Richard Kreps, 61, lives in Carmel. He and his wife have two children: a 36-year-old teacher in Yonkers, and a 32-year-old who’s doing graduate work in the field of business and finance. This interview is part of a series inspired by the New York State School Boards Association "Do You Know Who I Am?" campaign.
How long have you been a school board member?
I have been with the BOCES board since 2002, and with the Carmel school board since 1999. I am the President of both.
What made you decide to run for the school board initially?
When you see something that you think can be improved upon, you go for it. In Carmel I looked at the district and the board was not as cohesive as it could have been, and the infrastructure needed updating.
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What is your occupation?
I am retired from the NYPD. I was a detective, my last eight years, with a crime scene unit, like CSI. I also taught at the academy and was on patrol. Now I work as Vice President of the Croker Fire Drill Corporation (www.crokerfiredrill.com).
What is special about serving on a BOCES board of education?
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We serve many different needs, not just the special education and technical training that people think of automatically, but also cooperative things like staff development. BOCES offers a lot of ways of getting out into the different communities and serving some of the needs there.
What is the biggest challenge you face as a board member?
It’s tough to convince the component districts [about the value of BOCES] sometimes. We have a bias when it comes to BOCES because we obviously think we’re the best -- but we can back up our words. Also, financing—that has become the number one challenge.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love golf, and I play whenever I can. I Play at Putnam National and also at our condo down in Delaware.
What qualities do you most value in a school board member?
Integrity and honesty are very high up there; individuals who try to be as informed as they possibly can.
What qualities do you most value in an educator?
They have to have integrity. They need to have patience. They need to understand that they are working in a discipline, to have good standards, to be collaborative and to be open-minded.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Who are my heroes? Armed forces, my colleagues in the police and fire world. They don’t think they’re heroes. My dad was a big hero to me. He also happened to be a cop.
Who are some of your favorite writers?
Tom Clancy (The Hunt for Red October and many others); Nelson DeMille (The General’s Daughter); Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), among others.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
To get up every morning, enjoy going to work and see the best in people; to see the sun versus the gloom and just appreciate life.
