MEET CLAYTON AUSTIN
Candidate for WPSD Re-2 Board of Education
Aim for Excellence
Early Foundations in Service and Leadership
From a young age, my commitment to community and protection was evident. As a junior firefighter with a local hose company in Pennsylvania during high school, I learned the value of quick thinking, teamwork, and putting others first in high-stakes situations. This early experience ignited a passion for service that carried into my college years at Slippery Rock University, where I earned a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice with a minor in Leadership. Through ROTC, I ranked in the top 5% of cadets nationwide and graduated the Leadership Development Assessment Course (LDAC) at Fort Lewis, Washington, with honors. These foundations taught me that true leadership isn't just about command—it's about fostering teamwork to safeguard what matters most: our families, communities, and freedoms.
Military Service: Defending Freedoms with Heart and Precision
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I am proud to be an American, and take my duty to our great Republic seriously. Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, I completed flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, becoming certified to pilot the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. Over nearly seven years of service, primarily at Fort Carson, I honed skills in aviation operations that directly supported disaster response efforts, including major roles in the Black Forest fire and Boulder floods.
These missions underscored the importance of coordinated teamwork in protecting lives and property during crises. My deployment to Afghanistan further tested this resolve, where I contributed to task force operations on the ground when not flying, ensuring mission success through strategic planning and unwavering dedication.
Selected to return early from deployment, I served as the rear detachment Executive Officer and Operations Officer for a battalion of over 500 soldiers, maintaining seamless home base operations at Fort Carson. As the Battalion Unit Movement Officer (UMO), I orchestrated complex logistical movements—transporting soldiers, helicopters, and equipment via rail, ship, and air to locations like the National Training Center (California) and Afghanistan.
This experience, including live training exercises with cadets at the Colorado School of Mines involving Blackhawk sling loads, reinforced my belief in mentorship and preparation. It's this blend of leadership and heart—protecting our nation's freedoms abroad while building the next generation at home—that drives my approach to public service.
Transition to Community and Educational Impact
After my military career, I briefly worked with Northwestern Mutual in insurance sales and financial planning, gaining insights into supporting families through life's uncertainties. Seeking a more hands-on role in care, I earned an Associate's degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) from Pueblo Community College. Today, I work as a PTA at Forest Ridge Senior Living and Advanced Healthcare of Colorado Springs, where I help seniors regain mobility and independence with compassion and expertise.
This role has deepened my understanding of empathy in action, much like my ongoing volunteer work as a senior member of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) at Merit Academy's cadet squadron. There, I guide young cadets in leadership, aviation, and emergency services, fostering the same teamwork and protective spirit that defined my early years. As a husband and father to our two boys here in WPSD, I recognize the incredible responsibility to be a role model and devoted family man, and I embrace that with everything I am. An avid hunter and occasional fisherman, I actively support wildlife conservation groups and cherish time outdoors, which reminds me of the freedoms we must preserve for future generations.
These experiences—from junior firefighting to flying missions—have equipped me with the leadership to make tough decisions, the teamwork to unite diverse groups, and the heart to prioritize our children's safety and liberties.
Why Clayton Austin for School Board
School boards need leaders who understand that education thrives on collaboration, not division—who will champion academic excellence, student safety, parents' choice, and student readiness - without compromise. My life of service has prepared me to bring that same dedication to our schools, ensuring every decision is made with integrity, teamwork, and a fierce commitment to ensuring the next generation's opportunities and preparedness.
​We've seen the impacts of the lackluster state of the District for more than a decade. We've watched people in our community turn to anger online and we've seen the public endorsements and promotion of other candidates by divisive individuals.
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​What sets me apart is a proven track record of protecting what's vital: our kids and our freedoms, while attending to the very critical details of leadership and resource management. In the military, I defended constitutional rights on the front lines; as a disaster responder, I safeguarded communities in peril; and through CAP and my PTA work, I've directly invested in youth development and personal well-being, all with the duty of responsibility.
We can be positive and forge great things in this community, for our children, for many generations to come. Together, we can build a stronger, more promising educational future.
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Don't slip back to LESS than ordinary
Be part of something EXTRADORINARY