The purpose of this blog is so you can learn a little about my background given my candidacy for the Shelby School Board, and learn how to contact me regarding issues facing our schools.

Walborn Family

Walborn Family

Oceana Herald Journal Questionnaire

The Oceana Herald Journal has requested the following information from school board candidates. The following are my answers:


Name: Warren W. Walborn
Email: WarrenWalborn1@gmail.com
Age: 47
Address: 303 Sunset Terrace, Shelby, MI 49455
Phone: 231-259-0259
Work: 231-861-8200

Family Members:
Wife - Karen
Daughter - Alexandra (21)
Daughter - Brittany (18)
Daughter - Abigail (16)
Daughter - Nancy (14)
Daughter - Halle (10)

Occupational History:
(See blog post below: "Professional Background")

Military service: None

Educational background:
Mr. Walborn earned an MBA with Honors in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business where he was a LEAD Fellow and a May Scholar. He is also a graduate of Brigham Young University, where he received his bachelor's degree in economics. Prior to his university studies, Mr. Walborn attended Hawken School, a nationally-recognized college preparatory school located near Cleveland, Ohio.

Memberships, elected positions, community activities:
Rotary – Former President, Boy Scouts of America – Former Scoutmaster, Licensed Soccer Coach.

Are you originally from this area? No. Although my mother graduated from Hart High School, I was raised in Ohio.

When and why did you move here? We moved to Hart in 2002, but selected the Shelby schools for our children through the “Schools of Choice” program. We moved to Shelby in 2007. When we moved to Western Michigan in 2002, we moved here for a temporary stay, but love the area so much that we decided to stay and make Oceana County our permanent home!

Question #1: With state per pupil funding cuts and enrollment declines at Michigan public schools, what you do as a school board member to protect the financial future of Shelby Public Schools?

As a school board member, there are several things I can do to protect the financial future of Shelby Public Schools. First, the school board must do everything in its power to make the Shelby Schools the best schools in Oceana County. By doing so, Shelby Schools will be the true school of choice among county residents looking to obtain the best education for their children. This will not only minimize enrollment declines, but also attract jobs and employers to Oceana county.

Also, I will draw upon certain key political connections in Lansing for the benefit of Shelby Schools and their financial funding.

Finally, while we must live within our means like all school districts must do, I will remain committed to making the Shelby Schools the best schools in Oceana County. To this end, I will remain very accessible to the community so that when facing tough decisions, the best ideas are brought forth, and the will of the members of our community is represented. I will strive to keep the community informed through my blog at http://www.walbornforschoolboard.blogspot.com/, and I will be always available via my email address – WarrenWalborn1@gmail.com.

Professional background:
A seasoned business leader, Mr. Walborn’s career includes a blend of experience in Wall Street M&A, energy corporation, and venture capital venues. Mr. Walborn has an outstanding record of creating value while maintaining a strict bottom-line orientation. Currently, he is President and CEO of Hawken Energy, Inc., a start-up company focused on the innovative use of renewable fuels to provide low cost energy solutions for its customers. Prior to launching this company, Mr. Walborn was Managing Director of Pentwater Group, LLC, a boutique advisory firm dedicated to supporting companies through early stages of development and growth.

During 2002, Mr. Walborn served as the CEO and board member of a client company, AirMatrix Technologies, Inc., a medical device company focused on sleep disorder diagnosis. Mr. Walborn successfully navigated this company from its inception through a negotiated sale to a publicly traded medical device company. Through Mr. Walborn’s efforts, bridge loan investors in AirMatrix received a 20 percent cash on cash IRR during the worst year in recorded history for such investments.

In a prior assignment, Mr. Walborn was a Venture Partner for EnerTech Capital, the preeminent venture capital firm in the energy and communications industries with $285 million under management. In this assignment, Mr. Walborn assisted EnerTech with investment sourcing, analysis and negotiations, and coordinated a merger for a portfolio company.

In his prior position, Mr. Walborn was head of venture investments in new energy technology companies at American Electric Power, one of the largest utilities in the United States. In this capacity, Mr. Walborn also directed investment management of AEP’s portfolio of such companies. Mr. Walborn served on the board of PHPK Technologies, a company focused on superconductivity products which has doubled revenues every two years since becoming a portfolio company under Mr. Walborn’s direction. Further, he was a member of the AEP Corporate Technology Council, and Patent Review Committee. Mr. Walborn is the inventor of US Patent No. 6,522,031, “A Power Load Leveling System and Packet Electrical Energy Storage” and other patent pending devices.

Mr. Walborn joined AEP from the U.S. Generating Company where he directed project finance and M&A activities. In the five years Mr. Walborn was with the company, USGen was transformed from a small developer into the largest domestic independent power producer with over 10,000 megawatts of capacity under management. Prior to that position, he worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. as a consultant. Mr. Walborn started his career with GE Capital in their leveraged buyout group.

Mr. Walborn earned an MBA with Honors in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business where he was a LEAD Fellow and a May Scholar. He is also a graduate of Brigham Young University, where he received his bachelor's degree in economics. Prior to his university studies, Mr. Walborn attended Hawken School, a nationally-recognized college preparatory school located near Cleveland, Ohio.

Mr. Walborn lives in Shelby, Michigan with his wife, Karen, and their five daughters.