New lawmaker profile: Rep. Chester Crandell

Rep. Chester Crandell, R-Heber

Name: Chester Crandell

Chamber: House of Representatives

Party: Republican

Hometown: Heber

Legislative District: No. 5, which covers much of eastern Arizona, including Payson, Show Low, Globe and Safford.

Profession: Retired school superintendent and agricultural educator.

Committee Assignments: Education, Environment and Agriculture and Water (vice chairman).

Previous or Current Elected Offices: none.

Highlights of Community Involvement: Superintendent of the Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology Joint Technological Educational District for 10 years, lobbyist for education.

Why He Ran: “While I was the superintendent of the NAVIT district, I was also a public lobbyist, and so I came down here for that 10 years, working with legislation to help the JTED (Joint Technological Educational Districts) system. I retired in July when I decided I was going to run for state Legislature.”

His Focus: “We have some of the best natural resources in the state – in our mining, in our timber industry, in our grazing. All of those are being impacted tremendously by federal regulation.”

A Bill: HB 2533, which would create a biennial budget cycle. “It forces us to look further down the road and to do some preparing, taking a look at, ‘Where are the actual needs?’ and, ‘What are some things that we can cut?’”

Reporting by Heather Billings, Cronkite News Service