ECISD POSITION 6

PAUL SOECHTING

Paul Soechting is the Position 6 challenger. A retired teacher, he is owner of Soechting Inc. and Soechting RED and has lived in El Campo 38 years.

Married to Mary, bookkeeper for Soechting, Inc. and retired City Hall employee for the last 41 years, the couple have one daughter - Erika Marie Soechting Canham, 30, a married graduate of the Texas A&M Class of 2000 in international studies.

Soechting is a member of the El Campo Chamber of Commerce, Life Member of the 100 Club, 12th Man Foundation of Texas A&M, American Association of Teachers of German and a life member of Texas State Teachers Association.

Soechting has both bachelor's and master's degrees in German from Southwest Texas State University and attended the University of Stuttgart in Germany in 1974.

He was an El Campo City Council member in 1986, El Campo mayor pro-tem in 1987, mayor 1988-1996, president of 100 Club in 1994 and presently a director, president of Texas State Teacher's Association in 1984 and was a member of the El Campo Memorial Hospital Board 2000-2007.

Thomas Turner, 52, is the Position 6 incumbent.

THOMAS TURNER

He is a self-employed farmer, an occupation he has pursued his entire life.

Turner has been married 28 years to Carol Riha-Turner, the ECISD elementary science facilitator. The couple have one son, Justin, 22, a 2008 graduating senior at Texas A&M University, who will be doing a 2008 summer internship with U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

He is a member of St. Philip Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, Rice Marketing Association where he is president, Texas Rice Council where he is a director, Rice Farmers Coop where he served 12 years as a board member, Farmers Cooperative of El Campo, El Campo Academic Booster Club, Chamber of Commerce, Texas A&M Former Student Association Century Club member and the BEEs.

He is a 1974 graduate of El Campo High School and holds a degree in agri-business from Texas A&M, where he graduated with honors in 1979.