Governor Appoints New Member To Manatee County School Board – Chad Choate III

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Wesley “Chad” Choate to the School Board of Manatee County.

Choate is filling the vacancy created by Dr. Scott Hopes when he became the Manatee County Administrator.

When asked about the appointment, Choate told Manatee Herald, “I’d like to thank my wife, kids, and friends for their support in me.  Their support was vital.

I’d also like to thank Governor Desantis for trusting me with this seat on the board and now it’s time to earn the trust of the people as a member of this school board.  I can promise you this, that I’ll work extremely hard for the students and teachers in this district. I believe my experience as a teacher for 12+ years and now as a financial advisor and running my own practice will help me with the issues the board deals with. I want to be fiscally responsible with the budget and the tax payers money and at the same time make sure our classrooms and students have the resources they need to achieve greatness. The board is in the midst of planning next years budget and I’m excited and ready to jump in and get to work.”

“I am humbled by this opportunity to serve and look forward to standing with Governor DeSantis by opposing a mask mandate in Manatee County Schools, keeping Critical Race Theory out of our classrooms and prioritizing civics education,” said Choate.

Wesley “Chad” Choate

Choate, of Sarasota, is a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones Investments. Previously, he was a teacher and football coach for the School District of Manatee County. Choate serves on the Leadership Manatee Alumni Association Board of Directors, Manatee County Ageing Network Board of Directors, Kiwanis of Bradenton Membership Committee and is Trustees Chair for Trinity United Methodist Church. He is an Accredited Asset Management Specialist and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida.