Township or Borough
East Buffalo Township
Education
Penncrest High School; B.A. Theatre and B.S. Engineering, Swarthmore College; M.S. Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. Bioengineering, University of California
Occupation
Biomedical Engineer, Medical Researcher
Qualifications
Current LASD School Board member (appointed 2024); Parent of 2 LASD students; CSIU Board Member, 2024-present; Board President, RiverStage Community Theatre (2017-present); Parent volunteer, LAHS Musical; East Buffalo Judge of Elections (2016-20)
I’m thankful for my own Pennsylvania public school education and grateful to the teachers, administrators and staff that make Lewisburg a great place for my kids to learn. I would enjoy doing my part to work hard and continue to serve the district. I believe my professional background in engineering--and helping medical professionals make decisions--translates well to a school board making decisions based on financial info, test scores, and other measures. I’ve served on the board of our local nonprofit community theatre for over 10 years, balancing a tight budget while supporting the arts in our community, and I will similarly always take the financial aspect of the job seriously while supporting students, teachers, and staff.
My experience on the board thus far has been very pleasant, with everyone having basically the same main goal—to give students a great education and experience. To do that, we have to save the district and taxpayers money everywhere we can, and we have to ensure administrators have what they need to support the teachers and staff. Those two things must be balanced, but they’re not polar opposites. Although we may never have enough money to do everything, we work collectively and with the superintendent to understand where the greatest needs are and prioritize. If there’s a disagreement about some particular course of action, I find we can usually take a step back and agree on the underlying common goals before reaching a compromise.
Township or Borough
East Buffalo Township
Education
A.B. Georgetown University; M.A. and Ph.D. Duke University
Occupation
Professor
Qualifications
Educator for over 25 years; Parent of two students in the Lewisburg Area School District; Taxpayer
As a parent, educator, and taxpayer, I am ideally prepared to serve as a school director. Both of my children have been students in the Lewisburg schools from kindergarten until high school. As a result, I have substantial experience with the strengths and challenges of all four schools: Kelly, Linntown, DHEMS, and LAHS. As an educator for over 25 years, I have experience not only as a classroom instructor but also as an administrator acquainted with the tasks of budgeting, hiring and reviewing staff, and developing, assessing, and revising curricula. As a taxpayer I am aware of the fiscal burdens faced by LASD residents, and I vow to be a responsible steward of their financial support.
My entire career has been spent in collaborative workplace settings, where decisions were made collectively. As a result, I am comfortable articulating my positions clearly and cogently, taking into consideration the opinions of those who disagree with me, and working to find sensible compromises that can garner wide acceptance. When in the position to do so, I am able to lead collective deliberations effectively, by providing a detailed agenda, sharing background information in advance, and facilitating robust but civil discussion.
Township or Borough
East Buffalo
Education
B.A. Elementary Education, M.Ed in Special Education
Occupation
Teacher at Kinderfolk Preschool
Qualifications
Parent, Former Public School General Education, and Special Education Teacher
As a parent of three current LASD students and a former public school teacher myself I believe I bring a unique perspective to the School Board. I have personal experience with the challenges our teachers face in the classroom on a daily basis, and witness first hand how the decisions the District makes impact my children and their peers. These two perspectives coupled together provide me with a unique lens to look through and share insight from as we plan for the future of the Lewisburg Area School District.
I have now served as a School Director for three and a half years, and have learned how import it is for the Board to stand as one collective authority once a decision is made. All nine School Board Directors have a chance to share their personal opinions and insights on any matters before us during discussion periods. Once the vote takes place and a decision is made though, the Board must move forward with whatever outcome is decided on and support the administration, teachers and staff who are left to follow through with the decision.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.