Meet James Candela, a Wyandotte Roosevelt Distinguished Graduate

Three Downriver residents recently were inducted into the Distinguished Graduate Hall of Fame.

The 2012 inductees are , and . The three were honored during a March 26 ceremony at the school.

The hall of fame celebrates the accomplishments of those who graduated from Roosevelt at least 10 years ago and who have showed exemplary contributions to society. In order to be considered, candidates must have made contributions to either their chosen profession or to the community, whether that be Wyandotte or the community in which they now live.

A steering committee at Roosevelt chooses the honorees each year.

Here we introduce James Candela:

Candela is a former Wyandotte school board member and retired educator. He graduated from Roosevelt in 1960 and went on to attend Eastern Michigan University, where he earned both his Bachelor and Master's Degrees in Education in 1964 and 1966, respectively.

He began his teaching career in the Riverview Community School District in 1964 and later joined the Southgate Community School District in 1968. He served as principal at three Southgate Schools–Allen and North Pointe elementary and Davidson middle. He also managed the construction of a TV production facility in Southgate and began producing the High School Challenge Bowl, which continues to operate its academic competitions currently.

Following retirement in 1999, Candela began working for the Michigan Department of Education as a managing consultant for a major federal grant program focusing on comprehensive reform in Michigan schools. He spent six years on the assignment, working at both the state and national levels on school reform issues.

As a lifelong Wyandotte resident, Candela wanted to focus on education in his own town. He was elected to the in 1987 and served till 1994, helping to reinvigorate academics, sports, and extracurricular activities in the district. He was instrumental in the reopening of in 1986.

James was a member of the Board of Trustees for the for 12 years. Together with his brothers, John and Mike, they sponsor the Candela Family Scholarship, an annual two-year scholarship awarded to a graduating senior.

Candela also has an abiding interest in city government. He was elected to the Wyandotte Charter Revision Commission in 2000. A decade later, his work with the Strategic Task Force resulted in the city's first-ever vision and strategic plan, which city leaders have used to steer Wyandotte's future.

"Throughout James' public career, he always placed the interests of children and residents first," committee members said in honoring Candela. "He has worked to influence improvement in our city and in many schools locally and around the state."

Candela is married to his wife Sylvia. They have five children who all graduated from Roosevelt, and among them, hold nine college degrees. 

READ ABOUT THE OTHER HONOREES: