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Peter Cannon is a freshman member of the Davis School District board, but he prides himself on taking positions to the right of most public education leaders.
He's a tea-party stalwart who adamantly opposes illegal immigration, but he first worked in the education sector building schools and hiring bus drivers for the children of migrant farm workers.
And day in and day out, when the Utah Legislature is in session, Cannon is on Capitol Hill, speaking out on a range of issues from partisan-school-board races (supports) to adoption rights for unmarried couples (opposes).
"There aren't a lot [of school board members] like me," Cannon chuckles.
Cannon, a Farmington retiree, joined the Davis County 9/12 Project, a tea party group, in 2009. Since then, the 59-year-old has been a full-time, unpaid citizen lobbyist when the Legislature convenes — including during interim meetings. He also is vice president of legislative affairs for the Utah Eagle Forum, working alongside President Gayle Ruzicka.
"I discovered [lobbying] was easy. I was shocked," he says.
He first felt empowered by lobbying a year ago, when he spoke against a bill that would have required healthier foods be placed in school vending machines. He told members of a Senate committee about his experiences as a Mormon missionary in West Berlin, living within a mile of the Berlin Wall and the Communist Germany.
"I told them I want freedom and not government regulation," Cannon says. "Let's not dictate what people can buy in our country."
The committee rejected the bill.
"I thought, wow, I have influence," Cannon recalls. "Citizens who want to be heard can be heard. That was thrilling to me."
Cannon has become a fixture at Senate and House education committee meetings. This year, he supports bills that would require students be taught that the U.S. government is a constitutional republic, add party-affiliation to local and state school board races and eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented college students. He backs legislation that could make it easier to fire career-status teachers who perform poorly.
"It's kind of funny to watch a guy like me, as a member of the Davis County school board, sitting in Utah School Boards Association meetings [about legislative priorities]," Cannon says. "It's not uncommon, if I get a chance to vote, I'll be the lone voter on the conservative side."
JoDee Sundberg, USBA president and a member of the Alpine Board of Education, says Cannon "has his own voice."
"He doesn't always represent his board … nor is he a spokesperson for the Utah School Boards Association," she says. "We all have a right to have that [individual] voice."
A former Cedar Hills City Council member, Cannon decided to run for an open seat on the Davis Board of Education last year.
In the final election, Cannon squared off against lifelong educator Larry Jensen, a former superintendent of Cache County schools.
"It was quite a surprise that I was elected," Cannon says. He credits his promise not to raise taxes — after an unpopular tax hike in August — along with the support of tea-party volunteers.
Cannon spent 21 years in the U.S. Army, including five as an officer, before retiring in 1997. He later worked four years as facilities and transportation manager for Centro de la Familia de Utah, a nonprofit group that relies on federal Head Start funds to offer early-education programs to Spanish-speaking families in rural Utah.
"We were doing something good for some people who needed some good done for them," Cannon says. "It's kind of a conflict in my life. Here I am a conservative, and I worked for a pretty liberal-oriented nonprofit organization that took nothing but federal funds and helped illegal immigrant children."
But he says the job helped him to see both sides of the immigration issue, and he still feels strongly about "enforcing our laws as they are."
One of Cannon's best attributes is being "multi-faceted," says Ronald Mortensen, who first recruited Cannon to be a citizen lobbyist with the 9/12 Project.
"He can talk on a wide range of issues with clarity and persuasiveness," Mortensen says. "That's what makes him so valuable. He has tremendous credibility."
On the school board, Cannon hopes to build support for revamping teacher evaluations; tying raises to performance, including student test scores; and removing advance sign-up requirements for public comments at board meetings.
About Peter Cannon
Age • 59
Family • He and his second wife, Beverly, have a "blended" family of nine children and 27 grandchildren. His first wife passed away in 2001.
Career • 21 years in the U.S. Army, four years as facilities and transportation manager for Centro de la Familia de Utah. He also has worked as a substitute teacher in Davis district.
Public service • Member of the Davis Board of Education, former Cedar Hills City Council member.
Fun fact • Cannon has lived in Japan, Germany, Italy and Argentina.