titan Territory committee. Taste of Titan Territory is an annual community picnic for Dominion High School students and the Sugarland Run community.
In addition to Titan fund-raisers and community events, Hammond takes time out of his busy schedule to work with students at an engineering academy for high-school students that takes place at Fort Valley State University, a historically black university, in Fort Valley, Ga.
Hammond, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, said that is one of his other passions, working with students at the school there.
HAMMOND SAID he wanted to run for the position to maintain activity in the school system.
"I want to lead by example," he said. "I want to step up and place a high importance on participation and leadership."
The biggest challenge Hammond said his district faces is attracting and retaining the best personnel in the county. This means attracting a high quality, diverse workforce, who can live in the community they serve to ensure a high quality of life.
"The cost of living is so high," he said. "I want to keep our teachers in this part of the county."
In addition to attracting the best of the best, Hammond said he hopes to bring a better understanding of discretionary spending to the School Board.
"All too often we just make cuts across the board," Hammond said. "We need to make some priorities: primary salaries, transportation, infrastructure and safety."
NEXT ON THE agenda for Hammond is to meet his potential constituents.
"My goal over the next few weeks is to make myself known and then sprint to the finish line in September and October," Hammond said. "I’m counting on my friends in the community to help drive that campaign."