SELMA — Frank Chestnut Jr. has announced his candidacy for the city school board seat in District 3 in the Oct. 27 election.

District 3 is made up of Wards 3 and 8.

“Schools are a cherished institution and must be a driver of progress to challenge minds inside and outside of its walls,” said Chestnut. “Thus, better schools mean a better community.”

Chestnut qualified to run Friday, according to Selma City Clerk Ivy Harrison.

Chestnut said for years economic developers have noted public schools are a reflection of the community and this is one of the chief predictors of a community’s direction.

Chestnut said he sees remarkable progress and successful school systems across Alabama.

“For progress to continue in Selma, we must recognize that schools and the community are inextricably linked,” he said.

A native of Selma, Chestnut graduated from the Selma City School System. He earned a bachelor’s in management of human resources from Faulkner University in 1995. He earned a master’s in human resource management at Troy University.

In 2003 Chestnut began working with Alabama Industrial Development Training. He manages a group of continuous improvement specialists, who identify process inefficiencies and implement improvements for companies across the state.

Chestnut serves on the Selma-Dallas County Industrial Development Board and the Historic Selma Crime Prevention Initiative. He also serves on the board of directors for Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association and on the steering committee for Alabama Operations Management Institute.

Chestnut is married to Kesha Robbins. His children attend Selma City Schools.